Ubiquinol Protects Mitochondria, the Powerhouse of Your Body!



UBIQUINOL IS a powerful antioxidant that is present in all cells in the body, where it plays an essential role in processes associated with energy production. It is a form of CoQ10, which many people may have hear of, and it is one of very few lipophilic or fat loving antioxidants, meaning that it is able to act and protect the fatty outer membranes of the body’s cells and mitochondria (energy factory in the cell) from oxidative damage. It is also able to regenerate other antioxidant molecules such as vitamin E and vitamin C which can also be used to fight oxidation.

Ubiquinol vs Ubiquinone?
Ubiquinol is the reduced form of CoQ10 (ubiquinone), which means that it has two extra electrons attached in this form. It is better absorbed by the body and the preferred from for transportation in the blood stream compared to Co-Q-10. Any Co-Q-10 that is absorbed by the body will need to be converted to ubiquinol for it to be transported in the blood stream, and the body’s ability to do this conversion declines with age. Ubiquinol is also the form that has antioxidant activity in the body while CoQ10 does not, which is due to its two extra electrons that can be used to neutralize free radicals and protect the body from damage.

Why would someone want to supplement with ubiquinol?
General Antioxidant Support: As mentioned above, ubiquinol is one of the few antioxidant that can act in fatty tissues, which makes it an important antioxidant to consider taking for prevention of damage to the many fatty structures in the body, especially in older individuals.
People medicated for high cholesterol: Statins which are one the most commonly prescribed medications for high cholesterol significantly deplete levels of CoQ10. It is thought that this may be the reason why so many people taking statin medications experience muscle pain as a side effect.
Heart Failure: It was identified that patients with heart failure has significantly lower levels of CoQ10 in their blood and cardiac tissue, and the decline was associated with the severity of heart failure classification. Recent research into Co-Q-10 has been shown to improve symptoms associated with heart failure and reduce the number of cardiovascular events. This is likely due to increasing the energy production of the heart cells and reducing oxidative damage to the cells.
Fertility: due to its specific antioxidant capabilities, ubiquinol has shown to improve fertility in both men and women, with studies showing improved sperm motility as well as protect ovarian reserve in females.


Sources:
Evans M, Baisley J, Barss S, Guthrie N.  A randomized, double-blind trial on the bioavailability of two CoQ10 formulations. Journal of Functional Foods. 2009. 1: 65-73.
Frei B, Kim MC, Ames BN. Ubiquinol-10 is an effective lipid-soluble antioxidant at physiological concentrations. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1990 Jun;87(12):4879-83.
Oleck S, Ventura HO. Coenzyme Q10 and Utility in Heart Failure: Just Another Supplement? Curr Heart Fail Rep. 2016 Aug;13(4):190-5.
Niklowitz P et al. Coenzyme Q10 serum concentration and redox status in European adults: influence of age, sex, and lipoprotein concentration. J Clin Biochem Nutr. 2016 May;58(3):240-5.
Özcan P1 et al. Can Coenzyme Q10 supplementation protect the ovarian reserve against oxidative damage? J Assist Reprod Genet. 2016 Sep;33(9):1223-30.
Thakur AS, Littarru GP, Funahashi I, Painkara US, Dange NS, Chauhan P. Effect of Ubiquinol Therapy on Sperm Parameters and Serum Testosterone Levels in Oligoasthenozoospermic Infertile Men. J Clin Diagn Res. 2015 Sep;9(9):BC01-3


<Written by David Health Research Centre>
03/26/2017





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