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ConsumerLab.com reviews CoQ10 and ubiquinol supplements -- Tests show quality to be high, but large differences found in dosage, formulation, and cost
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK — MARCH 8, 2011 — A new report by ConsumerLab.com highlights the difficulty consumers may have in selecting a supplement containing the anti-oxidant CoQ10 or its activated form, ubiquinol. CoQ10 is among the most popular dietary supplements in the U.S. with $450 million sold in 2009, according to Nutrition Business Journal. The recent Supplement Users Survey by ConsumerLab.com showed that 53.3% of serious supplement users purchased CoQ10 in 2010 and this rate was even higher among men and people over the age of fifty-five.
Across thirty-one products reviewed by ConsumerLab.com, the suggested daily serving size ranged from only 22 mg to 400 mg of CoQ10 or ubiquinol. The cost to obtain 100 mg of either ingredient from the products ranged from just 11 cents to more than three dollars. Some products contained "solubilized" forms of CoQ10 or ubiquinol, which may deliver more than twice as much CoQ10 into the blood as standard capsules. ConsumerLab.com's supplement testing showed that all products contained their listed amounts of CoQ10 or ubiquinol but four products violated FDA labeling requirements by depicting a heart symbol on their labels. The heart symbol is an implied health claim not permitted by the FDA for CoQ10 or ubiquinol supplements.
CoQ10 may help treat congestive heart failure and mitochondrial encephalomyopathies. There is some evidence, although mixed, that it may also help prevent migraine headaches, delay the progression of Parkinson's disease, and reverse side effects associated with cholesterol-lowering "statin" drugs. Research suggests potential use in muscular dystrophy, AIDS, hypertension, and other conditions. A study of ubiquinol in elderly people suggested an improvement in self-assessed "vitality."
Tod Cooperman, M.D., President of ConsumerLab.com, cautioned, "Due to the wide range of dosage indicated on CoQ10 and ubiquinol supplement labels, anyone seeking to use these products should first determine the appropriate dosage for the intended use and then select a product that most conveniently and economically provides that dosage. The ConsumerLab.com report includes information on the dosage used in clinical studies for various conditions, compares product costs, and explains differences in CoQ10 forms and formulations, including which may be better absorbed than others.
The new report is available at www.consumerlab.com/reviews/coq10_ubiqunol_supplements/coq10/. The report provides results for thirty-one products, of which ConsumerLab.com selected seventeen. Fourteen products that passed the same testing through CL's Voluntary Certification Program are included in the report. Products reviewed in the report are: Advanced BioSolutions (Stephen Sinatra, M.D.) Omega-Q, Biosolv Quinogel, Carlson CoQ10, ChewQ, CVS Pharmacy CoQ10, Healthy America Coenzyme Q10, Healthy Origins Ubiquinol, Kirkland Signature CoQ10 (Costco), Life Extension Super-Absorbable CoQ10, Life Extension Super Ubiquinol, Liquid QH, Liquid Q LiQsorb, Member's Mark CoQ-10 (Sam's Club), Mercola Premium Select Ubiquinol, Metagenics CoQ10, Natrol CoQ-10, Nature Made CoQ10, New Chapter CoQ10+ Food Complex, NOW CoQ10, NSI CoQ10 (Vitacost), Nutrilite coenzyme Q10 complex, Q-Gel 200, Shaklee CoQHeart, Solgar Megasorb CoQ-10, Source Naturals Ubiquinol CoQH, Spring Valley CoQ-10 (Wal-Mart),Twinlab UltraCoQ10, USANA CoQuinone 30, Vitafusion CoQ10, Vitamin Shoppe M.D. Select (Dr. Ronald Hoffman) Advanced Ubiquinol CoQ10, and Whole Foods CoQ10.
ConsumerLab.com is a leading provider of consumer information and independent evaluations of products that affect health and nutrition. Subscription to ConsumerLab.com is available online. The company is privately held and based in Westchester, 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, which helps consumers evaluate online pharmacies and drug prices, and MedicareDrugPlans.com, which reviews and rates Medicare Part D plans.
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Across thirty-one products reviewed by ConsumerLab.com, the suggested daily serving size ranged from only 22 mg to 400 mg of CoQ10 or ubiquinol. The cost to obtain 100 mg of either ingredient from the products ranged from just 11 cents to more than three dollars. Some products contained "solubilized" forms of CoQ10 or ubiquinol, which may deliver more than twice as much CoQ10 into the blood as standard capsules. ConsumerLab.com's supplement testing showed that all products contained their listed amounts of CoQ10 or ubiquinol but four products violated FDA labeling requirements by depicting a heart symbol on their labels. The heart symbol is an implied health claim not permitted by the FDA for CoQ10 or ubiquinol supplements.
CoQ10 may help treat congestive heart failure and mitochondrial encephalomyopathies. There is some evidence, although mixed, that it may also help prevent migraine headaches, delay the progression of Parkinson's disease, and reverse side effects associated with cholesterol-lowering "statin" drugs. Research suggests potential use in muscular dystrophy, AIDS, hypertension, and other conditions. A study of ubiquinol in elderly people suggested an improvement in self-assessed "vitality."
Tod Cooperman, M.D., President of ConsumerLab.com, cautioned, "Due to the wide range of dosage indicated on CoQ10 and ubiquinol supplement labels, anyone seeking to use these products should first determine the appropriate dosage for the intended use and then select a product that most conveniently and economically provides that dosage. The ConsumerLab.com report includes information on the dosage used in clinical studies for various conditions, compares product costs, and explains differences in CoQ10 forms and formulations, including which may be better absorbed than others.
The new report is available at www.consumerlab.com/reviews/coq10_ubiqunol_supplements/coq10/. The report provides results for thirty-one products, of which ConsumerLab.com selected seventeen. Fourteen products that passed the same testing through CL's Voluntary Certification Program are included in the report. Products reviewed in the report are: Advanced BioSolutions (Stephen Sinatra, M.D.) Omega-Q, Biosolv Quinogel, Carlson CoQ10, ChewQ, CVS Pharmacy CoQ10, Healthy America Coenzyme Q10, Healthy Origins Ubiquinol, Kirkland Signature CoQ10 (Costco), Life Extension Super-Absorbable CoQ10, Life Extension Super Ubiquinol, Liquid QH, Liquid Q LiQsorb, Member's Mark CoQ-10 (Sam's Club), Mercola Premium Select Ubiquinol, Metagenics CoQ10, Natrol CoQ-10, Nature Made CoQ10, New Chapter CoQ10+ Food Complex, NOW CoQ10, NSI CoQ10 (Vitacost), Nutrilite coenzyme Q10 complex, Q-Gel 200, Shaklee CoQHeart, Solgar Megasorb CoQ-10, Source Naturals Ubiquinol CoQH, Spring Valley CoQ-10 (Wal-Mart),Twinlab UltraCoQ10, USANA CoQuinone 30, Vitafusion CoQ10, Vitamin Shoppe M.D. Select (Dr. Ronald Hoffman) Advanced Ubiquinol CoQ10, and Whole Foods CoQ10.
ConsumerLab.com is a leading provider of consumer information and independent evaluations of products that affect health and nutrition. Subscription to ConsumerLab.com is available online. The company is privately held and based in Westchester, 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, which helps consumers evaluate online pharmacies and drug prices, and MedicareDrugPlans.com, which reviews and rates Medicare Part D plans.
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