Coenzyme Q10 is on everyone's lips. Many face creams contain Q10 as a so-called anti-aging ingredient, which is intended to protect (skin) cells and support the mitochondria of the cells in energy production. But who knows about bioactive Q10, also known as QH (ubiquinol)? Find out more in the Medicom health podcast with Oliver Romanow from Kaneka Nutrients.
About the speaker:
Oliver Romanow from Kaneka (raw material manufacturer of Q10 and bioactive Q10) in conversation. Listen to the most important information about QH (ubiquinol), its production, and the differences to Q10 now in this expert podcast interview.
Content of this post:
⚙️ The production of Q10 and ubiquinol (Minute 1:41-4:02)
A look behind the scenes shows us when Q10 and bioactive Q10 were discovered, how these micronutrients are produced, and what the differences are.
💊 The importance of Q10 and ubiquinol for health (Minute 4:03-5:13)
We explore the areas of application for these dietary supplements and learn why ubiquinol is particularly interesting due to its higher bioavailability.
🔍 What does bioavailability mean for Q10 and bioactive Q10? (Minute 5:14-6:26)
The direct absorption of ubiquinol compared to the conversion of Q10 in the body. QH is immediately available.
💡 Which areas of application is QH interesting for? (Minute 6:27-7:39)
The diverse applications of ubiquinol for athletes, stress, aging, fertility, and heart health, as well as for those taking statins (cholesterol-lowering drugs)*.
🌍 Quality standards and distribution (Minute 7:40-8:22)
We take a look at the quality features of Kaneka, the leading manufacturer of ubiquinol, and learn how consumption is developing in different parts of the world.
🌍 Where is the consumption of QH known? (Minute 8:23-9:11)
The prevalence of ubiquinol in Japan and the USA as well as its increasing popularity worldwide.
🚫 Ubiquinol and doping (Minute 9:27-10:59)
Bioactive Q10 is not a doping agent. Classification by the World Anti-Doping Agency and dosage recommendations.
Medicom: I would like to welcome you to the Medicom health podcast today. I am speaking today with Oliver Romanow from the company Kaneka. We will be talking about ubiquinol, we will be talking about Q10, and Oliver will tell us more about it. Perhaps to start with: Mr. Romanow, your age and your role at Kaneka.
Oliver Romanow: Thank you very much for the invitation. I am happy to be here and to answer questions on behalf of Kaneka regarding the topic of ubiquinol and Q10. A little information about me: I am 53 years old and a merchant by profession, but for almost five years I have been with Kaneka, responsible for the sales of Q10, ubiquinol, and one or two other products, and I am responsible for several countries within Europe.
Medicom: Yes, thank you very much for the short introduction. Then I would go directly to the next question. When was Q10 discovered and developed in the first place? QH, or ubiquinol, came along much later. Can you tell us more about that?
Oliver Romanow: Well, Coenzyme Q10 was discovered back in 1957, having first been extracted from bovine hearts by a Dr. Frederik Crane from the USA. And in 1960, Professor Karl Folkers was able to decipher the chemical structure of Coenzyme Q10, at the time in collaboration with the company Merck.
Medicom: I believe there was even a prize for that later, if not a Nobel Prize?
Oliver Romanow: That is correct. There was a Nobel Prize for that. That is right.
Medicom: Yes, a groundbreaking history, so to speak. Ubiquinol, as we also know, only came onto the dietary supplement market much later. Why was that?
Oliver Romanow: Yes, that is correct. Ubiquinol only came onto the market in 2007, which is because ubiquinol is very sensitive when it comes to oxidation. This means that the moment I expose the snow-white ubiquinol powder to oxygen, it turns into regular Coenzyme Q10. And you obviously don't want that, because ubiquinol is the higher-quality, better Q10.
Medicom: Interesting. That brings us to the topic of production and differences. How are both micronutrients produced and what is the major difference?
Oliver Romanow: The production is in principle identical. In both cases, we start with natural yeast, which is then produced via a fermentation process. And then, initially, ubiquinol is created in both cases, and then it is separated. This means we take one part away in the same production facility and turn it into ubiquinol. The rest oxidizes and becomes regular, conventional Q10. Ubiquinol is a very special raw material that can also only be processed further by certain companies with the appropriate facilities and equipment.
Medicom: For whom is Q10 interesting and for whom is ubiquinol, QH, interesting?
