Reducing Coenzyme Q10 VS Oxidizing Coenzyme Q10: Who is Stronger in Metabolic Absorption

Coenzyme Q10, I believe everyone has heard of it to some extent. Coenzyme Q10 is divided into two forms: ubiquinone and panthenol,

Panthenol=reducing coenzyme Q10, while ubiquinone=oxidizing coenzyme Q10

Both are coenzyme Q10, what is the difference?

ince the discovery of coenzyme Q10 in 1957, people have realized that it is an excellent dietary supplement. It is widely present in animals, plants, and microorganisms, and is of great help to the human body in areas such as cardiovascular and cerebrovascular health, infertility, and anti-aging.

Professor William V Judy, who has been studying coenzyme Q10 for decades, published an important discovery in 2020.

By feeding dogs with coenzyme Q10 and using scientific methods to detect the concentration of coenzyme Q10 in various parts of the digestive system, it was found that after entering the human body, coenzyme Q10 forms micelles in the duodenum and is absorbed in the small intestine. With the help of chyle particles, it enters the lymphatic vessels and ultimately reaches the bloodstream for absorption and utilization by the human body.

Throughout this process, due to the fact that coenzyme Q10 itself is a lipid soluble substance, its overall absorption is not good.

The metabolic absorption process of coenzyme Q10 is mainly influenced by three factors:Type, production process, and individual differences.

From the CAS database, a standard database in the field of chemical substance information, we can find molecular data related to ubinol and ubiquinone. We can see that the molecular differences between the two are not significant, and both have poor stability issues.

However, due to the greater polarity of panthenol, it is easier to form micelles with water molecules in the gastrointestinal tract, thereby improving absorption rate in the small intestine.

A human clinical study in 2013 showed that among adults aged 29 to 50, panthenol has a higher absorption rate and bioavailability than ubiquinone.

FDA compared the bioavailability of panthenol and ubiquinone:

From the table, we can clearly see that under the same dosage of soft capsule formulations, the data of panthenol is significantly higher than that of ubiquinone. This indicates that the bioavailability of panthenol is higher than that of ubiquinone.

Production process

Coenzyme Q10 molecule is a polycrystalline crystalline molecule that is not easily absorbed by the human body.

Through different production processes, its bioavailability can be effectively improved.

At present, the two most commonly used production processes are de crystallization technology and hydrophilic modification.

The decrystallization technology can change the crystal dispersion state of coenzyme Q10 molecule, from a polycrystalline crystal form to a single molecular form, making it more easily absorbed by the intestine.

Hydrophilic modification improves the water solubility of coenzyme Q10 molecules through hydrophilic and lipophilic modification, without changing its crystal form. It can only slightly increase the absorption and utilization of coenzyme Q10. Moreover, decrystallization technology is also a commonly used production technology for mainstream coenzyme Q10 products nowadays.

After measuring seven different coenzyme Q10 products, Guillermo L ó pez Luch et al. concluded that "the bioavailability of panthenol is better than that of ubiquinone without considering the production process":

The crystal dispersion process can greatly improve the bioavailability of coenzyme Q10, and the absence of coenzyme Q10 crystal dispersion reduces the bioavailability by about 75%.

When discussing the absorption process of coenzyme Q10 earlier, it was mentioned that partially oxidized coenzyme Q10 can be converted into reduced coenzyme Q10 after being absorbed into the lymphatic vessels in the small intestine. This seems to indicate that the final result of supplementing panthenol and ubiquinone is the same??

Of course not!!! This transformation process will be affected by differences between individuals.

In healthy or young populations, the absorption of ubiquinone into the body requires the conversion of redox structures, resulting in higher efficiency in converting it into panthenol.

When influenced by adverse factors such as age, mental stress, or illness, the conversion efficiency will decrease, and the overall absorption will also significantly decrease.

In 2018, scientists designed a double-blind randomized crossover trial for the older population to understand the difference in supplementation efficiency of panthenol ubiquinone, and the results also confirmed the above statement:

Ubiquinone can significantly improve the content of coenzyme Q10 in the body of elderly people.

In addition to the three major factors we just mentioned, the efficiency of supplementation and the quality of the product itself are also closely related, mainly reflected in two aspects: content and stability.

If the product content and stability are insufficient, it will also lead to low replenishment efficiency.

The magazine 'Antioxidants' has a high reputation in the field of antioxidants and is highly recognized by experts in the field. The well-known international coenzyme Q10 association is affiliated with this magazine. In the latest study on the quality of finished products of coenzyme Q10 supplements published in the 2021 Antioxidants magazine, astonishing facts were discovered:

Panthenol products have higher stability. By adding antioxidants to soft shell capsules, they reduce oxidation caused by other factors during storage, resulting in better bioavailability and health outcomes.

On the contrary, in the production process of ubiquinone products, most manufacturers often do not add antioxidants, resulting in poor stability, degradation and/or conversion, and quality issues such as reduced ubiquinone content.

Finally, to summarize:

1. The decrystallization process can effectively improve the bioavailability of coenzyme Q10 products.

2. Pan alcohol products often perform better in stability, quality control, and other aspects than pan quinone products.

3. Under economic conditions and comprehensive considerations, panthenol products can be directly selected.

4. For both healthy and young populations, panthenol ubiquinone can be used without any hassle in choosing.

5. For elderly, diseased, or special populations, the overall absorption of panthenol will be higher.

Green Spring coenzyme q10 specification：10%,20%,40% CoQ10 (Water-soluble);and 98%-101% CoQ10 (Oil/fat-soluble).

Coenzyme Q10（CoQ10） manufacturers and suppliers!

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