At a glance
Coenzyme Q10 is a fat-soluble, vitamin-like substance that the body produces itself and that is not one of the essential nutrients.
In Vykea: ubiquinol (60 mg per sachet in Omnia All-In-One)
No health claim is authorised for Coenzyme Q10 in the EU.

Coenzyme Q10 is a fat-soluble, vitamin-like substance found in almost all cells of the body. Its name derives from its ubiquitous occurrence (from the Latin ubique, everywhere) and from the ten isoprene units in the side chain of the molecule. Unlike the classic vitamins, the body can produce Coenzyme Q10 itself, which is why it is not one of the essential nutrients. As a substance produced by the body, Coenzyme Q10 occurs mainly in the mitochondria, the powerhouses of the cell, where it is a component of the respiratory chain. No health claim is authorised for Coenzyme Q10 in the EU; this entry therefore describes the substance in strictly neutral terms and does not claim any effect for any product. In Omnia All-In-One we use ubiquinol, the reduced form of Coenzyme Q10, at 60 mg per sachet. This entry explains the forms, food sources, functions, requirements, laboratory testing, possible signs of deficiency and interactions of Coenzyme Q10.

In the body, Coenzyme Q10 exists in two interconvertible states that together form what is known as a redox pair. Ubiquinone is the oxidised form. Ubiquinol is the reduced form, which carries two additional hydrogen atoms. The body continuously and very rapidly converts the two forms into one another as needed, so that in metabolism Coenzyme Q10 is constantly alternating between the two states.

Both forms occur in food as well as in the body. In the mitochondrial respiratory chain, it is precisely this alternation between ubiquinone and ubiquinol that enables electron transport. In the blood plasma of a healthy person, Coenzyme Q10 is present predominantly in the reduced form, ubiquinol.

Coenzyme Q10 is fat-soluble and is only absorbed to a limited extent in the aqueous environment of the gut. The formulation, i.e. the way in which the substance is embedded in a product, is therefore important for its utilisation. The evidence on the bioavailability of the two forms is inconsistent. Because Coenzyme Q10 is fat-soluble, taking it with a meal containing fat promotes absorption.

Coenzyme Q10 is widely found in animal and plant foods, although mostly in small amounts. Comparatively good sources are meat and offal, oily fish such as sardines and mackerel, and vegetable oils. Nuts such as walnuts and almonds, pulses such as soya beans, and wheat germ also contribute. Coenzyme Q10 is also found in smaller amounts in various vegetables.

On average, only a small amount of Coenzyme Q10 is obtained from a normal mixed diet; the BfR puts the average intake from a normal diet at about 3 to 6 mg per day. The body covers by far the larger part through its own synthesis, which takes place in the liver and most other tissues. Coenzyme Q10 is sensitive to heat and light, so losses can occur during cooking and storage.

The following description classifies Coenzyme Q10 biochemically as a molecule produced by the body. It reflects current knowledge neutrally and is not a statement of effect; no health claim is authorised for Coenzyme Q10 in the EU (see the section on health claims).

The body's own production of Coenzyme Q10 declines with age. The specialist literature describes tissue concentrations, for example in heart muscle, as being considerably lower in older age than in younger years. The next section explains which health claims are authorised for Coenzyme Q10.

No health claim is currently authorised for Coenzyme Q10 in the European Union.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) examined the health claims submitted for Coenzyme Q10 and rejected all of them in its scientific assessment of 2010. The claims examined included a contribution to normal energy-yielding metabolism, maintenance of normal blood pressure, protection of DNA, proteins and lipids from oxidative damage, normal cognitive function, maintenance of normal blood cholesterol levels and increased endurance performance. In all cases, EFSA considered that a cause-and-effect relationship between the intake of Coenzyme Q10 and the claimed effect had not been sufficiently established scientifically.

Coenzyme Q10 was therefore not included in the list of permitted health claims in Regulation (EU) No 432/2012. Consequently, no statement of effect may be made for Coenzyme Q10 in the EU. The other sections of this entry describe Coenzyme Q10 solely as a substance produced by the body and reflect the current state of scientific knowledge neutrally, without claiming any effect for any product.

Coenzyme Q10 is not one of the essential nutrients, as the body usually produces it itself in sufficient amounts. For this reason, there is no D-A-CH reference value from the German Nutrition Society (DGE), no nutrient reference value for labelling (NRV) and no tolerable upper intake level set by EFSA. An age-based requirements table like those for the vitamins can therefore not be given for Coenzyme Q10.

The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) states that there is no reason for general intake recommendations for the general population and that healthy people are adequately supplied by a balanced diet. The BfR puts the average intake from a normal diet at about 3 to 6 mg per day and sees no reason for additional intake by the general population.

In 2014, the German Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) issued a general ruling for the addition of up to 100 mg of Coenzyme Q10 per day to food supplements. It includes the requirement to display a warning notice stating that pregnant and breastfeeding women and children and adolescents under 18 should not consume the product.

