15 Best CoQ10 Supplements: Reviewed & Rated 2023
Jules Walters • Last updated: July 17, 2023
In this guide, I’ve ranked and reviewed the 15 best CoQ10 supplements, with my top five picks highlighted at the top, so you can choose the right one for you.
Choosing a dietary supplement can be a bewildering experience, full of strange names and acronyms. So, I hope this guide explains what’s important in choosing a supplement, particularly in this guide to CoQ10.
You can read here about the process I follow to come up with the rankings.
What is CoQ10 (Coenzyme Q10)?
Coenzyme Q10 or CoQ10 for short is produced naturally by our bodies to help with cellular energy. CoQ10 is needed to make adenosine triphosphate, ATP for short, which is the energy molecule used by our cells.
CoQ10 is also believed to act as an antioxidant to prevent damage to our cells by free radicals. In recent years, CoQ10 has become one of the most widely used supplements to support energy levels and deliver health benefits.
As we get older, our levels of CoQ10 decrease. It is not known, though, why our bodies produce less as we age. There is still a lot to be learned about the process of aging. If you’re interested in finding out more about what happens to our CoQ10 levels as we get older, including heart health, you can read this scientific review of CoQ10 and Aging.
We do know CoQ10 is found in greater quantities in our organs that need a lot of cellular energy production. Our heart and muscles, for example. That makes sense, as these organs need the energy that CoQ10 supports.
What difference does a CoQ10 supplement make?
What we do know is that taking CoQ10 supplements result in a reduction in markers of inflammation found in the blood. And chronic inflammation is found in age-related conditions such as cardiovascular disease and cancer.
More research is needed. But the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, consistently ranked in the top Best Hospitals by US News says that CoQ10 is considered safe, with few side effects.
However, there is a big note to this.
As with any supplement, it is always a good idea to speak to your doctor before taking any new supplement. All drugs and supplements can interact with each other, so CoQ10 might make blood-thinning drugs like warfarin less effective. So, always talk to your doctor before any change in your daily routine, particularly if you’re on medications.
Softgel, liquid or gummy for best CoQ10 supplement?
One thing to think about in choosing a supplement is in what form. Is it in a tablet, softgel, liquid, oral spray, or a gummy? It’s mainly down to personal preference.
Let’s take a look at differences in formulations for CoQ10 supplements.
Most supplements come in a softgel dissolved in oil, such as olive oil or fish oil. The gel is usually made of gelatin, so if you’re a vegan, look for gels that specify they are made instead of vegetable cellulose. (Gelatin contains a protein that’s usually made from cows or pigs.) The gel’s designed to pass through our stomachs and be broken down in our small intestine where the contents are released.
More recently, some manufacturers have used a different method of delivering the active ingredient through a small bubble called a liposome. That comes in a liquid formulation. Think of a liposome as a small bubble of fat used to carry something in it.
Liposomes have been used for decades to deliver specific medicines, such as cancer treatments. Now, some makers of supplements are using liposomes to bypass the stomach and be absorbed straight into the bloodstream. The downside of liposomes is that they degrade at room temperature, so you need to keep the bottle in the fridge.
Gummies are a useful alternative if you really don’t like taking a pill. Just watch the amount of added sugar in the list of ingredients.
Ubiquinone vs ubiquinol
I promise to keep the chemistry short, but it is important to know that there are different forms of CoQ10. One is called ubiquinone and the other ubiquinol, which is often referred to as the active or reduced form of CoQ.
However, both forms can be used by our bodies, so I have not used the form of CoQ10 as a differentiator in my top 15 list. Both forms are included.
You will find on several manufacturers’ websites references to the ubiquinol form being more readily absorbed than ubiquinone. That is a bit of a stretch. On this point, I’ve checked the peer-reviewed science and the biggest variable in absorption is not the form of CoQ10 (ubiquinone vs ubiquinol), but how we differ biologically from one person to another. Our bodies convert one form of CoQ10 into the other as needed. You can read more about the research here if you’d like to check the science yourself.
Whichever version of CoQ10 you use, you can help your body to absorb it faster by taking the supplements with food, particularly with fat, as CoQ10 is a fat soluble compound.
Many of the capsules contain fat to carry the active ingredient of CoQ10, as it doesn’t dissolve in water.
How much CoQ10 supplement should I take a day?
This is definitely a question to discuss with your doctor, particularly if you are on medications that need a prescription. CoQ10 is known to interact with certain medications; such as blood thinners like warfarin.
There is no agreed ideal dose of CoQ10, as it’s a supplement rather than a pharmaceutical drug and we’re each different in age, metabolism and genetics.
Having said that, the most common dose of CoQ10 in supplements is 100 milligrams to 200 milligrams (mg) a day.
Research has used 50 mg to 1,200 mg in adults, with the higher doses in people with health conditions where CoQ10 is particularly depleted, such as in Parkinson’s disease.
You will get some CoQ10 from your diet. Sardines are a good option, rich in CoQ10 with about 6 mg in an average serving. Pork and beef has about 3 mg. Olive oil also has about 3 mg.
Studies have shown that two doses of 100 mg of CoQ10 give better results than a single 200 mg dose. That’s worth noting as it’s thought the human body can only use so much CoQ10 at once.
Interestingly, it takes about six hours for the maximum amount of CoQ10 to show up in our blood, ready to be used by our cells. So, if your doctor is happy with you taking CoQ10, you could take one 100 mg capsule in the morning and another in the evening.
CoQ10, statins and heart health
Cardiovascular disease (heart disease) is THE leading cause of death in the United States, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. And high cholesterol is a major risk factor. More than 90% of adults use statins as cholesterol-lowering drugs for heart conditions.
