Last updated 24 October 2026.
Every cell in your body runs on a molecule most people have never heard of. It sits quietly inside your mitochondria, and it is part of how you turn food into usable energy.
CoQ10, short for coenzyme Q10, is a compound your body makes and your cells use to produce energy. It also acts as an antioxidant, like astaxanthin. Some people take it as a supplement, and the research on CoQ10 benefits is mixed.
That is worth knowing before you buy anything. This guide covers what CoQ10 is, what studies have and have not shown, how they dosed it, and who should speak to a GP first.
Energy is the system everything else depends on. Your heart, brain, muscles and immune cells all need a steady supply of it, and almost all of it is made in the mitochondria. When that process becomes less efficient with age, the effects reach well beyond how tired you feel.
This is one of the five systems that shape how well we age, and it links closely to healthspan. Not how long you live, but how many of those years you spend capable and independent. CoQ10 is one of the molecules researchers study when they look at how that energy system changes over time.
CoQ10 is a fat-soluble compound found in almost every cell, and it is most concentrated where energy demand is highest. Your body makes it, and small amounts also come from food. It is sometimes called ubiquinone, or ubidecarenone, and its active form is called ubiquinol.
It does two main jobs. Inside the mitochondria it helps carry electrons along the chain that produces ATP, the molecule cells use as fuel. In its reduced form it also helps protect cells from oxidative stress (Hernández-Camacho et al., 2018).
It is widely thought to, but the picture is less tidy than you will often read. Researchers have proposed that the body's production of CoQ10 slows with age and in some age-related conditions. A major review also notes discrepancies, including animal studies where longevity was not linked to CoQ10 levels (Hernández-Camacho et al., 2018).
What the review does point to is more specific. In older adults, blood levels of CoQ10 have been linked with physical activity and with lower oxidative damage to fats. In muscle, a higher share of the active form has gone with greater strength. These are associations, not proof that topping up changes the outcome.
The same review is careful on this point. It says more reliable clinical trials in older people are needed before CoQ10 can be called an effective anti-ageing approach.
Researchers have looked at several areas, and the results are uneven. Here is what the evidence supports and what it does not.
A 2023 systematic review and meta-analysis of 31 randomised trials found that CoQ10 lowered some markers of inflammation, including CRP, IL-6 and TNF-alpha. Results varied by marker, age and health status, and the strongest effects were reported at higher doses (Hou et al., 2023). Markers are not the same as how someone feels or how long they live.
One Swedish trial gave older adults 200 mg of CoQ10 with selenium for four years. The researchers followed them for ten years and reported fewer cardiovascular deaths in the supplemented group. The authors described it as a small study that generates hypotheses, and it tested the combination rather than CoQ10 alone (Alehagen et al., 2015).
This one has a clear answer, and it is covered in its own section below. In short, the evidence does not support it.
What the research does not show is that CoQ10 slows ageing, adds years to life or acts as a stimulant. Anyone who tells you otherwise is running ahead of the science.
These are two forms of the same molecule, and your body converts between them. Ubiquinone is the oxidised form found in most supplements. Ubiquinol is the reduced form and is usually sold as the premium option.
| Form | What it is | What research has looked at |
|---|---|---|
| Ubiquinone | The oxidised form of CoQ10, found in most supplements | Raised blood levels of CoQ10 in older men at 200 mg a day for 14 days (Zhang et al., 2018) |
| Ubiquinol | The reduced form, which the body also makes from ubiquinone | Raised blood levels further than ubiquinone in the same small trial (Zhang et al., 2018) |
That trial was small. It involved ten men over 55 and the capsules were supplied by a ubiquinol manufacturer. Blood levels were higher after ubiquinol, but CoQ10 levels inside blood cells, ATP and markers of oxidative stress did not change significantly with either form (Zhang et al., 2018).
Higher blood levels are not the same as a better outcome. One small trial is not enough to settle which form is better for most people. AEVUM wrote this guide, so we have tried to be fair to both.
This is the question most people searching for CoQ10 have in mind, so here is a straight answer. Some people on statins take CoQ10 hoping to ease muscle aches. One idea is that statins lower CoQ10 levels, although the mechanism is unclear.
A meta-analysis of six randomised trials in 302 people found no significant effect on muscle pain, although there was a trend towards less pain (Banach et al., 2015). The NHS Specialist Pharmacy Service notes the trials are few, small and short, and that NICE does not recommend CoQ10 for the management or prevention of statin-related muscle symptoms.
If you take a statin and have muscle pain, do not stop the statin or add a supplement on your own. Speak to your GP or pharmacist, as there are other ways to manage it.
Doses in trials vary a lot, and there is no agreed figure. Here is what the research has used. This is what studies did, not a recommendation.
| Source | Dose studied | What it looked at |
|---|---|---|
| Hou et al., 2023 | 30 to 500 mg a day | Markers of inflammation. CRP fell significantly at 100 to 200 mg a day, with the largest effect reported at 300 to 400 mg a day |
| Zhang et al., 2018 | 200 mg a day for 14 days | Blood levels, ubiquinol against ubiquinone |
| Alehagen et al., 2015 | 200 mg a day for four years, with selenium | Older adults followed for ten years |
A safety review found strong evidence of safety up to 1,200 mg a day in the trials it assessed (Hathcock and Shao, 2006). That is a research finding, not a target. More is not better.
