Longevity Science® Advanced CoQ10 (Ubiquinol)

Coenzyme Q10 is a well known anti-oxidant, naturally produced in the human body, which contributes to healthy energy levels through production of ATP, an important support nutrient for cardiovascular health.** It is also well known that CoQ10 declines with age.

It is less well known that CoQ10 occurs in three forms in the human body: ubiquinone, ubiquinol, and an intermediate between them called ubisemibiquinone. The oxidized form of CoQ10 is called ubiquinone, and the reduced CoQ10 form is called ubiquinol. The form sold in supplements for many years has been the oxidized ubiquinone form. While the body needs both forms, supplementing with traditional ubiquinone affects ubiquinol levels only secondarily.

Supplementing with oxidized CoQ10 largely relies on the body’s endogenous anti-oxidant system to create the reduced ubiquinol CoQ10 form. If the body has trouble creating reduced CoQ10 from the oxidized form, supplementing with more oxidized CoQ10 will not significantly increase ubiquinol levels, and will in fact increase the burden the body has in reducing existing CoQ10 to ensure full bio-activity. This is important, since without ubiquinol to carry electrons through the mitochondria, cellular energy cannot be produced.**

In young healthy individuals, about 90% of CoQ10 in the body occurs in the reduced ubiquinol form. However, as we get older and are subjected to more environmental stressors, the body’s ability to generate ubiquinol from ubiquinone declines. Ubiquinol CoQ10 has been available as a supplement only recently because it degrades easily when exposed to air. The Kaneka™ company, based in Japan, invented a process which provides stable ubiquinol, giving middle-aged and older individuals a direct way to replenish their ubiquinol level.