Coenzyme Q10 – This vitamin-like ingredient is familiar from anti-wrinkle creams. In the body, coenzyme Q10 ensures that cells are supplied with energy and are able to regenerate. Q10 (ubiquinone) also has a bioactive form: called ubiquinol or QH.
What are Q10 and QH?
Q10 and its bioactive form QH ensure that the body can convert nutrients into energy. Organs such as the brain and heart, as well as the muscles, require a great deal of energy, and it is precisely here that Q10 is particularly important. And this vitamin-like coenzyme can do something else, too: it acts as a free radical scavenger. As an antioxidant, it can capture and neutralize free radicals caused by oxidative stress. While conventional coenzyme Q10 must first be converted by the body, ubiquinol can be absorbed immediately.
What happens to Q10 in the body as we get older?
Our body can produce ubiquinol itself. When we are young, this is not a problem. As we age, the body's own production of Q10 and QH declines. When we are under high levels of stress, such as during intensive training, the demand can also no longer be met solely by the body's own production. Illnesses or certain medications, such as cholesterol-lowering statins, can also lead to a ubiquinol deficiency.
Where is QH found in our diet?
Ubiquinol is found in food. However, to get an adequate supply of QH, you would have to eat large quantities of peanuts (more than 1 kilo) and more than 50 avocados per day. It is easier to take ubiquinol in capsule form. According to testing by the German Sport University Cologne, taking ubiquinol is not considered doping. The micronutrient is listed on the "Cologne List," which identifies all dietary supplements that athletes are permitted to take.
Conclusion
Coenzyme Q10 and its bioactive form QH are vitamin-like substances considered to be antioxidants. Organs such as the brain and heart require a lot of energy. Q10 and QH ensure that the body converts nutrients into energy. The older we get, the less Q10/QH the body produces itself. Certain medications inhibit the production of Q10 in the body.
• Also read the interview with micronutrient expert Uwe Gröber on "Q10: The coenzyme for energy".
• Are you interested in QH (ubiquinol)? You can find QH products here.