Because Coenzyme Q10 is produced by the body, no requirement in the sense of a vitamin can be quantified. However, the specialist literature describes situations in which the body's own production declines or turnover increases: older age, as the body's own synthesis decreases over the years, and increased turnover during heavy physical exertion. Factors such as a one-sided or very low-fat diet, smoking and regular alcohol consumption are also mentioned in this context.

Certain medicines can also affect the body's own production. The effect of statins, which can lower Coenzyme Q10 levels, is particularly well described (see the Interactions section).

Note: Whether a low Coenzyme Q10 status is present in an individual case, and what the consequences are, cannot be stated in general terms and should be left to a doctor.

The mitochondria are the sites of cellular respiration. Their inner membrane houses the respiratory chain, a sequence of protein complexes that pass on electrons step by step. Coenzyme Q10 is a mobile carrier in this system: it accepts electrons from the upstream complexes, changing from ubiquinone to ubiquinol in the process, and then passes the electrons on, becoming ubiquinone again. This alternation between ubiquinone and ubiquinol describes the position of the molecule within the respiratory chain.

Comparatively high amounts of Coenzyme Q10 are measured in tissues with particularly high energy turnover, such as heart muscle, skeletal muscle and the liver. This physiological classification describes the natural position of the substance in metabolism. It is not a promise of effect; there is no authorised health claim for Coenzyme Q10 (see the section on health claims).

Coenzyme Q10 status can be determined by a doctor from a blood sample. The usual method is to measure the total Coenzyme Q10 concentration in plasma or serum. Because Coenzyme Q10 is fat-soluble and is transported in the blood bound to lipoproteins, the measured value also depends on blood lipid levels. For this reason, the specialist literature sometimes expresses the Coenzyme Q10 value relative to cholesterol, to compensate for distortions caused by differing blood lipid levels.

There are no uniform, generally binding limit values for interpretation; different laboratories and sources give different reference ranges. A low plasma level may indicate reduced production or increased consumption, for example during statin therapy.

Note: Interpreting the measured values and any supplementation should be left to a doctor.

Because Coenzyme Q10 is produced by the body and is not one of the essential nutrients, a diet-related deficiency is not to be expected in healthy people. There is no health claim for Coenzyme Q10 relating to a deficiency. The scientific literature describes low Coenzyme Q10 levels mainly in connection with older age, certain diseases and statin therapy.

Various non-specific complaints, such as tiredness or reduced resilience, can have a great many causes and are not proof of a low Coenzyme Q10 status. The occurrence of such complaints does not allow any conclusion to be drawn about a benefit of additional Coenzyme Q10 intake. Very rarely, there are congenital disorders of the body's own Coenzyme Q10 production; these are distinct diseases and must be left entirely to a doctor.

Note: Investigation and diagnosis should be left to a doctor.

The best-described interaction concerns statins, a group of cholesterol-lowering medicines. Statins inhibit the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase, which is needed in the same metabolic pathway for the formation of both cholesterol and Coenzyme Q10. Statin therapy can therefore lower Coenzyme Q10 levels in the blood. Some other medicines are also associated in the specialist literature with increased Coenzyme Q10 turnover.

Note: Whether supplementation is advisable in such cases, and to what extent, should be clarified with a doctor.

The structural similarity of Coenzyme Q10 to vitamin K, particularly to menaquinone (vitamin K2), should also be noted. Because of this relationship, Coenzyme Q10 may affect the action of coumarin-type anticoagulants (vitamin K antagonists such as phenprocoumon or warfarin).

Note: If you take anticoagulant medicines, be sure to check with a doctor before taking additional Coenzyme Q10 and, if necessary, have your clotting values monitored more closely. If you are also taking blood pressure-lowering medicines, the BfR recommends seeking medical advice before supplementing with higher doses.

In metabolism, there are biochemical links to other nutrients: selenium is involved in the conversion of ubiquinone to ubiquinol, and the literature describes a redox interplay between Coenzyme Q10 and vitamin E. This is not linked to any health claim.

In Omnia we use ubiquinol, the reduced form of Coenzyme Q10. In the body, ubiquinone and ubiquinol form a redox pair that is continuously interconverted; ubiquinol is the reduced state. In the blood plasma of a healthy person, ubiquinol predominates. Because Coenzyme Q10 is fat-soluble, we recommend taking it with a meal containing fat to support absorption. The choice of form does not imply any statement about a health effect, as no health claim is authorised for Coenzyme Q10.

Coenzyme Q10 is contained in Omnia All-In-One:

No nutrient reference value for labelling (NRV) has been set for Coenzyme Q10, so no percentage can be given. The daily dose of 60 mg is below the maximum amount of 100 mg per day that the BVL considers permissible for food supplements. Coenzyme Q10 is not one of the essential nutrients; healthy people are generally adequately supplied through the body's own production. One daily dose corresponds to one sachet.

Note: If you take anticoagulant or blood pressure-lowering medicines, please check the additional intake with a doctor beforehand.

Food supplements are not a substitute for a balanced, varied diet and a healthy lifestyle.

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