Dr. Vliet’s Health Tip: Ubiquinol: Active CoQ10 for Better Mitochondrial Energy

CoQ10 became associated with statin use because statins drastically block and reduce your body’s own synthesis of CoQ10.  Doctors who were on top of this complication from statins began recommending CoQ10 as the “go-to” supplement to prevent or treat statin associated muscle pain, fuzzy thinking, memory loss and other adverse effects of cellular blockade of COQ10 production.

Your cells normally synthesize their own CoQ10 internally, but statins block the biochemical pathway to make CoQ10, so blood/tissue CoQ10 levels go down. So, this is why it is so important to take a CoQ10 supplement if you are taking a statin. As the science of cellular mitochondrial energy production has advanced, however, we now know there are additional health benefits for all of us beyond treating statin-associated myopathy.

Why CoQ10 Matters Beyond Statins
CoQ10 is emerging as a broad mitochondrial and redox modulator throughout the entire body. It is a core part of how your cells make energy and protect themselves from wear and tear, which is why it keeps showing up in research on heart failure, fatigue, migraine, brain health, metabolism, and even chemotherapy‑related heart strain.

What CoQ10 actually does in your cells
Your cells make energy in tiny “power plants” called mitochondria. CoQ10 is a key helper inside those power plants that lets you turn food and oxygen into usable energy. When CoQ10 is low, cells in high‑demand organs—like your heart, brain, and muscles—can’t produce energy as efficiently and are more vulnerable to damage from everyday stress.

CoQ10 also acts as an antioxidant. That means it helps neutralize “free radicals,” the unstable molecules that can damage cell membranes, proteins, and DNA over time. When you see terms like “redox” or “oxidative stress,” they’re basically talking about this balance between damage and protection—CoQ10 shifts the balance toward protection.

Mitochondrial damage and dysfunction is a direct contributor to many pathological conditions we face, and ubiquinol is a key nutrient for the mitochondria.

I.                CoQ10: Heart and circulation support
Heart tissue (myocardium) is highly dependent on optimal CoQ10 availability. In people with chronic heart failure, researchers have shown  CoQ10 has several critical benefits:

• Helps reduce the risk of serious heart‑related events (such as MI) when used alongside regular heart medications.
• CoQ10/ubiquinol supplementation improved cardiac output and contractile function to strengthen heart pumping ability (measured as “ejection fraction”), helps reduce shortness of breath.
• Ubiquinol in LDL particles helps prevent LDL oxidation, a key step in plaque formation, which means improved vascular protection and lower cardiovascular risk.

For blood pressure and circulation, CoQ10 appears to:

• Help the inner lining of blood vessels work better by supporting nitric oxide (a natural chemical that helps vessels relax) and reducing oxidative stress.
• Modestly lower blood pressure in some people.

These benefits are not a magic‑bullet, but they are meaningful as part of a broader heart‑healthy plan.

II.              CoQ10: Metabolic and endocrine conditions

• Menopausal women and hypogonadal (Low T) men are two major groups with declining CoQ10 levels.  Reproductive hormones influence CoQ10 status: low estrogen levels in women and low testosterone levels in men, are associated with lower circulating CoQ10. Estradiol, testosterone, and CoQ10 all derive from cholesterol via the mevalonate pathway, so any condition or medication that affects steroidogenesis in this pathway can impair CoQ10 synthesis and availability. Optimal estradiol therapy for women and testosterone replacement for aging men improve CoQ10 production.
• CoQ10 has shown modest improvements in some clinical trials tracking glycemic and lipid parameters in diabetes and metabolic syndrome, including small reductions in fasting glucose, HbA1c, triglycerides, and LDL‑C.
• CoQ10 also has potential as an adjunct to metabolic therapy in obesity and metabolic dysfunction through improved mitochondrial fat and glucose handling and reduced oxidative stress.
• CoQ10 levels also dropped after COVID 19 infection and low levels persisted in persons with Long COVID.

III.            CoQ10: Fatigue, migraine, and “brain fog”
CoQ10 is a key nutrient at the center of cellular energy production, so it has benefit in conditions where low energy and brain fog are major complaints:

• Migraine: CoQ10 can reduce how often migraines occur, especially when used along with standard prevention medicines.
• Chronic fatigue (CFS) and long‑term illness: Trials and reviews find that CoQ10 can lower fatigue scores in people with CFS, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, and other long‑term conditions. Studies report CoQ10 improves concentration and working memory.
• Fibromyalgia and chronic pain: Small studies show less pain and fatigue with CoQ10, likely because it supports muscle energy production and calms inflammation in the nervous system.

