Ubiquinol is a vitamin-like substance. A vitamin is a nutrient required by the body in limited amounts, but that the body cannot synthesize in sufficient quantities to fulfill its needs.
Ubiquinol is similar to vitamin D. Vitamin D is synthesized in the body but still there is common understanding that you need to supplement, especially for people having low exposure to sunlight.
Ubiquinol is also made in the body. The quinol nucleus is derived directly from 4-hydroxybenzoate (which has a hydroxyl group just as ubiquinol) and this is merged with isoprene units (2).
As the active, reduced form of CoQ10, ubiquinol has superior bioavailability compared to ubiquinone. It’s also a strong antioxidant that protects cell membranes and keeps them stable. Ubiquinol offers a wide range of health benefits, it supports heart health, the production of cellular energy, male fertility, healthy cholesterol and general health and wellbeing in ageing individuals.
There are two forms of CoQ10 – ubiquinone: the oxidised form and ubiquinol: the active form of CoQ10. The body however must convert ubiquinone into ubiquinol before it can be used to support cellular energy.3 Due to its superior bioavailability, ubiquinol is the preferred form of CoQ10 for therapy.1,4
Ubiquinol For Energy Production And Performance
Ubiquinol’s role in mitochondrial function is well established.1,2,3 In the mitochondria, ubiquinol plays an important role in transferring electrons to generate cellular energy known as ATP. It is this electron transfer ability that also makes ubiquinol a powerful antioxidant, membrane stabiliser, inhibiting the oxidation of proteins, lipids and DNA.1,6
The body’s natural levels of ubiquinol start to decline around the age of 30,7 along with the ability to convert ubiquinone to ubiquinol. This may impact energy levels, making you more dependent on dietary and supplemental sources of ubiquinol.8
Seek advice from a healthcare practitioner to determine if supplementation is right for you. Always read the label.
[1] Matsuo 2015
[2] Tran et al (Mitochondrion 7S (2007) S62-S71
[3] Zhang, Y.; Liu, J.; Chen, X.-q.; Oliver Chen, C. Y., Ubiquinol is superior to ubiquinone to enhance Coenzyme Q10 status in older men. Food & Function 2018, 9 (11), 5653-5659.
[4] Kloer, H.-U.; Belardinelli, R.; Ruchong, O.; Rosenfeldt, F., Combining Ubiquinol With a Statin May Benefit Hypercholesterolaemic Patients With Chronic Heart Failure. Heart, Lung and Circulation 2020, 29 (2), 188-195.
[5] Juan Garrido-Maraver , M. D. C., Manuel Oropesa-Ãvila, Alejandro Fernández Vega, Mario de la Mata, Ana Delgado Pavón, Manuel de Miguel, Carmen Pérez Calero, Marina Villanueva Paz, David Cotán, José A. Sánchez-Alcázar Coenzyme Q10. Molecular Syndromology 2014, 5, 187-197.
[6] Di Lorenzo, A.; Iannuzzo, G.; Parlato, A.; Cuomo, G.; Testa, C.; Coppola, M.; D’Ambrosio, G.; Oliviero, A. D.; Sarullo, S.; Vitale, G.; Nugara, C.; Sarullo, M. F.; Giallauria, F., Clinical Evidence for Q10 Coenzyme Supplementation in Heart Failure: From Energetics to Functional Improvement. Journal of Clinical Medicine 2020, 9 (5).
[7] Linnane, A. W., Zhang, C., Yarovaya, N., Kopsidas, G., Kovalenko, S., Papakostopoulos, P., … & Richardson, M. Human aging and global function of coenzyme Q10. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, (2002). 959(1), 396-411.
[8] Langsjoen PH, Langsjoen AM. Comparison study of plasma coenzyme Q10 levels in healthy subjects supplemented with ubiquinol versus ubiquinone. Clin Pharmacol Drug Dev. 2014 Jan;31(1):13-7. doi: 10.1002/cpdd.73.
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