Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a fat-soluble compound your body makes on its own, and supplements sell it in two forms: ubiquinone and ubiquinol. The EU has authorised no health claim for coenzyme Q10, so no seller in the EU may tell you what it does for your body. What you can compare is the form, the milligrams per daily dose, whether it comes in oil, and the warnings on the label.
This guide goes through each of those, and lists the situations where you should speak to a doctor before you open the pack.
What coenzyme Q10 is
CoQ10 is found in the membranes of almost every cell. The body produces it, and food adds small amounts: meat, oily fish, nuts and some vegetable oils contain it. On a label you may see coenzyme Q10, CoQ10, ubiquinone or ubidecarenone. Ubiquinone and ubidecarenone are two names for the same oxidised form. Ubiquinol is the reduced form of the same molecule.
The molecule is large and does not dissolve in water. That one property explains most of this article: why many products are softgels filled with oil, and why labels ask you to take them with food.
CoQ10 benefits: what EU rules allow
If you searched for CoQ10 benefits, here is the plain answer. The EU list of permitted health claims, Regulation (EU) No 432/2012, contains no claim for coenzyme Q10. EFSA, the EU food safety authority, assessed the claims that companies submitted for it and found that a cause-and-effect relationship had not been established. The European Commission therefore did not authorise them.
For you as a buyer this means a shop, a brand or a blog selling CoQ10 in the EU may not say that it helps any body function. That is why our product pages, and this article, describe the form, the amount and the safety notes and stop there. If another site lists effects, those are not statements the EU has accepted.
It does not mean CoQ10 is banned or unsafe. It is sold legally as a food supplement ingredient. It means the evidence submitted for health claims did not meet the standard the EU applies to them.
Ubiquinone or ubiquinol
Both forms are coenzyme Q10. The body converts one into the other, and most of the CoQ10 in blood circulates as ubiquinol. For a buyer the practical differences are stability, packaging and price.
| Form | What it is | How it is packed | In our range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubiquinone | oxidised form, the most common on labels | softgel with oil or dry capsule | OstroVit 100 mg (soybean oil), OstroVit VEGE 100 mg (plant capsule) |
| Ubiquinol | reduced form | softgel with oil and an antioxidant | Swanson 50 mg and 100 mg (made by Kaneka, in flaxseed oil) |
| Form not named | label says only coenzyme Q10 | softgel or dry capsule | Swanson 30 mg, 100 mg and 200 mg, NOW Foods with fish oil |
Ubiquinol reacts with oxygen easily. Manufacturers protect it inside an oil-filled softgel with an antioxidant such as vitamin E, and that is part of why it costs more per milligram. Ubiquinone is more stable, so it also works as a dry powder.
Studies comparing blood levels after the two forms are few and small, and their results differ. We do not rank one above the other. If you have no reason of your own to prefer one, compare milligrams per day and price per day.
Take it with fat: softgel or dry capsule
CoQ10 is absorbed together with dietary fat. Softgels already contain oil: soybean oil in the OstroVit and Swanson 100 mg softgels, flaxseed oil in Swanson ubiquinol, fish oil in the NOW Foods product. Dry capsules hold the powder with a filler such as rice flour or inulin.
Whichever you choose, take it with a meal that has some fat in it. Several labels in our range say this directly: OstroVit 100 mg after a meal, NOW Foods with a meal, Swanson 30 mg and 200 mg with food and water.
If you take CoQ10 in the morning with nothing but coffee, move it to breakfast or lunch with eggs, yoghurt, cheese or a salad with an oil dressing. That is what the labels ask for, and it costs nothing extra.
Two more differences matter to some people. Most softgels are made of gelatin, which comes from animals, while OstroVit VEGE uses a plant-based HPMC capsule. Several softgels contain soybean oil or soy lecithin, and the NOW Foods softgel contains fish (sardines, anchovies and mackerel).
