New CoQH-CF™ Update
Ubiquinone and Ubiquinol: Working Hand in Hand

Since we published the article on the new reduced CoQ10-Ubiquinol in our last newsletter (Focus, November 2007), we have seen some negative, confusing and erroneous reports about Ubiquinol. Because these articles could discourage the use of this breakthrough product by some who might greatly benefit from it, we would like to address a few important points.

It’s true that the Ubiquinone form of CoQ10 has more human studies –three decades worth. But this is hardly surprising, as Ubiquinol in stable, oral form is a recent breakthrough. FDA registration as a New Dietary Ingredient was completed just two years ago. Preclinical toxicity studies and clinical studies on Ubiquinol were done in Japan, and initial human and animal studies show that properly formulated oral Ubiquinol is stable and well absorbed, and can remarkably increase plasma levels of CoQ10. Clinicians are already confirming these results, and further studies are underway.

Questions have been raised about bioavailability. Given the short time that oral Ubiquinol has been available for study, it is remarkable how much evidence already suggests that Ubiquinol may produce a higher level of bioavailability than Ubiquinone. In fact, studies published in refereed scientific journals indicate that Ubiquinol may provide up to eleven times greater absorption based on resulting plasma levels. As we said in our article, “This is an extremely strong indication that the body needs and wants to assimilate Ubiquinol.”

We did confirm that regular CoQ10 is also a significant nutrient, saying: “The importance of CoQ10 (Ubiquinone) should not be disqualified and has nearly 30 years of research and clinical evaluation demonstrating its considerable health benefits and excellent safety profile…”. Each of the forms of Q10 have important metabolic functions. Ubiquinol is an active lipid soluble antioxidant, whereas both Ubiquinone and Ubiquinol are needed for mitochondrial electron transport (cellular respiration). Without the reversible transfer of electrons between Ubiquinone  and Ubiquinol, there would be no electron transport in the mitochondrial Electron Transport Chain. Cellular respiration is essential for the maintenance of energy homeostasis, cell growth and development and cell viability.

It’s not true that only Ubiquinone is biosynthesized, and Ubiquinol is not. Both are generated naturally in our bodies. Like other redox active cofactors (FAD, NAD), the oxidized forms are biosynthesized first, and the reduced forms (Ubiquinol, NADH, FADH) are biosynthesized via reversible cellular enzymatic systems. In a healthy individual the predominant form of CoQ10 in the plasma and tissues is the reduced Ubiquinol form.

Ubiquinone or New Ubiquinol: Which Supplement is Best for Me?

In young, healthy individuals, supplemental Ubiquinone follows the digestive path of most lipids; it is first incorporated into chylomicrons, reduced in the small intestine and shuttled through the lymphatic system to the circulation. Efficient reduction of Ubiquinone to Ubiquinol occurs during absorption or rapidly after the appearance of Ubiquinone in the blood.

As we get older, the ability of our bodies to produce and metabolize CoQ10 declines. We do not biosynthesize as much Ubiquinone, and the ability to efficiently produce the reduced Ubiquinol form also declines. The reasons for this include: increased metabolic demand, diseases, insufficient dietary CoQ10 intake, deficiency of factors required for biosynthesis, gene mutation, oxidative insult, or any combination of these factors. Some reports say this decline becomes apparent around 40 years of age, some as early as 20 with slow but continuous decline. The result is less cellular energy, slower conversion to the reduced form and subsequently diminished protection against oxidative insult.

Research also shows that conditions of ill health result in decreased ability to reduce ingested Ubiquinone to Ubiquinol. Plasma concentration ratios of Ubiquinol to Ubiquinone are significantly decreased in patients with various pathological conditions (e.g., hyperlipidemia, hepatitis, cirrhosis, hepatoma, coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus) compared to healthy subjects. Not surprisingly, more and more scientific reports indicate that dramatic decreases in CoQ10 concentrations, mitochondrial dysfunction and increased oxidative stress are associated with the aging process and many age related diseases such as cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative disease, diabetes, cancer, fatigue, metabolic syndrome and many others.

People who are sick or older often need to ingest very large amounts of regular CoQ10 to get benefits, likely because less and less is being converted to Ubiquinol. If such a person is given already reduced CoQ10 (Ubiquinol), then they will also easily get all the Ubiquinone they need.

We are confident that as more studies are completed, including studies now underway, more data will further confirm what clinicians are already telling us – the new CoQ10-Ubiquinol is truly a CoQ10 breakthrough.

References in November 2007 ARG Focus Newsletter.

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