MitoQ® Mitoquinol (also known as Mitoquinone) is an advanced form of CoQ10 that is better absorbed in cells, faster to reach peak concentration, stronger and more potent than CoQ10. Discover the benefits and differences below.
Coenzyme Q10, also known as ubiquinone or CoQ10, is a vitamin-like substance found in the bodies of almost all life forms. CoQ10 is found primarily within mitochondria, the power plants of the cell, where it is a vital part of the energy production process and also acts as a free radical neutralizing antioxidant.
Natural production of CoQ10 can decrease with age and lifestyle factors like diet and smoking, and when CoQ10 levels diminish, we tend to see poorly functioning mitochondria and increased free radical damage which is now known to contribute to a whole host of health issues.
There are two forms of CoQ10: ubiquinone and ubiquinol, and the main difference is their oxidation state.
While CoQ10 supplements have been widely available for many years, the research shows us that supplementing with CoQ10 or ubiquinol is often less effective than expected. Although some benefits have been noted in scientific studies, the overwhelming body of evidence is just not particularly strong for many of the conditions it is claimed to help. This is mainly down to one important factor.
CoQ10 is a fairly large fat-soluble molecule that needs to be taken with foods containing oil or fat. Only a very small amount of CoQ10 actually makes it inside our mitochondria due to their impermeable membranes. That includes the active form of CoQ10 ubiquinol which is quickly oxidized back into ubiquinone (an inactive form of CoQ10) inside the body. Yet the mitochondria are the very place you need CoQ10 to target in order for levels to be supported.
A real breakthrough was discovered in New Zealand by two biochemists in the late 1990s. They realized that because mitochondria have a significant negative charge compared to the rest of the cell, attaching the right positively charged molecule to CoQ10 would achieve targeted delivery to the mitochondria. After years of experimenting with different molecules, they found the optimal method to obtain this mitochondria-targeted molecule, and 'MitoQ® Mitoquinol' was born.
MitoQ® Mitoquinol is so effective that the dose can be reduced to ten times less than the regular CoQ10 dose, yet still provide a significantly high amount of mitochondria targeted antioxidants. Additionally, once it neutralizes a free radical, MitoQ® Mitoquinol is recycled back to its active form allowing it to perform this task over and over again.
With 29 clinical trials and over 900+ peer reviewed research papers now published, MitoQ® Mitoquinol has been shown to:
MitoQ vs CoQ10
MitoQ® Mitoquinol supports your energy system by increasing a vital internal antioxidant by up to 36% in a clinical study while regular CoQ10 did not.
CoQ10: Due to its low bioavailability, CoQ10 has poor absorption into the cells. It is not water soluble so absorption into the bloodstream is poor and slow. In order to aid absorption, it is recommended that regular CoQ10 is taken with fatty food.
MitoQ® Mitoquinol: Has excellent absorption with very high bioavailability. The MitoQ® Mitoquinol molecule is water soluble, with a positive charge. This means that it is drawn to the mitochondria's strong negative charge and actively drawn inside the mitochondria. It does not need to be taken with food.
CoQ10: Is relatively slow to reach peak concentration.
MitoQ® Mitoquinol: Is quick to reach peak concentrations in the body due to its positive charge, size and water solubility. It readily passes through biological membranes including the blood-brain barrier.
CoQ10: To overcome poor absorption and low bioavailability, a much larger dose of regular CoQ10 is required. Therefore, you often see recommended doses of around 100 – 200 mg.
MitoQ® Mitoquinol: As MitoQ® Mitoquinol is rapidly and extensively taken up inside mitochondria by an active process, a very small dose is required due to excellent absorption and bioavailability (10mg).
Yes, it is okay to take MitoQ® Mitoquinol and CoQ10. By stacking your regimen with CoQ10 and MitoQ® Mitoquinol, you’re supplementing with additional antioxidants to support healthy mitochondria in your cells.
Supplementing with a CoQ10 is sometimes recommended by health professionals for people who take cholesterol-lowering statins, which can inhibit CoQ10 production in the body. We suggest taking MitoQ® Mitoquinol to help balance the oxidative damage caused by external stressors, and a regular CoQ10 supplement to help boost blood levels of CoQ10.
We always recommend consulting with your healthcare provider if you are taking statins before starting a new supplement. MitoQ® Mitoquinol and CoQ10 supplements are not intended to serve as a replacement for statin drug therapy.
Why do you recommend only 10mg of MitoQ® Mitoquinol a day vs the higher doses of regular CoQ10?
Because the mitochondria-targeting properties of MitoQ® Mitoquinol work incredibly well, MitoQ® Mitoquinol can still provide significantly high levels of this mitochondria targeted antioxidant at such a low dose. Once it neutralizes a free radical, MitoQ® Mitoquinol is also recycled back to its active form allowing it to perform this task over and over again.
MitoQ® Mitoquinol is rapidly and actively absorbed from the gut and readily passes through other biological membranes. Once inside the cell, MitoQ® Mitoquinol molecules are attracted to and transported inside the mitochondria where they are able to reach concentrations up to 1,000 times higher than in the rest of the cell, something that no other CoQ10 formulation comes anywhere close to.
The vastly improved absorption of MitoQ® Mitoquinol into the mitochondria provides an efficient boost of antioxidants and helps to enhance energy metabolism in poorly functioning mitochondria.