These different conditions, that share marked fatigue as a debilitating symptom, seem to share an underlying cause of  “tired, or damaged, mitochondria.” CoQ10 can help those mitochondria run more efficiently and improve energy production.

IV.           CoQ10: Brain and nerve protection
Animal studies consistently show that CoQ10 can help protect brain cells, support memory, and reduce markers of stress in the brain. Human studies in conditions like Parkinson‑related disorders and chronic fatigue show some improvements in thinking and mental performance, but big, definitive trials are still underway.  So, while we can’t say CoQ10 “treats” neurodegenerative diseases, this remarkable supplement is a reasonable addition to support brain energy and resilience when included as part of an overall brain‑healthy lifestyle.

V.             CoQ10: Cancer treatment support and heart protection
Some early studies in people receiving anthracycline chemotherapy drugs (like doxorubicin, which can strain the heart) found that CoQ10 helped reduce signs of heart damage, such as changes on heart scans and heart function tests. Cancer centers that use integrative approaches sometimes include CoQ10 to:

• Support heart function in patients with heart disease or high‑risk chemotherapy.
• Help with treatment‑related fatigue.

So far, there is no convincing human evidence that CoQ10 makes chemotherapy less effective, according to the National Cancer Institute.  That is an important and positive finding.  In fact, CoQ10 may offer some protection against the more serious risk of chemotherapy-triggered heart damage.

VI.           CoQ10: Skin, lungs, and healthy aging

• Skin: Studies suggest CoQ10 can reduce fine wrinkles and sun‑related skin damage, likely by protecting skin cells’ mitochondria and collagen from oxidative stress.
• Lungs: People with conditions like asthma and COPD tend to show more “used up” (oxidized) CoQ10, a sign of high oxidative stress. Early studies suggest CoQ10 supplementation may help restore antioxidant defenses.
• Aging and muscles: CoQ10 may help calm age‑related inflammation and support bone and muscle health over time, though we don’t yet have large trials clearly proving it prevents frailty or osteoporosis. It’s best thought of as one tool in a broader healthy‑aging toolkit (along with movement, nutrition, optimal restoration of hormone balance, and improved sleep).

Choosing the Right Form of CoQ10: Ubiquinol vs Ubiquinone

CoQ10 exists in two main forms in the body: ubiquinone (oxidized) and ubiquinol (reduced). Ubiquinol is the antioxidant, electron‑rich form that:

• Carries electrons in the mitochondrial electron transport chain to help make ATP
• Neutralizes free radicals in lipid environments (membranes, LDL, lipoproteins)
• Regenerates other antioxidants like vitamin E, helping your whole antioxidant network work better

With so many benefits you will want to make sure you’re getting the best form of Co Q10. So if you are already taking a supplement, check your label to see which of these two forms your product contains.

CoQ10 products labeled simply as “CoQ10” or “coenzyme Q10” without further qualifiers are almost always ubiquinone. The oxidized form ubiquinone has much lower bioavailability, a major disadvantage.  That means you are even more dependent on your body converting it to make ubiquinol, and that ability declines with age, illness, and certain medications like statins.

I Chose TruActive CoQ10 – Bioactive Ubiquinol for our Truth for Health store, and recommend this form of CoQ10 for my patients

Ubiquinol is the active, reduced form of CoQ10—think of it as the “switched‑on” version your cells actually use to make energy and fight oxidative stress. It lives in your mitochondria (your cells’ power plants) and in your cell membranes, especially in high‑demand organs like your heart, brain, and skeletal muscles.

Why Ubiquinol Matters: 
1. You’re buying the form your body actually uses

• CoQ10 circulates and acts in the body primarily as ubiquinol, the reduced, electron‑rich form that does the real antioxidant and electron‑transport work.
• Standard “CoQ10” on most labels is ubiquinone, the oxidized form that has to be converted into ubiquinol before it can participate in mitochondrial energy production and protect membranes from oxidative damage.
• That conversion step is enzyme‑ and redox‑dependent and becomes less efficient with age, chronic illness, metabolic syndrome, and statin use—exactly the scenarios where we most want CoQ10 support. Ubiquinol allows you to skip this vulnerable metabolic step.
• Most antioxidants float in the watery part of your body whereas ubiquinol works where a lot of damage actually happens—inside membranes and lipoproteins.

2. Ubiquinol is more bioavailable where it counts

• Multiple human and in vitro studies show that ubiquinol is more efficiently incorporated into mixed micelles during digestion and more readily taken up and transported across intestinal cells than ubiquinone.
• With ubiquinol you typically reach higher plasma and tissue CoQ10 levels and because your body can use ubiquinol more efficiently, you get more benefit from the same amount.

