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In 1978, the Nobel Prize was awarded to Peter Mitchell for one of the most important discoveries in nutritional science. The reason for this award was stated, among other things: "Q10 is an indispensable factor for the release of energy from nutrients in the mitochondria, the power plants of the body's cells."
- It is an amino acid derivative (dipeptide) of phenylalanine and tyrosine.
- Q10 can be synthesized by humans
- Ring-shaped compounds (in quinone structure) made of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms (can absorb and release electrons)
- Belongs to the group of so-called ubiquinones; these are ubiquitous in nature (“ubi” = everywhere) in all living cells
- There are ubiquinone 1-10 (= coenzyme Q1-10), whereby Q10 is the most active in humans. Q1-Q9 are found mainly in animals and plants and can be converted into Q10
- Q10 is a redox system – the reduced and oxidized forms are converted into each other:
- Reduced form = "Ubiquinol"
- Oxidized form = "ubiquinone"
What does “coenzyme Q10” actually mean?
coenzyme: A coenzyme is not a real enzyme, but a kind of enzyme helper that is nevertheless very important for the work of enzymes. They are molecules that play a key role in enzymatic reactions. They work together with enzymes to enable or facilitate biochemical reactions in the body. Coenzymes are often essential for the conversion of nutrients into energy or for other important metabolic processes.
Q10: The "Q" stands for "quinone," which refers to the chemical structure of the molecule. Quinones are compounds that can transfer electrons in enzymatic reactions. The "10" in "Q10" refers to the number of isoprenyl units in the side chain of the molecule.
Coenzyme Q10 as ubiquinone or ubiquinol?
Both forms are part of the same redox system: the oxidized ubiquinone is needed to produce energy in the form of ATP, while the reduced ubiquinol acts as an antioxidant. This means that the reduced Q10 gives off electrons while the oxidized Q10 absorbs electrons.
Ubiquinone must first be converted into ubiquinol in the cells, using energy, in order to be effective. It can therefore be advantageous to administer ubiquinol directly, as the small intestine can also absorb it two to four times better (see Hosoe K (2007): Study on safety and bioavailability of ubiquinol after single and 4-week multiple oral administration to healthy volunteers. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol; 47(1):19-28 and Ikematsu H (2006): Safety assessment of coenzyme Q10 (Kaneka Q10) in healthy subjects: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, Regul Toxicol Pharmacol; 44, 212-218).
It has only been possible to produce ubiquinol in large quantities in such a way that it remains stable for about 20 years. Ubiquinol is very reactive - that's why it is such a powerful antioxidant. The difference between ubiquinol and ubiquinone can also be seen: ubiquinol is a white powder, ubiquinone as the oxidized version is yellow. It is similar to a cut apple: it also turns yellow as soon as the cut surface is exposed to oxygen - this is also due to oxidation.
occurrence in humans
- In all cells with high energy turnover (e.g.heart, kidney, liver)
- Q10 concentration decreases with age - dietary intake is therefore important!
Coenzyme Q10 in Food
- Alimentary intake approx. 5 - 10 mg / day
- Particularly rich in Q10 are:
- Soybeans, walnuts, almonds and their oils
- Meat, mackerel, sardines
- Nuts, wheat germ,
- green beans, spinach, garlic
- Q10 concentration per 100 grams:
- Sardines: 6.40 mg/100 g
- Beef: 3.30 mg/100 g
- Pork: 3.20 mg/100 g
- Poultry: 1.80 mg/100 g
- Butter: 0.60 mg/100 g
- Cheese: 0.40 mg/100 g
- onion 0.1 mg/100 g
- Potato 0.1 mg/100 g
- cauliflower 0.14 mg/10 g
- white cabbage 0.16 mg/100 g
- Eggplant 0.21 mg/100 g
- Chinese cabbage 0.21 mg/100 g
- lettuce 0.22 mg/100 g
- Paprika 0.33 mg/100 g
- Spinach 0.36 mg/100 g
- Broccoli 0.86 mg/100 g
- Sunflower oil 0.7 mg/100 g
- olive oil 3.0 mg/100 g
Possible causes of deficiency
- Nutritional errors (e.g. reduction diets, low-fat diets)
- Absorption disorders (e.g. gastrointestinal disorders, disorders of bile function)
- reduction in the body's own synthesis
- age (physiological)
- Deficiency of B vitamins, vitamin E, amino acids or selenium
- Taking statins, β-blockers or L-dopa
- Phenylketonuria, liver diseases, gene mutations
- Increased need, e.g. due to heart failure, exercise, stress, smoking, oxidative stress
Possible deficiency symptoms
- restriction of ATP formation
- high blood pressure, heart muscle disorders, heart failure
- arteriosclerosis
Decrease in Q10 levels with age
- Decrease in the amount of Q10 with age in various organs (especially heart and kidneys)
- Compared to 20-year-olds
a) for 40-year-olds about 32%
b) in 80-year-olds about 58%
less coenzyme Q10 in the heart - Causes:
- reduced biosynthesis
- insufficient Q10 intake with food
- increased consumption of Q10 due to increased oxidative stress
Effects of coenzyme Q10 / current study situation
energy
All of our body cells contain so-called mitochondria - the "power plants" of our cells that produce the cellular energy "ATP" (adenosine triphosphate). Macronutrients (carbohydrates, fats and proteins) from food are converted into ATP with the help of oxygen and numerous enzymes and cofactors. Since oxygen is required for this energy conversion, this process is also called the respiratory chain. Q10 plays an extremely important role in the last step of the respiratory chain in the inner mitochondrial membrane as oxidized ubiquinone:
In hydroelectric power plants, river energy is converted into electrical energy via a turbine. In power plants of human cells, energy from food is converted into the body's own energy (= ATP).The Coenzyme Q10 plays the role of the turbine in this analogy: it helps the cell power plant to convert food components into energy for the cell. Coenzyme Q10 does not provide the cell with energy, but rather enables it to activate energy from food. 95% of the body's energy is activated by Q10.