Doses on labels
There is no EU nutrient reference value for CoQ10 and EFSA has not set a tolerable upper intake level for it, so labels show milligrams without a % NRV. In our range the daily dose runs from 30 mg to 200 mg:
| Product | Per capsule | Daily dose on the label |
|---|---|---|
| Swanson Coenzyme Q10, 30 mg | 30 mg | 1 capsule |
| Swanson Ubiquinol, 50 mg | 50 mg | 1 softgel |
| NOW Foods CoQ10 with Omega-3 | 60 mg | 1 softgel once or twice a day (60 or 120 mg) |
| OstroVit Q10, OstroVit Q10 VEGE, Swanson 100 mg, Swanson Ubiquinol 100 mg | 100 mg | 1 capsule or softgel |
| Swanson Coenzyme Q10, 200 mg | 200 mg | 1 capsule |
The number on the front of the pack is how much one capsule holds. It is not advice to take more. Keep to the daily dose on the label, and if you are thinking about going above it, ask a doctor first.
Reading the rest of the label
Besides the form and milligrams, check three lines. The oil tells you about allergens and whether the product suits a plant-based diet. Added ingredients change what you pay for: the Swanson softgel with tocotrienols adds 10 mg of palm tocotrienols, and the NOW Foods softgel adds fish oil and vitamin E. The pack size tells you how long it lasts:
| Pack | Daily dose | Lasts |
|---|---|---|
| OstroVit Q10, 60 capsules | 1 capsule | 60 days |
| OstroVit Q10 VEGE, 100 capsules | 1 capsule | 100 days |
| Swanson Q10 100 mg, 50 softgels | 1 softgel | 50 days |
| NOW Foods CoQ10 with Omega-3, 60 softgels | 1 or 2 softgels | 30 to 60 days |
Store softgels in a cool, dry place away from direct heat, as the labels state.
Who should ask a doctor first
If you take warfarin or another blood thinner, talk to your doctor before taking CoQ10. The US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) notes that CoQ10 may make warfarin less effective.
If you take a statin and are thinking about CoQ10, talk to your doctor. There is no authorised EU claim for this use, and we do not make one.
Ask a doctor or pharmacist before you start in these cases too:
- You are pregnant or breastfeeding. Most labels in our range do not recommend CoQ10 then.
- You take any prescription medicine. The Swanson ubiquinol and NOW Foods labels say this directly.
- You are buying for a child. OstroVit labels say not for children, and Swanson ubiquinol is for adults only.
- You are allergic to soy or fish, or avoid gelatin.
How to choose a CoQ10 supplement
- Decide whether the form matters to you. If it does, pick a label that names it: ubiquinone or ubiquinol.
- Check milligrams per daily dose, not per pack. 100 mg per day is the most common amount in our range.
- Choose the format: a softgel with oil, or a dry capsule you take with a meal that contains fat.
- Read the allergens and the capsule shell: soy, fish, gelatin or plant-based HPMC.
- Compare the price per day. Our product cards show it, so a 50-softgel pack can be set against a 100-capsule one.
- If you take medicine, show the label to your doctor or pharmacist before you start.
All products are in the coenzyme Q10 collection. If you also want EPA and DHA from fish oil, compare the NOW Foods softgel with the products in omega-3.
FAQ
What are the benefits of CoQ10?
The EU has authorised no health claim for coenzyme Q10, so we cannot list effects. EFSA assessed the proposed claims and none met the standard for authorisation. We can tell you the form, dose and safety notes of each product.
Is ubiquinol better than ubiquinone?
They are two forms of the same molecule, and the body converts between them. Studies comparing them are small and do not agree. Ubiquinol costs more because it has to be protected from oxygen.
What is the best time of day to take CoQ10?
The labels do not name an hour. They ask you to take it with a meal, so pick the meal of the day that contains some fat.
Can I take CoQ10 with statins?
Talk to your doctor. There is no authorised EU claim for CoQ10 in this situation.
How much CoQ10 per day?
Follow the label. Products in our range give 30 mg to 200 mg per daily dose, most often 100 mg. The EU has no reference value for CoQ10.
Does CoQ10 interact with blood thinners?
NCCIH notes that CoQ10 may make warfarin less effective. If you take any anticoagulant, ask your doctor before you start.
Sources
- Commission Regulation (EU) No 432/2012, list of permitted health claims (EUR-Lex)
- EU Register of nutrition and health claims (European Commission)
- Coenzyme Q10, NCCIH (US National Institutes of Health)
Content reviewed by Inese Kalniņa, dietitian.
