Coenzyme Q10

Coenzyme Q10, also called ubiquinone, is a molecule the body makes itself. It sits in almost every cell, and in greater amounts in the organs that burn the most energy: the heart, the muscles, the brain. Its place of work is the mitochondria, the small power plants that turn food into cellular energy.

Its name says a lot: ubique, in Latin, means everywhere. It was isolated in 1957 from beef heart mitochondria, and wherever biologists looked for it afterwards, they found it.

Ubiquinone is the oxidised form, ubiquinol the reduced one. They are two states of the same molecule, and the body converts one into the other continuously. Ubiquinone is the form used in most supplements and in the great majority of published work; ubiquinol is sold as the ready-to-use form and is more fragile in air.

What matters at least as much as the form is absorption. CoQ10 is a fatty molecule that dissolves poorly, so manufacturers work on delivery: oil suspensions, or a sugar cage such as the CAVAQ10® used by Novoma. In the shop we compare the labels with you, jar in hand.

We stock several strengths, from 50 to 200 mg per capsule, in ubiquinone and in ubiquinol, including the Ubiquinol 100 mg from Dynveo and the Coenzyme Q10 CAVAQ10® from Novoma, which pairs it with vitamins C and E.

Prices and stock are shown on each product page. If a reference is out of stock, ask us: we can usually tell you when the next delivery is due.

CoQ10 is fat-soluble, so it is usually taken with a meal that contains a little fat. Beyond that, follow the daily amount printed on the product you buy.

For adults. Not recommended during pregnancy or breastfeeding as a precaution. If you take medication, in particular an anticoagulant, ask your doctor before starting. Food supplements are not a substitute for a varied, balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.