If the body does not have enough Q10 available, it cannot produce enough energy in the form of ATP.
antioxidant
In addition, since a large number of free radicals are constantly produced in the mitochondria as a “by-product” of energy production, a coenzyme Q10 deficiency has another negative effect, since Q10 is a powerful antioxidant.
Due to the localization of Q10 in the mitochondria, it has a particularly good and rapid local effect on oxygen radicals. It is also involved in the reduction of oxidized vitamin E.
The reduced form of Q10 – ubiquinol – acts as an antioxidant. It reduces oxidative stress, which can be the cause of arteriosclerosis, cancer, aging, etc.
skin
The body's own production of coenzyme Q10 decreases with age, which also increases the production of free radicals. Free radicals cause our skin cells to age faster, which is why, conversely, a sufficient supply of Q10 through food or nutritional supplements can slow down skin aging. (see. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17482886/ ).
cardiovascular system
Coenzyme Q10 ensures that a healthy heart has the necessary energy and can significantly improve energy supply and therapy success in a diseased heart.
The results of a study (cf. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20604917/ ), published in the journal Nutrition and Metabolism, were able to show that antioxidants such as Q10, vitamin E, vitamin C and selenium can significantly improve risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, such as high blood pressure, high blood sugar, poor vascular elasticity and even poor cholesterol levels.
Annoy
Aging of the nerves is almost always associated with a disruption of the energy supply, which is caused by impaired mitochondrial function. In a study from 2002 (cf. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12374491/ ) the progression of Parkinson's disease could be slowed down with the help of Q10. In this study, different amounts of Q10 were tested on Parkinson's patients in the early stages of the disease over a period of 16 months. With the highest dose tested, 1.2g of coenzyme Q10 per day, a significant improvement in the disease was observed. However, even the lower amounts of Q10 led to an improvement in the condition of all patients.
However, a more recent study from 2014 showed no improvement in Parkinson's symptoms after taking Q10. However, this study did not take Q10 alone, but a combination of Q10 with vitamin E. In Parkinson's, Q10 alone could therefore be helpful, but the combination with vitamin E is not (cf. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaneurology/fullarticle/1851409 ).
Chronic inflammation
Q10 appears to regulate the release of NF-kappaB, which is responsible for the activation of inflammatory processes (cf. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16679553/ and https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19096114/ ).
immune system
There are numerous studies that show that Q10 can significantly strengthen our immune system, and not just through its anti-inflammatory properties. For example, it has been shown that Q10, together with vitamin E, makes a major contribution to the defense against viruses and bacteria by supporting our natural killer cells (see. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10648276/ ).
In another study (cf. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8503942/ ) it has been shown that coenzyme Q10 and vitamin B6 allow our immune system to react more quickly to invaders, as these two micronutrients activate the production of antibodies and certain immune cells.
Another study (cf. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3382410/ ) showed that the severity of AIDS disease is related to a lack of Q10. Some AIDS patients were even able to suppress their symptoms in the early stages of the disease with the help of Q10.
muscles / fibromyalgia
In studies (cf. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8550248/ and https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18272335/ ) with healthy middle-aged men, Q10 was able to increase muscle performance. But coenzyme Q10 can also lead to improvement in people who have problems or even illnesses with their muscles (cf. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10416038/ and https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7599221/ ). For example, patients with the muscle disease fibromyalgia could be helped by Q10. This is because people with fibromyalgia have about 40% less Q10 in their cell membranes than healthy people (cf. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0009912008006346 ). In a scientific experiment (cf. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12025528/ ), the symptoms of the disease could be improved in 64% of the participants with the help of Q10.
