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ConsumerLab.com finds discrepancies in strength of CoQ10 supplements — Increasingly popular supplement, but health professionals and consumers cautioned to check brands
WHITE PLAINS, NY — January 13, 2004 — (Updated January 30) — ConsumerLab.com today announced that among the coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) supplements it recently tested there was no detectable CoQ10 in one product. Such a variation is of medical concern since CoQ10 is used in treating tightly controlled conditions such as congestive heart failure, Parkinson's disease, hypertension, and AIDS. CoQ10 acts as an anti-oxidant and is also involved in energy production.
Total U.S. sales exceed $200 million, making CoQ10 one of the top selling supplements according to Nutrition Business Journal. Over the past year, sales of CoQ10 products increased 22% in the U.S. mainstream channel and 30% in the health food store channel according to research firms AC Nielsen and SPINS.*
"When a patient can go from full dose to zero dose just by switching brands, there is potential for a real problem in managing a disease," said Tod Cooperman, M.D., President of ConsumerLab.com. "Patients and doctors may never suspect a change in supplement brand to be the reason for a change in a patient's condition." Dr. Cooperman urged people to use CoQ10 products that have been independently tested. ConsumerLab.com first warned of potential problems with CoQ10 in November 2000 when it found a product that contained only 17% of its claimed amount.
The CoQ10 Product Review is available at https://www.consumerlab.com/results/CoQ10.asp. The Review includes results for 32 products of which ConsumerLab.com selected 13 and 19 were tested at the request of their manufacturers through ConsumerLab.com's Voluntary Certification Program. The Review also provides information on how to best choose and use these supplements. Subscription is required for the full report. Separately, 7 CoQ10 private label products passed similar testing through ConsumerLab.com's Raw Material & Private Label Certification Program.
Reviews of many other popular supplements are available from ConsumerLab.com online. New Reviews soon to be released include lutein and zeaxanthin, echinacea, zinc, multivitamins/multiminerals, and St. John's wort. The recently published paperback, ConsumerLab.com's Guide to Buying Vitamins and Supplements: What's Really in the Bottle? is available in bookstores, online from www.consumerlab.com or through 800-431-1579.
ConsumerLab.com is a leading provider of consumer information and independent evaluations of products that affect health and nutrition. The company is privately held and based in White Plains, New York. It has no ownership from, or interest in, companies that manufacture, distribute, or sell consumer products. ConsumerLab.com is affiliated with PharmacyChecker.com (www.pharmacychecker.com), an evaluator of online pharmacies. Subscription to ConsumerLab.com is available online. For group subscriptions, Technical Reports, or product testing contact Lisa Sabin, Vice President for Business Development, at lisa.sabin@consumerlab.com.
*Figures based on 52 weeks ending November 1, 2003 and do not include sales in Wal-Mart stores. Sales through Internet, catalogue, and multi-level channels are not included.
Copyright ConsumerLab.com, LLC, 2004. All rights reserved.
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Total U.S. sales exceed $200 million, making CoQ10 one of the top selling supplements according to Nutrition Business Journal. Over the past year, sales of CoQ10 products increased 22% in the U.S. mainstream channel and 30% in the health food store channel according to research firms AC Nielsen and SPINS.*
"When a patient can go from full dose to zero dose just by switching brands, there is potential for a real problem in managing a disease," said Tod Cooperman, M.D., President of ConsumerLab.com. "Patients and doctors may never suspect a change in supplement brand to be the reason for a change in a patient's condition." Dr. Cooperman urged people to use CoQ10 products that have been independently tested. ConsumerLab.com first warned of potential problems with CoQ10 in November 2000 when it found a product that contained only 17% of its claimed amount.
The CoQ10 Product Review is available at https://www.consumerlab.com/results/CoQ10.asp. The Review includes results for 32 products of which ConsumerLab.com selected 13 and 19 were tested at the request of their manufacturers through ConsumerLab.com's Voluntary Certification Program. The Review also provides information on how to best choose and use these supplements. Subscription is required for the full report. Separately, 7 CoQ10 private label products passed similar testing through ConsumerLab.com's Raw Material & Private Label Certification Program.
Reviews of many other popular supplements are available from ConsumerLab.com online. New Reviews soon to be released include lutein and zeaxanthin, echinacea, zinc, multivitamins/multiminerals, and St. John's wort. The recently published paperback, ConsumerLab.com's Guide to Buying Vitamins and Supplements: What's Really in the Bottle? is available in bookstores, online from www.consumerlab.com or through 800-431-1579.
ConsumerLab.com is a leading provider of consumer information and independent evaluations of products that affect health and nutrition. The company is privately held and based in White Plains, New York. It has no ownership from, or interest in, companies that manufacture, distribute, or sell consumer products. ConsumerLab.com is affiliated with PharmacyChecker.com (www.pharmacychecker.com), an evaluator of online pharmacies. Subscription to ConsumerLab.com is available online. For group subscriptions, Technical Reports, or product testing contact Lisa Sabin, Vice President for Business Development, at lisa.sabin@consumerlab.com.
*Figures based on 52 weeks ending November 1, 2003 and do not include sales in Wal-Mart stores. Sales through Internet, catalogue, and multi-level channels are not included.
Copyright ConsumerLab.com, LLC, 2004. All rights reserved.
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