CoQ10 (coenzyme Q10)
Ubiquinone and ubiquinol
Supplements. Modern nutrition.
Also called Coenzyme Q10, Ubiquinone, Ubiquinol, Ubidecarenone
Pinyin: fǔ méi Q10
Spanish: Coenzima Q10
Can alter warfarin's effectA compound the body makes to help cells produce energy, sold as a supplement mostly for heart health and muscle aches.
Did you know? CoQ10 was first found in beef heart in 1957, and its name comes from 'ubiquitous' because nearly every cell contains it.
What it may help, and how strong the proof is
- Heart health. In heart failure, some trials show better symptoms and fewer hospital stays when CoQ10 is added to usual care. Results are mixed, and large trials are lacking.Early proof
- Blood pressure. Some small trials show a modest drop in blood pressure. Results vary from trial to trial.Early proof
- Pain & headaches. A few small trials report fewer migraine attacks. The studies are short and small.Early proof
- Muscles & exercise. Statins lower the body's own CoQ10, so people hope it eases statin muscle aches. Trials are small and mixed, and some show no clear benefit.Early proof
Parts of the body
Traditional use
CoQ10 has no long folk history. It came out of biochemistry research in the 1950s and 1960s, and some countries, including Japan, approve it as a prescription add-on for heart failure.
How it is classified
- Herbal actions
- Nutritive, Antioxidant, Heart tonic. Energy: neutral.
How people take it
Heart and blood pressure studies mostly used 100 to 300 mg a day, often split into doses with meals. The reduced form, ubiquinol, may be absorbed somewhat better in some people. Talk with a doctor before starting, especially if you take heart or blood pressure medicine.
Capsule and food.
Where to get it
Your body makes CoQ10, and small amounts are found in beef, chicken, sardines, peanuts and soybean oil. Supplements come as softgel capsules in ubiquinone or ubiquinol forms, sold in stores and online.
Be careful
Common side effects are upset stomach, nausea, loss of appetite, and trouble sleeping at higher doses. It can lower blood pressure and blood sugar, and it may reduce the effect of warfarin, so check with a doctor if you take those drugs. Avoid it in pregnancy and breastfeeding because safety data are thin.
Avoid if: pregnancy; breastfeeding; low blood pressure.
Mixing with other things
- Works well together
Both are fat-soluble antioxidants, and some heart and healthy-aging blends include both.
- Works well together
Both support energy production in cells and are often sold together in antioxidant blends.
- Use cautionBlood thinners (warfarin, Eliquis, Xarelto, Plavix, daily aspirin)
May reduce warfarin's effect, so INR checks may be needed if you start or stop it.
- Use cautionBlood pressure medicine (lisinopril, amlodipine, losartan)
May lower blood pressure, so BP medicines could push it too low.
- Worth knowingDiabetes medicine (metformin, insulin, glipizide, Ozempic)
May lower blood sugar a little. Watch levels if you take diabetes medicines.
- Worth knowingStatins (Lipitor, Zocor, Crestor)
Statins lower the body's own CoQ10. Ask a doctor whether a supplement makes sense for you.
Adds up with others that may lower blood pressure: , , , , , , , , , , , , , and 12 more.
The honest take
The heart failure evidence is modest but more solid than for most claims. The muscle, migraine and blood pressure results are small and mixed. Claims about anti-aging or energy boosts are not supported by strong human trials.