CoQ10 is a staple in the supplements and vitamins aisle, and gets a lot of attention for its potential health benefits.
From keeping the heart strong and preventing migraines, to improving fertility and protecting brain health, some of the claims may be especially intriguing for women.
Some studies call it a “super-vitamin” or “vitamin Q.”
But is there a real benefit?
Dr. Jeremy London, a board-certified cardiovascular surgeon in Savannah, Georgia, includes CoQ10 among his top three supplements for heart health, noting it improves the strength of the heart.
“It has an antioxidant effect and it also is a cofactor for the energy molecule in the muscle,” London tells TODAY.com. “So not only does it help scavenge inflammatory-type processes, but it actually can support heart function as well.”
Other doctors are more skeptical.
Dr. Pieter Cohen, an internal medicine physician and associate professor at Harvard Medical School, says there’s lack of evidence to support many of the various health claims about CoQ10 supplements.
“I’m not really recommending it to a lot of my patients,” Cohen, who heads the Supplement Research Program at the Cambridge Health Alliance in Massachusetts, tells TODAY.com.
What does CoQ10 do for the body and do women benefit from taking the supplements? Here’s what the experts say.
What is CoQ10?
CoQ10 is short for coenzyme Q10, a “vitamin-like substance” that occurs naturally in the human body and helps convert food into energy, researchers note.
The highest levels of it are found in the heart, liver, kidneys and pancreas, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.
“It’s an enzyme that is at the core of the functioning of every cell, particularly in muscles,” Cohen says. It has many different mechanisms, including as an antioxidant, he adds.
Humans need coenzyme Q10 to form adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, which is our energy currency, says registered dietitian Sue-Ellen Anderson-Haynes, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
“It gives life to our cells. Without this life, our cells will not survive,” Anderson-Haynes, owner of 360Girls&Women, tells TODAY.com.
The body makes its own CoQ10 via the liver, but you can also get it from foods, particularly meat, fish, nuts and some oils, like soybean oil.
As people age, their body’s ability to make CoQ10 declines, Anderson-Haynes says.
Do people need to take CoQ10 supplements?
No, unless someone has an extremely rare deficiency in CoQ10, Cohen says. If they have this very uncommon condition, they would be ill and seen by a doctor, he adds.
"When it comes to evidence that would rise to the level that would lead me to recommend it to a patient, the only slam dunk … is treating a deficiency in it,” Cohen notes.
For other people, Anderson-Haynes believes in a “foods first approach” — getting the compound through a healthy diet — before buying CoQ10 supplements.
CoQ10 benefits for women
For people still interested in taking the supplements, here are some of the health claims and what the experts think:
Heart health
CoQ10 supplementation may have a “beneficial role” in the management of heart disease — the leading cause of death for women in the U.S. — including protecting against the buildup of plaque in arteries and reducing blood pressure, according to an overview of published in The British Journal of Cardiology.
But there’s only a small amount of evidence available and study results on heart disease prevention are inconclusive, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health notes.
It would be reasonable for people to try taking CoQ10 supplements to avoid the muscle aches and pains related to taking statins, the cholesterol lowering medicines, Cohen says.
“It’s not really so convincing, though, even for that use,” he adds. “I don’t routinely recommend it for my patients who are taking those cholesterol medicines. But some doctors would and that’s certainly reasonable, because the studies are mixed.”
In general, Cohen calls CoQ10 supplements "a distraction" when it comes to preventing heart disease. People should focus on key lifestyle changes proven to work instead, like getting more exercise and eating a more plant-based diet, he says.
Migraine prevention
Women make up 75% of patients with migraines, according to the Office on Women’s Health.
A frequently cited randomized controlled trial found migraine patients who took 100 milligrams of CoQ10 three times a day had fewer migraine attacks than those who took a placebo. But the study only involved 42 people, Cohen points out.
A meta-analysis of six studies found CoQ10 “appears to have beneficial effects” in reducing the duration and frequency of migraines.
More research is needed, Cohen says.
“Migraines might be a good example where I’d be particularly interested to see a larger, high-quality study on it,” he notes.
Fertility
Some studies suggest CoQ10 can improve a woman’s egg quality and quantity, Anderson-Haynes says.
The UCSF Center for Reproductive Health notes that coenzyme Q10 supplements “may be beneficial” — but not necessary, since studies are limited — for women trying to become pregnant.
There’s not enough evidence to show a benefit — "nothing ready for prime time," Cohen says.
Brain health
Women make up two-thirds of Alzheimer’s disease cases.
Some studies have looked at whether CoQ10 could help slow the progression of dementia and cognitive decline. But more research is needed, the authors say.
In general, “what’s helpful for the heart is also helpful for the brain,” Anderson-Haynes notes.
Is it safe to take CoQ10 every day?
Yes, the experts say.
“That’s one thing I’m not particularly worried about. If someone is actually getting just coenzyme Q10, it should be really safe,” Cohen says.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulates dietary supplements as food, not as drugs. It doesn't approve them for safety and effectiveness, or approve their labeling. The quality of supplement manufacturing can be poor and they can contain substances that are not listed on the label, Cohen notes.
There is no recommended daily allowance for CoQ10, but standard doses vary from 60-200 milligrams per day, Anderson-Haynes says.
No serious side effects of CoQ10 have been reported, though there can be mild side effects such as insomnia or digestive upset, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health advises.
Always check with your health care provider before taking a new supplement to discuss any drug interactions and determine what dose you should take. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should skip CoQ10 supplements, Anderson-Haynes says.
What medications cannot be taken with CoQ10?
CoQ10 may interact with the blood thinner warfarin, the diabetes drug insulin, and it may not be compatible with some types of cancer treatment, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health cautions.
How to choose CoQ10 supplements
Cohen had these tips:
- Buy high-quality supplements that just list coenzyme Q10 on the label — in the form of either ubiquinone or ubiquinol — rather than a mixture of other compounds.
- Look for a label without any health claims. “If something is saying ‘This will boost your memory or improve your athletic performance’,’ don’t buy that,” Cohen says.
- Choose supplements verified by a third-party certification program like NSF or USP.
But Cohen would not recommend the supplements to improve health.
"It would be way overly simplistic to think that we’re going to be able to take this basic enzyme by mouth and have the benefits of decreasing multiple different diseases," he says.