Oliver Romanow: Q10 is naturally used a lot in the cosmetic industry. You will find many shampoos, skin creams, or other beauty products where Q10 is used, because Q10 is naturally also good for mitochondrial energy, for cell renewal, for the energy of the cells. But you cannot use ubiquinol there because it would oxidize in such products. That is to say, especially in the chemical industry and the cosmetics industry, Q10 is frequently used. When it comes to the area of dietary supplements, we at Kaneka naturally recommend the use of ubiquinol, as we have a three-to-five-fold higher bioavailability of ubiquinol compared to Q10 here. That means if you compare it: You would have to take 300 milligrams of Q10 to have the same effect in the body as 100 milligrams of ubiquinol.
Medicom: You just mentioned the keyword bioavailability. What exactly does that mean in this context?
Oliver Romanow: Well, it is the case that the body takes in Q10 or ubiquinol. In the case of Q10, the body converts it into ubiquinol. And we spare our body that step by providing it with ubiquinol directly. And the body also has the problem of the "bottleneck." This means it can only convert a certain amount of Q10. And normally, that is where it stops at 300 milligrams. That means you could take 900 milligrams of Q10 and the effect would fizzle out.
However, if you were to take 300 milligrams of ubiquinol—if your doctor recommends it, especially when taking statins*, for example, it is often recommended to take ubiquinol in higher dosages—then those 300 milligrams of ubiquinol have an effect in the body that is significantly higher than 300 or 900 milligrams of Q10, even if the product itself is more expensive. But the effect in the body is simply much, much better.
Medicom: You just mentioned statins*. For whom is QH, ubiquinol, interesting, and for which areas of application?
Oliver Romanow: There are many areas of application for ubiquinol. This means that ubiquinol has this mode of action: It promotes mitochondrial energy. This means that the mitochondria are the parts of the body that, simply put, supply the cells with energy. No matter where I am strained, the cells are better supplied with energy. This means it is good when I do a lot of sports, when I smoke, when I have stress. It is good for aging because cell renewal is much better. Ubiquinol is good against stress. It supports fertility. It is called the heart vitamin. This means it is good for the heart. It supports the arteries. So, it regenerates.
Ubiquinol (...) promotes mitochondrial energy. (...) It is good for aging because cell renewal is much better.
So it has a very large area of application because, in principle, it supports every cell in the body in its function. This means one cannot even say that ubiquinol is good for this person or that person; rather, it is good for everyone. We recommend that everyone who does a lot of sports, who smokes, who has heart problems, or who takes statins* take ubiquinol.
Medicom: But QH is not that well-known. And the company behind it, that is perhaps known if you look closely at the package or the product, namely Kaneka. What can you tell us about Kaneka? And why is that a quality feature?
Oliver Romanow: Well, we are the only Japanese manufacturer of Q10, and we are also the global patent holder for ubiquinol. This means you will not find any other ubiquinol on the market. Naturally, "Japanese" is always a quality feature compared to production in other countries. And we are also the only ones worldwide who derive it from natural yeast fermentation.
Medicom: Kaneka is a Japanese company. Is the use, or let's say the consumption, of QH ubiquinol much more well-known in Japan than perhaps in Europe, Germany, or the United States? What can you tell me about that?
Oliver Romanow: Well, naturally, as a Japanese company, the domestic market is always the largest and the most important. That is quite clear. But we also see that significant amounts of ubiquinol are used in the USA. We also have our own production plant in the USA for ubiquinol. But we also see that in recent years, ubiquinol is becoming more well-known and more interesting. And the sales figures show that it is becoming increasingly popular with customers.
Medicom: Is there anything else you would like to convey to the listeners? A final thought, perhaps, a question—an important one—that I haven't asked? Then now would be the moment.
Oliver Romanow: The question is often asked in the sports sector: Is it doping, does it dope the body? Here, too, we are on the negative list of the World Anti-Doping Agency. This means that every athlete can take ubiquinol without any problems. We are also active as sponsors in some sports, especially in the areas of biathlon and ski jumping, we have one or two athletes. I’ll just mention Selina Grotian as a biathlete, Luca Roth in high jump, who regularly consume Kaneka ubiquinol. And there are no problems there at all. That is important to know. Kaneka recommends a dosage of 100 milligrams of ubiquinol per day. That is perfectly sufficient for normal, everyday use, I would say. But naturally, one can and should take more after consulting with a doctor if there have been any problems in the past or if there are deficiencies.
Medicom: Then I would say at this point: Thank you very, very much. We have learned a lot today.
Oliver Romanow: Stay healthy.
Medicom: Thank you for the conversation.
*Editor's note: Statins are cholesterol-lowering drugs. Taking statins inhibits the body's own production of Coenzyme Q10 and bioactive Q10.
• If you have further questions and would like to learn more about Q10, do not hesitate to ask your trusted doctor or to contact Medicom's free vital substance consultation at 0800 50 400 50.