With food is the usual advice. CoQ10 is fat-soluble, so it is generally taken with a meal that contains some fat. In the ubiquinol trial, participants took their capsules with one of their main meals (Zhang et al., 2018).
The time of day matters less than taking it consistently. If it keeps you awake, move it to the morning.
CoQ10 is generally well tolerated. Nausea and other digestive effects have been reported in trials, but the safety review found no clear link between dose and these effects (Hathcock and Shao, 2006). Some people report trouble sleeping if they take it late in the day.
CoQ10 may affect how warfarin works, so anyone on blood thinners should speak to their GP, pharmacist or anticoagulant clinic first. It can also interact with some blood pressure medicines. If you take any prescription medicine, check before you start.
It depends on who you are, and the honest answer is that nobody knows for certain. Your body makes its own, and a varied diet adds a little. For most healthy people there is no proven need to supplement.
If you decide to take one, look for these.
CoQ10 is one part of a bigger picture, and so is Daily Vitals. Daily Vitals contains CoQ10 as ubiquinone at 100 mg, alongside nine other ingredients, in one simple daily step. CoQ10 has no authorised health claim in Great Britain, so we do not make one. As the table above shows, one small trial found ubiquinol raised blood levels further, and we think that is worth knowing.
What we can say is that vitamin B1 (thiamine) contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism (Great Britain NHC Register). It sits alongside strength, movement, sleep and food, which still do the heavy lifting. You can see every ingredient on our ingredients page. Feel better now. Age better later.
Speak to your GP or pharmacist before starting CoQ10 if you take prescription medicines, especially warfarin or other blood thinners, blood pressure tablets or a statin. Also speak to them if you are pregnant, trying to conceive, breastfeeding, due to have surgery or have a medical condition.
Always follow the dose on the label, and remember that a food supplement should not replace a varied diet or medical advice. See your GP if you have new or worsening muscle pain, ongoing fatigue or any symptom that worries you.
Your body needs CoQ10 to make energy, so it is essential. Whether taking extra helps is a different question, and the research is mixed. For most healthy people there is no proven need to supplement.
Your body makes most of what it needs, and small amounts come from food. A varied diet with oily fish, meat and nuts contributes a little. Studies of supplements use far more than diet usually provides, so they are not a like-for-like comparison.
Not in the way caffeine does. CoQ10 is part of how cells make energy, but taking a supplement is not the same as a stimulant. Any effect in studies has been gradual and uneven.
Trials have lasted from two to 48 weeks (Hou et al., 2023). Blood levels of CoQ10 rose within 14 days in the ubiquinol trial (Zhang et al., 2018), but that does not mean you will notice anything.
Often yes, but check with your GP or pharmacist if you take any medicine. Because it is fat-soluble, it is usually taken with a meal.
Ubiquinol raised blood levels further in one small trial of ten men, but other measures did not change (Zhang et al., 2018). We do not think the evidence yet settles it.
Speak to your GP first if you take warfarin, blood pressure medicines or a statin, or if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Nobody should stop a prescribed medicine to take a supplement.
Keep reading
What is biological age, and can you slow it down?
What is longevity, and what role does inflammation play?
Healthy ageing for men, why men age differently
References
Alehagen, U., Aaseth, J. and Johansson, P. (2015). Reduced cardiovascular mortality 10 years after supplementation with selenium and coenzyme Q10 for four years, follow-up results of a prospective randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial in elderly citizens. PLoS ONE, 10(12), e0141641. doi.org
Banach, M. et al. (2015). Effects of coenzyme Q10 on statin-induced myopathy, a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 90(1), 24–34. doi.org
Great Britain Nutrition and Health Claims (NHC) Register. Department of Health and Social Care. gov.uk
Hathcock, J.N. and Shao, A. (2006). Risk assessment for coenzyme Q10 (ubiquinone). Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology, 45(3), 282–288. doi.org
Hernández-Camacho, J.D., Bernier, M., López-Lluch, G. and Navas, P. (2018). Coenzyme Q10 supplementation in aging and disease. Frontiers in Physiology, 9, 44. doi.org
Hou, S. et al. (2023). Efficacy and optimal dose of coenzyme Q10 supplementation on inflammation-related biomarkers, a GRADE-assessed systematic review and updated meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, 67(13), e2200800. doi.org
NHS Specialist Pharmacy Service. Why people take coenzyme Q10 supplements for statin-induced muscle symptoms. sps.nhs.uk
Zhang, Y., Liu, J., Chen, X.Q. and Chen, C.Y.O. (2018). Ubiquinol is superior to ubiquinone to enhance coenzyme Q10 status in older men. Food & Function. Trial registration NCT03020680. doi.org
Balance inflammation, support cellular resilience and build long-lasting vitality.
Welcome Gift