Some people on a statin can experience health issues, particularly muscle pain — called statin-associated muscle symptoms (SAMS) — as a side effect of taking a statin, which can lead to people coming off their statin medications.
In recent years, doctors have tested giving CoQ10 to patients with SAMS as a supplement, with promising results in clinical trials for cardiovascular health. Although more data is needed, the authors of this analysis of nearly 600 patients concluded: “CoQ10 supplementation may be a complementary approach to manage statin-induced myopathy.”
Another major contributing factor to heart failure is hypertension (high blood pressure). it affects nearly 1 in 2 adult Americans, and accounts for around half of all heart disease and stroke-related deaths worldwide.
A meta analysis – or systematic review – of several clinical studies underlines the potential for CoQ10 to support heart health. The studies indicated CoQ10 could ease the effects of hypertension by reducing both systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure.
(Systolic blood pressure is the top reading measured as the heart beats. Diastolic blood pressure is the lower reading, taken between heart beats.)
But do check with your doctor before taking CoQ10 if you’re already taking blood pressure medications, or any other prescription drug therapies.
Quality standards in supplements
As with all dietary supplements, it’s important to remember these statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Supplements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any medical condition.
This background will help you dig in about the regulation of supplements in the US.
Hover over the product image in the review section below to click through to a retailer’s website.
Jules’ Picks – The Best 15 CoQ10 Supplements
1. Qunol
Qunol has one of the biggest range of CoQ10 products on the market. They have 100 mg and 200 mg formulations in softgels with a little vitamin C added.
In the Mega range, Qunol uses a formula that supports faster absorption. It also offers free shipping on all orders and 10% off if you subscribe for a regular order.
2. Puritan’s Pride
Puritan’s Pride also uses a patented formula called Q-Sorb to aid absorption of CoQ10. You’ll see manufacturers trying different ways to boost absorption as CoQ10 is fat soluble, but it won’t dissolve in water. So, most soft gel capsules have the active ingredient in some kind of oil. This version uses rice bran oil.
This one comes with free shipping on orders over $30.
3. Quicksilver Scientific
I’ve included this liquid CoQ high up in the rankings for those who just don’t want to take a capsule.
This version of CoQ10 uses liposomes, little bubbles of fat, to carry the active ingredient in fats from purified sunflower seeds. It’s vegan friendly and has to be kept in the fridge, as a liquid formulation. You squirt the liquid onto your tongue.
4. Thorne
Thorne carefully chooses its ingredients and works with some of the leading research institutes in the US to build the evidence base for its supplements, including the Cleveland and Mayo Clinics, and Johns Hopkins University.
There’s 20% off when you subscribe to three or more products.
5. Essential elements
Essential elements has its own patented formulation called CoQsol, which uses ubiquinone in rice bran oil, and adds in significant amounts of vitamins A & E. This formula uses 200 mg of CoQ10.
With every purchase, the company donates a year’s worth of clean water to someone in the developing world.
6. Sports Research (SR)
Sports Research adds coconut oil and black pepper, otherwise known as BioPerine, to help absorption of CoQ10.
This version has 120 softgels, which is twice the number of some of its competitors, so good value.
7. Nordic Naturals
Nordic Naturals is mostly known for its omega products. The founder came to the US from his home country of Norway for study and found that omega-rich cod liver oil was hard to find. The company has since expanded into other products, including CoQ10. They text every batch for purity and quality.
This formulation uses extra virgin olive oil to boost absorption.
8. Wholefoods
If you have a Wholefoods near you, then you’re in luck. This premium supermarket has invested in a range of supplements that includes CoQ10.
This is a vegan-friendly capsule using a version of CoQ10 called Kaneka, which is the ubiquinol-form of CoQ10 extracted from yeast.
9. Doctor’s Best
Doctor’s Best also uses the Kaneka version of CoQ10, which is extracted from yeast.
This 100 mg version comes in 60 softgels, using extra virgin olive oil to help absorption. Gluten and soy free.
10. aSquared Nutrition
This 200 mg version uses the ubiquinone form of CoQ10 in 200 capsules, so good value compared to other competitors, who offer 60 capsules.
This formulation uses a powder that gives 6% of the active ingredient. Other versions include some kind of oil, such as olive oil, in their formulas to boost absorption, so it’s even more important to take this capsule with food.
11. Nature Made
You can find Nature Made in most pharmacies, including CVS and Walgreens. It’s good value with 120 softgels of 100mg per pack.
The ingredients have been USP-verified. USP’s an independent third party, which tests that the product contains the ingredients it says it does and that it will break down within a set time, so the ingredients can get to work.
12. Nature’s Bounty
Another formulation using Q-Sorb in rice bran oil to aid absorption.
Nature’s Bounty is another brand, like Nature Made, that’s available in many pharmacies, so it’s worth seeing if your local pharmacy stocks this one or can order for you.
13. Luma Nutrition
This 200mg formulation comes in 60 capsules using the ubiquinone version of CoQ10.
Like all of my recommendations, Luma Nutrition makes its supplements in facilities that are certified for Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) for consistent quality standards.
14. Carlyle
I’ve included one version of CoQ10 gummies for those of us who need an alternative to a capsule for ease of use.
Each gummy has 50 mg of CoQ10 and, being a gummy, contains 2 grams of glucose syrup and sugar – rather than using artificial sweeteners.
15. Garden of Life
This is the most complex formulation in the top 15 as it also includes omega 3s, 6s and 9s, as well as an organic fruit and vegetable blend, and probiotics.
If you like to take fewer capsules with more in it, this could be for you; particularly if you don’t like eating fish (a great source of your omega fats).