Which form of Co-Enzyme Q10 should I choose?
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The powder CoQ10 or Ubiquinone, the
fully oxidized form and the most commonly available. This kind
of CoQ10 is serviceable if taken with some accompanying fatty acids
to help bio-availability.
-
Such brands as Q-Sol, Q-Absorb, which
already contain the necessary lipids for better absorption
-
The newest and claimed to be the best
absorbed form,
Ubiquinol, the
active form to which Ubiquinone is converted in the body, and
which constitutes 90% of CoQ10 circulating in the body.
To misquote
Orwell, they are all active, but some are more active than others.
Generally, they are priced accordingly. You
can compare here.
Dr. Robert J. Barry, of
National Institute of Health repute, characterizes them thus: up
to the age of approximately 45, unless you are addressing a chronic or
serious health condition, then the Ubiquinone form is perfectly
adequate. After that age, when absorption is to a certain extent
compromised by age and ill health, the Ubiquinol form may provide more
benefit.
A study performed by Drs. Langsjoen, arguably THE authorities on
CoQ10, underscores the difference between Ubiquinol and Ubiquinone:
Supplemental Ubiquinol in Patients with
Advanced Congestive Heart Failure
Peter H. Langsjoen - East Texas Medical
Center and Trinity Mother Francis Hospital, TX, USA
Alena M. Langsjoen - Coenzyme Q10 Laboratory, Inc.,
Tyler, TX, USA
Abstract:
Patients with moderately advanced (New York Heart Association class IV)
congestive heart failure (CHF), often fail to achieve adequate plasma
CoQ10 levels on supplemental ubiquinone at dosages up to 900 mg/day.
These patients often have plasma total CoQ10 levels of less than 2.5
μg/ml and have limited clinical improvement. It is postulated that
the intestinal edema in these critically ill patients may impair CoQ10
absorption.
We identified seven patients with advanced CHF (mean ejection fraction (EF)
of 22%) with sub-therapeutic plasma CoQ10 levels with mean level of 1.6
μg/ml on an average dose of 450 mg of ubiquinone daily (150-600
mg/day).
All seven of these patients were changed to an average of 580 mg/day of
ubiquinol (450-900 mg/day) with follow-up plasma CoQ10 levels, clinical
status, and EF measurements by echocardiography.
Mean plasma CoQ10 levels increased from 1.6 μg/ml (0.9-2.0 μg/ml)
up to 6.5 μg/ml (2.6-9.3 μg/ml).
Mean EF improved from 22% (10-35%) up to 39% (10-60%) and clinical
improvement has been remarkable with NYHA class improving from a mean of
IV to a mean of II (I to III).
Ubiquinol has dramatically improved absorption in patients with severe
heart failure and the improvement in plasma CoQ10 levels is correlated
with both clinical improvement and improvement in measurement of left
ventricular function.
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