Coenzyme Q10 Study: BIOGENA Good Health Study

A fat-soluble antioxidant, a powerful source of energy, an unsung hero of the immune system – coenzyme Q10 is, without question, a vital substance with vitamin-like properties (= a vitaminoid). The reason it has not, however, been classified as a vitamin is that we not only obtain Q10 through our diet, but can also produce it within our own bodies. However, according to the Biogena Good Health Study, these two sources of supply are by no means a guarantee of good coenzyme Q10 status. The cholesterol-adjusted levels were below the normal range in more than a quarter (26 per cent) of participants – an indication of an insufficient supply of Q10. There can be various reasons for a deficiency: in addition to an age-related reduction in the body’s own production, taking cholesterol-lowering drugs (statins) can further reduce the body’s own production of coenzyme Q10. Similarly, conditions that lead to an increased production of free radicals can be associated with a Q10 deficiency.

• an adequate supply of coenzyme Q10 is not a given, despite the body’s own production

• in more than a quarter (26 per cent) of participants, the cholesterol-adjusted values were below the normal range

Whether you’re suffering from a Q10 deficiency or a dip in energy levels, coenzyme Q10 in the form of ubiquinol is the energy booster of choice. Whilst Q10 in its inactive ubiquinone form must first be converted into ubiquinol, ubiquinol is immediately and actively available to our bodies. Scientific studies also show that ubiquinol taken as a supplement is absorbed into the bloodstream much more effectively than ubiquinone. All of this offers clear benefits when coenzyme Q10 is used for specific purposes, such as in the treatment of Long COVID.

Anyone who thinks that the body’s own production of coenzyme Q10 means that dietary intake becomes a secondary consideration is mistaken – at least if one considers the latest findings of the Biogena Good Health Study: Whilst vegans still appear to be ‘top performers’ in terms of raw, unadjusted coenzyme Q10 levels, the cholesterol-adjusted values recommended by modern laboratory diagnostics show the opposite trend: On average, vegans had a 14 per cent higher coenzyme Q10 intake than those on a mixed diet, whilst vegetarians (36 per cent below the recommended normal range) fared the worst. This dynamic can be attributed to the generally lower cholesterol levels among vegans. This reversal also highlights the importance of adjusting Q10 measurement values to account for cholesterol levels.

Whilst the body’s own production of Q10 is at its peak in young people, it begins to decline from around the age of 30. Data from the Good Health Study show that an optimal Q10 status is nevertheless not the norm among young people. In the 20–29 age group, for example, 20 per cent of women and 31 per cent of men were found to have a coenzyme Q10 deficiency. However, the greatest deficiency was found among participants aged 30–39, where 40 per cent of men and 31 per cent of women were deficient, whilst, surprisingly, the oldest group (aged 60 and over) had the highest levels (coenzyme Q10 deficiency: 14 per cent of men and 18 per cent of women).

• diet does indeed have a certain influence on coenzyme Q10 status, with vegan participants having the best intake levels of all dietary groups

• even young people do not automatically have good coenzyme Q10 levels – the 30–39 age group actually fared the worst (Q10 deficiency in 40 per cent of men and 31 per cent of women)

• the oldest group of participants had the best coenzyme Q10 status – presumably due to the preventative use of dietary supplements

The BIOGENA Good Health Study, involving 1,377 participants, aimed to provide an up-to-date picture of the state of health and healthcare provision amongst the Austrian population, and to demonstrate that an improved intake of micronutrients leads to greater physical and mental wellbeing.