PCOS
A 2019 study involved women suffering from PCOS, polycystic ovary syndrome. It is the most common hormonal disorder in women of childbearing age. Affected women can suffer from insulin resistance, high blood sugar levels, high testosterone levels, obesity, acne, and hair loss, among other things. Participants received either CoQ10 (200 mg) or vitamin E (400 IU), a combination of both, or a placebo for 8 weeks. Supplementing with coenzyme Q10 alone or in combination with vitamin E had significant effects on fasting blood sugar compared to placebo. Vitamin E alone had no effect on fasting blood sugar. Coenzyme Q10 alone and the combination with vitamin E also had a positive effect on insulin resistance. All three supplements were also able to lower serum testosterone levels. SHBG (sex hormone-binding globulin) levels increased significantly with the combination compared to the other groups. SHBG binds free testosterone and makes it inactive. In PCOS, the SHBG level is usually too low (see https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/104/2/319/5091457?login=false ).
lipid metabolism
Fat burning is apparently activated by consuming 90 mg of coenzyme Q10 per day (cf. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18318910/ ). In order to understand this connection between Q10 and increased fat burning, you should first know a little about the so-called brown fat tissue.
Brown adipose tissue differs greatly from normal white adipose tissue, which mainly stores excess fat. Brown adipose tissue is permeated by many nerves and blood vessels and contains an enormous number of mitochondria, which is where the brownish color and hence the name come from.This fatty tissue apparently plays a role in adapting to colder temperatures. The special feature of brown fatty tissue is that, in comparison to normal cell energy production, it is able to convert 100% of our calories into heat. This is due to certain proteins - the so-called UCPs (uncoupling proteins) - which are only found in brown fatty tissue. These proteins uncouple the normal cell energy supply and thereby ensure that 100% of the calories can be converted into heat. The UCPs in brown fatty tissue can be activated by various factors. In a study (see. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11171965/ ) it has been shown that Q10 can also activate these proteins and thus fat burning.
Risk of muscle problems when taking statins
Since statins (cholesterol-lowering drugs) also lower the Q10 level in the blood, this can lead to muscle problems (myopathies) - the most common side effect of statins. Although a connection could not be proven in all studies, since some studies showed an improvement in symptoms, it is definitely worth a try, especially since Q10 has no known side effects. Studies have shown that the optimal dose of Q10 to alleviate side effects caused by statins is at least 200 mg per day.
Q10 – Indications
- Cardiovascular diseases (e.g. heart failure)
- improves cardiac performance and rhythm
- reduces heart muscle damage caused by oxygen deficiency
- reduces lipid peroxidation (antioxidant effect)
- Hypertension: BP reduction at high doses
- diabetes mellitus
- possibly reducing insulin resistance
- Q10 levels usually reduced
- Periodontosis / periodontitis: significant improvement, especially when combined with vitamin C and bioflavonoids (90 mg Q10 + 3000 mg vitamin C)
- Statin therapy for lipid metabolism disorders
- eliminates reduction in Q10 production
- reduces muscle pain (statin side effects)
- Muscle weakness: in muscular dystrophy due to lack of oxygen
- Neurological diseases
- Parkinson's disease
- migraine and tinnitus
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ALS
- Huntington's disease
- Alzheimer
- ADHD and autism
- renal insufficiency
- cancer
- B. Leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma
- Q10 contributes to cancer prevention and therapy:
- energy production
- membrane fluidity (and cell communication)
- Antixodative effect or reduction of oxidative stress (lipid-soluble)
- immune system effect
- Reduction of therapy side effects (toxic effects of chemotherapy, especially protection of heart muscle cells)
- Psyche (e.g. stress, depression)
- Obesity: Optimization of cell metabolism, improves weight loss during diet measures
- Sport (competitive sport): esp.Endurance sports require optimal O2 supply
- Mitochondrial disorders
Side Effects & Overdose
No significant side effects
- when taken over a longer period of time in doses up to 50 mg/day
- Daily doses of up to 300 mg are usually well tolerated
At high doses
- mild gastrointestinal complaints (e.g. loss of appetite, nausea, diarrhea)
- Headache
- insomnia
- rash
- dizziness
- Promotes blood clotting similar to vitamin K (be careful when taking anticoagulant medication: INR monitoring during high-dose Q10 therapy)
Need & Dosage
- The exact Q10 requirement in addition to diet and self-synthesis is not exactly known and depends on many factors (such as intake, synthesis, individual situation)
- Dosage for prevention: 30 - 120 mg (-250 mg) per day (60 - 100 mg doubles the plasma level without suppressing endogenous synthesis)
- Therapeutic use: in studies, up to 12 mg/kg body weight of ubiquinone is recommended for sick people (lower dose of ubiquinol)
Therapy Example: Mitochondrial Performance
| active ingredients | dosage |
| L-carnitine | 1-3 g |