3. It targets the people who need help converting

• Older adults, people with chronic fatigue, muscle weakness, heart failure, or statin‑associated muscle symptoms often have lower CoQ10 status and impaired conversion from ubiquinone to ubiquinol. Supplementing with ubiquinol directly reduces reliance on that conversion which is precisely the bottleneck in these populations.
• Many experts now recommend ubiquinol specifically for patients over 40–50, those on statins, and those with established cardiometabolic or neuromuscular disease who need a predictable therapeutic effect.

4. You get stronger antioxidant and clinical impact per capsule

• Compared to ubiquinone, ubiquinol is a more potent lipophilic antioxidant in membranes because it is already in the reduced, electron‑donating state.
• In studies comparing forms, ubiquinol supplementation produces larger rises in circulating “active” CoQ10 levels than equal doses of ubiquinone. This is what you need for symptom relief, mitochondrial support, and protection of critical organs like brain, heart, kidney.
• Emerging data in mitochondrial and neurodegenerative conditions suggest that treatment failures with standard CoQ10 may be due to poor absorption and limited tissue penetration—problems that can be partly overcome by switching to ubiquinol.

Why I Recommend: TruActive CoQ10 – Bioactive Ubiquinol

Until recently, the ubiquinol form had not been effective as a supplement because it was chemically unstable and easily oxidized. TruActive CoQ10 – Bioactive Ubiquinol contains a patented*, lipid-stabilized and absorbable form of ubiquinol that maintains its structure and stability in the gastrointestinal environment and enhances bioavailability.

TruActive CoQ10- Bioactive Ubiquinol supports antioxidant activity by neutralizing free radicals and toxic superoxides.  It supports cytoprotection by minimizing membrane lipid peroxidation as well. Oxidative stress is detrimental to the integrity and function of cell membranes and tissues, and ultimately to DNA itself. Antioxidant status must be maintained throughout the body in order to protect these vulnerable cells. TruActive CoQ10 – Bioactive Ubiquinol supports antioxidant activity to do this, including the regeneration of vitamins C and E, helping to maintain normal levels of free radical activity in the body.

Clinical Applications

• Supports Antioxidant in Lymph, Blood, and Cell Membranes
• Provides Fully Reduced Form of CoQ10
• Neutralizes Superoxide and Other Free Radicals
• Patented, Stabilized Form of Ubiquinol developed by Kaneka Corporation (the world’s largest manufacturer of CoQ10)
• Supports cardiovascular, brain and cognitive function

Boosting CoQ10 Levels with Food

• Primary dietary sources of CoQ10 include oily fish (such as salmon and tuna), organ meats (such as liver), whole grains, nuts and seeds.
• Most individuals can obtain sufficient amounts of CoQ10 IF eating a balanced diet with adequate variety of CoQ10-rich foods, but if your diet doesn’t include these foods, then supplementation may be useful because diet alone may not provide therapeutic levels, especially if your body’s natural production is low.

Who May Benefit from CoQ10 Supplements
CoQ10 supplements may be helpful for:

• Older adults, as natural levels decline with age
• People taking statin medications, which can lower CoQ10 levels
• Those with certain heart conditions, such as heart failure or angina
• Individuals with specific mitochondrial or metabolic disorders

As you put all the pieces together that I have described today, I encourage you to consider our other natural medicines with our top quality, cGMP-compliant professional formulas: TruMitochondrial™ Boost,  TruNAC™, Tru BioD3, Tru B™ Complex Full Spectrum, TruZinc™, TruC with BioFlavonoids  (Natural sourced Vitamin C with complete Bioflavonoids), and TruProBiotic™ Daily to replenish critical bifidobacteria depleted by COVID shots, viral illnesses, and antibiotic therapy.

All Truth for Health Foundation Products Meet or Exceed cGMP Quality Standards, the highest quality standard for supplements sold in the USA. For more information, references from studies are listed in the Product Data Sheets for each product, available on our website.  Check us out at www.TruthforHealth.org Click on tab for Store.  OR www.shopTruthforHealth.com

CAUTION: As always, we urge you to avoid supplements without checking knowledgeable sources to evaluate your medical situation, proper lab tests to verify what is needed, and to make sure to avoid adverse interactions with prescription medicines and other supplements you take.  Under medical practice regulations, we are unable to answer individual medical questions or make specific individual supplement recommendations for people who are not established patients of Dr. Vliet’s independent medical practice (www.ViveLifeCenter.com).

To Your good health and improving resilience!
Elizabeth Lee Vliet, MD