About 95% of cellular energy is produced from structures in your cells called mitochondria. Coenzyme Q10 is incorporated into the mitochondria of your cells where it facilitates the transformation of fats and sugars into energy. A large body of scientific evidence shows that CoQ10′s ability to restore mitochondrial function has a profound effect on one’s overall health.
Ubiquinol is the biologically superior form of CoQ10 because it’s an electron donor, which makes it a very effective neutralizer of free radicals and the only form of CoQ10 that scavenges lipid peroxyl radicals that can damage the polyunsaturated fatty acids of your cell membranes. When CoQ10 levels diminish, the ability of cells to sustain even basic metabolic functions is impaired.
CoQ10 and Statin Drugs
Heart cells have a high-energy demand, and many clinical studies have investigated the role of CoQ10 on cardiac function. Efficacy has been shown in studies when CoQ10 was used for cardiovascular problems.50-55 Scientists have also found that CoQ10 provides benefits to other organs whose cells require high-level energy metabolism such as the brain and kidneys.
One reason more people supplement with coenzyme Q10 now than ever before is the increased awareness that statin drugs (used to lower LDL and cholesterol) deplete the body of CoQ10. Normal aging, however, can result in an even greater reduction in CoQ10 than that caused by statin drugs. While statin drugs can reduce blood plasma levels of CoQ10 by 40%, the aging process can reduce CoQ10 levels in your heart muscle wall by 72%.
Demonstrated Effectiveness for a Healthier Heart
Findings at the 5th Annual International CoQ10 Symposium held in Kobe, Japan, demonstrated the remarkable superiority of ubiquinol in a group of seriously ill patients with advanced-stage cardiac disorders. This interesting study revealed that clinically ill patients who suffered from severe heart failure readily absorbed ubiquinol CoQ10 into their bloodstreams and displayed much greater health benefits.
WHAT MAKES UBIQUINOL DIFFERENT FROM UBIQUINONE?
Coenzyme Q10 exists in both ubiquinol and ubiquinone forms, but they have vastly different roles to play in the body. For instance, ubiquinol is an electron donor, while ubiquinone is an electron acceptor.
The electrons that ubiquinol donates neutralize free radicals. This fact alone makes ubiquinol the form of CoQ10 that protects against toxic oxidative reactions in the body.
The chemical difference between ubiquinone and ubiquinol is that the ubiquinol compound contains two hydroxyl groups. These two hydroxyl groups enable ubiquinol to be more “hydrophilic” than ubiquinone, and thus much easier to assimilate.
The term “hydrophilic” means readily absorbable or dissolvable in water. The two hydroxyl groups on the ubiquinol compound result in its stronger bonding with water, which helps explain why it is so much more bioavailable than ubiquinone. Today’s commercial CoQ10 supplements contain ubiquinone because it remains stable longer in the capsule.
However, it is the reduced form of CoQ10 (ubiquinol) that has the ability to scavenge free radicals in mitochondria and in cell membranes, sites where free radicals inflict significant damage. The ubiquinol form of CoQ10, with its two hydroxyl groups, is what dominates in most human tissues.
Called a “coenzyme” because of its unique ability to participate in chemical reactions but remain at steady-state levels in the cell, coenzyme Q10 plays a central role in energy metabolism. CoQ10’s ability to cycle back and forth between ubiquinone and ubiquinol accounts for many of its unique properties. This remarkable ability to cyclically accept and donate electrons, as well as to effect complementary chemical reactions in the mitochondria, accounts for CoQ10’s unparalleled value to almost all life forms.
Ubiquinol has a much greater bioavailability than the ubiquinone used in commercially available CoQ10 supplements. This is understandable, since ubiquinol has far greater water solubility and much better absorption into the bloodstream after ingestion.
For superior absorption, take Qunol Liquid CoQ10, which provides 100% absorption into your cells.
