Ubiquinol Reigns as Powerful Antioxidant

Did you know standard CoQ10 is usually ubiquinone, but there is another, more bioavailable version called ubiquinol? Ubiquinol is the form of CoQ10 that your body uses, and multiple studies have shown that ubiquinol is more effective at raising the body’s CoQ10 levels, than ubiquinone.

Antioxidants have been getting a bad rap over the last few years, primarily because very few experts talk about the differences between natural and synthetic supplements.

But even as we’re busy having the debates, antioxidants are busy supporting our health – and protecting us from free radicals that can cause oxidative damage that can lead to degenerative conditions – along with premature aging.

And one of the most important talked-about antioxidants in recent years is CoQ10. However, did you know that there are two forms of CoQ10?

Ubiquinone which is the most common form available while Ubiquinol is the form of CoQ10 that can be most effectively used by the body. You see, Ubiquinone needs to be converted to Ubiquinol in order for the body to get the maximum benefits of CoQ10.

In fact most people over 40 can't properly convert Ubiquinone into the bio-available Ubiquinol for energy which means it makes sense to opt for supplements and products that contain this bio-available active form of CoQ10 instead of the common form.

“Ubiquinol helps to slow down the aging process, improves energy, reduces blood pressure, and decreases your chances of developing heart failure,” said Bryce Wilde, author of “The Antioxidant Prescription: How to Use the Power of Antioxidants to Prevent Disease and Stay Healthy for Life.” (Ref. 1)

Wilde, a member of the medical advisory board for “The Doctor Oz Show,” has a web series called “The Supplement Score Card,” during which he grades certain supplements, and the power-packed ubiquinol scored an A, especially so because levels of this powerful antioxidant in your body begin to drop around the age of 30, in part because the body has a more difficult time converting ubiquinone CoQ10 into ubiquinol as we age, suggesting that we need to supplement with Ubiquinol to sustain optimum levels, helping to prevent both premature-aging and the onset of degenerative conditions.

An antioxidant with oomph

From the moment we wake up until we go to sleep – and during the time we spend sleeping – we burn energy, expose ourselves to environmental toxins and grow a little bit older, putting ourselves at risk of oxidative stress from the free radicals that our activities produce.

Because they’re damaged cells, free radicals act a bit like a tornado, ravaging all the cells they come into contact with, including nerve tissues, the linings of our organs and vessel walls.

The damage is called oxidative stress, and antioxidants are the storm chasers that can quiet the activity, remove the offending byproducts and protect cells from additional damage. (Ref. 2)

As one of the most potent antioxidants available, ubiquinol scavenges free radicals, protecting against oxidative stress, especially in cell membranes, strengthening them and making them more capable of performing functions including the absorption of hormones.

What’s so great about ubiquinol?

Levels of ubiquinol are the most concentrated in organs that use the most energy, including the heart, liver and kidneys, where the antioxidant helps to protect the organs from damage.

Research has shown that when problems develop in those organs, including congestive heart failure, levels of CoQ10 are usually quite low.

Two studies, both by Dr. Peter H. Langsjoen and his wife, Dr. Alena M. Langsjoen, found that low levels of ubiquinol appeared to be linked to incidents of congestive heart failure, although supplementing to boost levels significantly improved cardiovascular function.

“When you replenish ubiquinol, you can bring about just beautiful changes in heart muscle function that can't be explained in any other way. In other words, you're not changing the anatomy of valves in the heart, you're not changing the blood flow or the coronary circulation. So I think you could safely say that the majority of patients with failing hearts have as one of the fundamental problems an energy deficit or a weakening of heart muscle function,” Dr. Peter H. Langsjoen said in an online interview.

While ubiquinone CoQ10 has been more studied in heart health, ubiquinol is most readily absorbed, so the body can use it more efficiently and more quickly, Langsjoen said, making it a preferable option for cardiovascular health. You can read more about Keneka ubiquinol and cardio health over at our blog.

If you’re on statins, you need ubiquinol

As the top-selling medication in the world, statins are big business.

And while the medications reportedly help prevent the cardiovascular problems associated with high cholesterol, they also lower the levels of natural ubiquinol in the body.

A study that appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that patients using the statin Zocor (simvastatin) had a 22 percent decrease in their ubiquinol levels, while other studies have shown that levels of the antioxidant can be reduced by as much as 40 percent.

The loss of the antioxidant could contribute to some of the drug’s side effects, including nerve damage and the breakdown of muscle tissue. (Ref. 2)

Cardiovascular health with CoQ10

Our premium formula also contains Ubiquinol (CoQ10) providing additional cardiovascular benefits, especially for those on statin medication.

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Omega 3 / QH Premium CoQ10

At Xtendlife, we recommend that those on statins take our Omega-3 / QH Premium CoQ10 Fish Oil, which includes genuine Kaneka QH Ubiquinol.  While we use Ubiquinol, the more easily absorbed version of Coenzyme Q10 in this product, most other supplements on the market use CoQ10 in the form of ubiquinone, which is more difficult for our bodies to use, and essentially, renders the supplement much less effective.

