Coenzyme Q10 (ubiquinone) and its bioactive form QH (ubiquinol) are considered by experts to be a very important energy source for the body. Q10/QH are of outstanding importance for maintaining the body's health and for a healthy aging process. An additional supply of Q10/QH is recommended from the age of 40, as this is when the body's own synthesis of these energy coenzymes begins to decline.
Q10 – Coenzyme for energy
You need energy for all the metabolic processes in your body. You obtain this energy from food, whether in the form of proteins, fats, or carbohydrates. With the help of enzymes, nutrients are broken down in the gastrointestinal tract. From the small intestine, they enter the blood and from there travel to every cell in your body. This is where the vitamin-like coenzyme Q10 (ubiquinone) comes into play, as it is needed in the cellular power plants (mitochondria) to convert nutrients into the body's own energy, ATP (adenosine triphosphate).
This process is known as the "respiratory chain." The vitaminoid Q10 is responsible for generating 95 percent of the body's total energy, which is why the vitamin-like Q10 is also referred to by experts as an "energy coenzyme." Organs with a particularly high energy demand, such as the heart, kidneys, and liver, show a particularly high concentration of this vitaminoid.
Q10 production declines with age
This explains why a regular supply of Q10 is particularly recommended. The body only receives coenzyme Q10 in small amounts through food. However, it can also be produced by the body itself through its own synthesis. Nevertheless, the ability to produce one's own Q10 steadily declines from the age of 40 onwards.
Q10/QH – powerful antioxidant
Q10 and its bioactive form QH (ubiquinol) fulfill other functions in our body and serve, for example, as a powerful antioxidant and for the regeneration of vitamin E. They are capable of defending against free radicals at the cell wall (cell membrane) and thus preventing them from causing damage to the cell wall and within the cell. Q10 also helps to keep the cell membrane flexible. An elastic cell membrane ensures that the transport of nutrients into and out of the cells occurs smoothly.
Q10 for those on cholesterol-lowering medication
Scientists point out that a good supply of Q10 is also important for cardiovascular complaints. Particular attention is drawn here to the side effects of cholesterol-lowering drugs, which can be mitigated by taking Q10. The problem: cholesterol-lowering drugs such as statins inhibit the body's own Q10 production.
QH (ubiquinol): the bioactive Q10
The bioactive, reduced form of Q10 is QH, also known as ubiquinol. Q10 must first be converted into QH in the body. QH is more available than Q10. It is absorbed into the blood faster and is directly available to all organs. Heart patients, in particular, benefit from a good supply of QH (ubiquinol), as the Q10 content of the heart as well as the ability to produce energy decrease with increasing age.
Heart therapy with ubiquinol
For these reasons, some cardiac experts recommend 300 milligrams of QH per day in the treatment of heart failure and even go a step further. For healthy people, a preventative daily intake of 50 to 100 milligrams of ubiquinol is recommended, as can be read in the specialist journal *herzmedizin.
Conclusion: Q10 and QH at a glance
- The energy source Q10 is responsible for providing 95 percent of the body's energy.
- Q10/QH are present in all cells of our body.
- They strengthen the heart and the nerves.
- Q10/QH are known as anti-aging agents.
- QH is the active form of Q10.
- QH has better bioavailability in the body than Q10.
- It accounts for well over 90 percent of Q10 in blood plasma.
- The coenzymes Q10/QH are powerful antioxidants.
* herzmedizin. The specialist title for cardiovascular diseases, prevention, and rehabilitation. 4/2016. Q1
• One of Germany's best-known micronutrient experts, Uwe Gröber, is among the scientists who consider Q10 an important "energy coenzyme." You can find an interview with him here.
• Further studies on QH and its positive effects can be read at: Detailed information on the product QH Mono 100 mg
• Learn more about coenzyme Q10 (ubiquinone) and QH (ubiquinol) for oral intake here.
