Just like any supplement you purchase, the quality of it must first be determined, CoQ10 is no exception. You must compare CoQ10 products you are looking to purchase before you buy.
CoQ10 is a vitamin-like substance and it is found in every cell of our body. One of its primary purposes is to aid the mitochondria to produce ATP, the energy source of our body[1]. It has been shown to be an effective antioxidant[2], promote heart health[3],[4], reduced the effects of aging[5], and has been shown to produce many other beneficial effects on other adverse health conditions.
Dr. Frederick Crane was the first to isolated CoQ10 in 1957. In 1978, Peter Mitchell won the Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry on his work concerning the role of coenzyme Q10 and energy transfer in the mitochondria. It was the winning of the noble peace prize that set of large scale research and advancements in production methods which led to affordable pricing.
To date, there are over 2,000 studies attesting to the effectiveness of CoQ10.
It was the Japanese who revolutionized the manufacturing and the use CoQ10 for the population at large. They were the first to move it into the market place. Originally CoQ10 could only be purchased via a doctors prescription in Japan but its popularity moved it into an over-the-counter supplement category in 2002[6].
Historically four Japanese companies have been the sole providers of high quality CoQ10. Japan's supplement manufacturing requirements are some of the strictest in the world and they have produced the highest quality CoQ10 available on the market today. Any creditable formulator using CoQ10 in their product will chose the Japanese produced material over any other.
Kaneka, Mitsubishi, Nisshin and Asahi are the four Japanese companies that produce almost all of the world’s raw CoQ10. Kaneka is constructing a plant in Texas to meet US demand for this material.
When comparing CoQ10 products make sure it is manufactured by one of the Japanese "big four" and not manufactured in some country who has lax or questionable quality standards.
Natural or Synthetic
There are two production methods presently used by manufactures to produce CoQ10. The first form is yeast fermentation and the second is an artificial synthetic process that utilizes tobacco. The yeast produced CoQ10 is identical to our body's own CoQ10 and is therefore a more accepted material. Kaneka uses the yeast fermentation process to produce its coenzyme Q10.
The New Form of CoQ10
Recently Kaneka has developed a reduced form of coenzyme-Q10 and is also called ubiquinol. The importance of this development cannot be overlooked. Reduced coenzyme Q10 makes of 90% of the CoQ10 in the plasma of healthly individuals. It is up to eight times more bioavailable than any other CoQ10 available[7]. For more information on ubiquinol click here.
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CoQ10
[2] Kishi T, et al. Free Radic. Res. 2002; 36(4):413-9
[3] Tran MT, et al. Pharmacotherapy. 2001; 21(7):797-806[2]
[4] Langsjoen PH, et al. Biofactors. 1999; 9(2-4):273-84
[5] Lenaz G, et al. Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 2002; 959:199-213
[6] http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/news/ng.asp?id=68202-dsm-kaneka-coq
[7] Regul Toxicol Pharmacol . 2006 Aug 17; Absorption Comparison Using Different Form of CoQ10
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