It’s also important to remember that Ubiquinol is very unstable and if exposed to air it will quickly change to Ubiquinone, the much less active form of CoQ10.  So, you have to be careful where you buy it from. We mix it into our fish oil as we can do so in controlled conditions under a nitrogen blanket, so it never gets exposed to air.  This is a very important process and something we’re proud of.

References:

  1. https://ubiquinol.org/blog/bryce-wylde-dr-oz-show-scores-ubiquinol
  2. http://www.doctoroz.com/article/ubiquinol-ally-against-aging 
  3. http://www.femail.com.au/stephen-eddey-ubiquinol-coenzyme-q1-interview.htm
  4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27128225/
  5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30302465/ 

12 Responses

Hi Yvonne,

It is good to hear that your blood pressure is fine. You are better to take the Omega 3/ QH Premium which includes the bio-available form of Ubiquinol (antioxidant) to support your cardiovascular vascular health, especially as you are on statin. There different forms of antioxidants which are important in fighting free radicals which cause aging and inflammation.
In good health, Sheela, Customer Care Team

Customer Care Team September 05 2022

I am on statine, blood pressure is fine now. My husband is not on statine. We are now taking omega 3 and anti oxidant daily.
Is the omega 3 and ubiquinol you are selling a better instead or taking this extra?

Yvonne September 05 2022

Hi, I’ve been taking x-tend life Omega3/ QH ultra and I can attest to it’s effectiveness. I am on BP medication Valsartan 160 mg and my BP is usually around 125-130/85-88 range. I was abroad and run out of Omega 3 around mid February and I couldn’t get the product until end of March. After being off Omega 3QH ULTRA  by the last week of March my BP had shot up to 170/100, and I had to increase my Valsartan dose to 240mg. (While I was out of X-tends product I was using USANA’s omega3). When I received my Omega3 QH ultra I went back to 160mg Valsartan even though I was back my blood pressure was in my normal range. I can not attribute the change in blood pressure to any other factor. 

E. Preisinger April 17 2015

Hi Mike,

Please note that none of our research comes from Dr. Oz.  We would encourage you to review the excellent research that Kaneka done on this material, and other independent research.  There is very strong research to support that the Ubiquinol is much more effective that Ubiquinone in lifting essential Co-Q10 levels.  However we cant publish this here, so I would encourage you to review the research that is available.

In regard to value, we use 50mg/day which is the recommended dose which was used for the research done by Kaneka and their regulatory work.  Based on our review of other products on the market, our product offers better value for money than any other product containing genuine Kaneka QH.  We reduced the margin on this product to make it affordable.

I can promise you that we work hard to provide both exceptional quality and value in all of our products.  I can also confirm that this is exactly the same product that we use here.

Best regards,

Kane Matthews

Kane Matthews April 23 2015

Ha, look where the research comes from—Dr. Oz—right there

is a red flag. An the ubiqinol cost, as Mr. Scott said is very high.

Just another baloney way to increase profits. This site is starting to

run neck and neck with Mercola—the king of expensive baloney.

Mike April 16 2015

Your explanations are easy to understand difference between Ubiquinone & Ubiquinol. Like to know how to minimize Air-exposure in home storage, Daily dosages, Price of Ubiquinol, Side effects.

Arnold Y Chong April 16 2015

You should be aware that Ubiquinol is about 3  times more expensive and has not had as much research 

P Scott April 16 2015

Hi P Scott,

You are right that there has been a lot more research on Ubiquinone, but that is only because it has been around for a lot longer than Ubiquinol.  However, there is now a very substantial body of high quality research on Ubiquinol.  It is also important to remember that Ubiquinone has to be converted to Ubiquinol in your body to be useful. 

The research shows that while you are right, Ubiquinol is more expensive, but it is much more effective.  Also, independent research on Ubiquinone indicates that after the age of about 40, most people cannot convert the Ubiquinone to Ubiquinol effectively.  For these reasons we believe that Ubiquinol offers far greater value.

Best regards,

Kane Matthews

Kane Matthews April 23 2015

Dr OZ is all EGO with a non-scientific brain. Always looking for the next block-buster, miracle cure, instant weight loss supplement etc etc… Who would trust him to even prescribe an asprin?

Dr Mark Taylor April 18 2015

This is an informative post review. I am so pleased to get this post article and nice information.Thanks for sharing with us.

Xtend-Life Expert September 17 2016

Hi Arnold,

Thank you for your comment.  The Ubiquinol in our product is protected from air by the fish oil and the soft gel cap.  Ubiquinol will only be effective if delivered in a form like this, so there is no need to take any special measures to protect the product from air.

Best regards,

Kane Matthews

Kane Matthews April 23 2015

Hi Mark,

We would agree with you completely.  Dr Oz is always looking for the next block-buster and we do not take any leads from him.  In this case we just highlighted this because Dr Oz has a high profile and certainly until recently a lot of people followed him closely.  In this case, he is right that Kaneka QH does have a lot of value.

Best regards,

Kane Matthews

Kane Matthews April 23 2015

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