Is Ubiquinol CoQ10 Better than Ubiquinone? Surprising Results from My Own Research

Filed Under: Heart Health, Food and Nutrition, Nutrients and Additives, CoQ10
Last Reviewed 05/21/2015


To find the best type of CoQ10, I conducted my own research on ubiquinone vs. ubiquinol. Here's what I discovered.

Most heart vitamin manufacturers push the ubiquinol form of CoQ10 telling consumers it's the best type of CoQ10 because it’s what your body makes naturally. The biggest claim with heart vitamins is that ubiquinol CoQ10 can be absorbed up to eight times better than other forms of CoQ10. Yet, I haven’t seen solid evidence to back up that claim. In fact, for years I’ve used the ubiquinone form of CoQ10 with great success.

There have been some absorption problems with the ubiquinone form of CoQ10, primarily when taken as a powder-filled capsule. However, the type of ubiquinone that I use—and have recommended for years—is a high-quality hydrosoluble form that has excellent absorption.

I Did My Own Research to Find the Best Type of CoQ10

I, too, was curious about the best type of CoQ10. So, I performed an informal 12 person study. Half of the participants took either 200 mg of ubiquinol or 200 mg of ubiquinone for the first month. In the second month, I had them take nothing. In the third month, the participants switched to the other form of CoQ10.

I checked their CoQ10 blood levels each month and found that both groups achieved excellent results, with ubiquinol resulting in only slightly higher levels in most people—making it not worth the higher cost. Plus, in one person ubiquinol actually resulted in a significantly lower CoQ10 blood level when compared to ubiquinone.


One said she felt considerable fatigue after starting ubiquinol—something I’ve never heard from anyone taking ubiquinone. On the contrary, the usual feedback from ubiquinone takers is that they feel they have more energy, not less.

So Which is Better, Ubiquinol or Ubiquinone?

Based on this feedback and the fact that all of my study participants had approximately equal blood levels of CoQ10—not to mention the fact that ubiquinone costs less than ubiquinol—I see no reason to switch. I’m sticking with hydrosoluble ubiquinone CoQ10.

So, how much should you take? I suggest that healthy people under age 60 take a minimum daily dose of 50 to 100 mg of hydrosoluble CoQ10 to improve the metabolic efficiency of their cardiovascular system. If you’re over 60 or on a statin drug, I recommend increasing your CoQ10 intake to 100 to 200 mg daily. If you had recent heart surgery, heart attack or congestive heart failure, I recommend 200 to 300 mg daily.

A general rule of thumb with CoQ10 is the sicker the individual, the more CoQ10 is required. One of the mysteries, and highly beneficial qualities of CoQ10, is that it will help to “rescue” any tissue in need.

I also recommend dividing the dosages, taking half of your daily CoQ10 in the morning and the rest in the afternoon. That’s because when CoQ10 is taken twice a day, as opposed to one, the blood levels are much higher. That's also the same for many other heart vitamins.

There’s no question that CoQ10 is an absolutely essential nutraceutical for most medicine chests. And remember, when CoQ10 is converted to hydrosoluble form, it provides even greater energy and helps you maintain heart health.


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