Richard Warren Meirowitz | Dr. Mercola Ubiquinol vs Nine Leading Ubiquinol CoQ10 Supplements

Here is a side-by-side comparison of ten leading Ubiquinol CoQ10 supplements: Reserve Age Active Ubiquinol CoQ10 with Resveratrol, Nordic CoQ10 Ubiquinol, Life Extension Super Ubiquinol CoQ10 with Enhanced Mitochondrial Support, Nature Made Ubiquinol CoQ10, Nutrigold Ubiquinol Gold CoQ10, Qunol Mega CoQ10, Doctor's Best Best Ubiquinol (90 Count), Source Naturals Ubiquinol CoQh, Jarrow Formulas QH-Absorb, and Dr. Mercola Ubiquinol. So, what is Ubiquinol, how does it differ from Ubiquinone, and how are they related to CoQ10? CoQ10 is a nutrient that is said to have profound effects on our levels of energy, stamina, organ health, and immune system functionality. CoQ10 comes in two forms: Ubiquinone and Ubiquinol. Ubiquinone (also known as Ubidecarenon) is more common and widely known because it is the form most commonly sold commercially. Ubiquinone is the completely oxidized form of CoQ10. When taken, this supplement is actually metabolized within our bodies where it becomes Ubiquinol. Regular unsolubilized Ubiquinone does not dissolve in water and only poorly dissolves in fat. Therefore, regular unsolubilized Ubiquinone has poor absorption. Ubiquinol is the strong, antioxidant form of CoQ10 which neutralizes free radicals and decreases cellular damage. Ubiquinone does not have this antioxidant effect. Ubiquinol supplements are in a form that has already been reduced to being a strong antioxidant. Ubiquinol is both water and fat soluble, so it provides superior absorption compared to regular unsolubilized Ubiquinone. When taken directly in this format it works more quickly and can be delivered in lower concentrations without worry that it is not being metabolized. The problem arises with aging in many people. The ability of the body to metabolize is reduced significantly over time and many older folks will find it is difficult for the body to break down Ubiquinone into Ubiquinol. Therefore, although it will come at a greater cost, taking Ubiquinol after the age of 40 is a good idea. Individuals over the age of 30 typically begin to see deterioration in the heart, lungs and liver even when sustaining a healthy lifestyle. That's why it's important to understand the level at which your body functions and metabolizes food and supplements, so that you can make the appropriate choice between Ubiquinone and Ubiquinol. Primary dietary sources of CoQ10 include oily fish (such as salmon and tuna), organ meats (such as liver), and whole grains. Most people get enough CoQ10 through a balanced diet, but supplements may help people with particular health conditions or those taking cholesterol lowering statin medications, which wipe out CoQ10 from the body. Often those taking cholesterol lowering statin drugs like Lipitor, Zocor, Mevacor, Pravachol and Crestor have depleted levels of CoQ10. Adding Ubiquinol helps replenish missing CoQ10, sustaining the levels necessary to promote optimal heart health. Ubiquinol is relatively new and more expensive to produce - so when the supplement contains Ubiquinol, the manufacturer is quick to point it out. When purchasing CoQ10, if the bottle does not mention which form it is, Ubiquinone or Ubiquinol, it is usually Ubiquinone as that is the cheaper of the two forms. Recommended doses for those under the age of 35 is 100-200 mg of Ubiquinone once daily. Recommended doses for those over the age of 35 is 100 mg of Ubiquinol daily. BREAKDOWN: Here is a breakdown of these supplements. Reserve Age Active Ubiquinol CoQ10 with Resveratrol (See, ReserveAge Active Ubiquinol CoQ10 with Resveratrol, 60 Licaps,) ***** Ubiquinol Fat soluble Not certified Kosher or Halal $40.01 for 60 100 Li-caps on Amazon Recommended Serving: 1-3 Li-caps Price per Li-cap: $.67 (using Amazon's price) No soy No GMOs No ascorbyl palmitate Contains Resveratrol No cholesterol No mercury Not enteric coated Vegetarian One 100 mg gel cap contains 100 mgs of Ubiquinol (Kaneka QH) Phone Number: (800) 553-1896 Manufactured in the U.S.A. Ingredients: Ubiquinol (Kaneka QH), resveratrol, palm oil, beeswax, mixed tocopherols, vegetable cellulose (capsule shell), and chlorophyll Nordic CoQ10 Ubiquinol (See, Nordic CoQ10 Ubiquinol Unflavored Nordic Naturals 60 Softgel) ***** Ubiquinol Fat soluble Not certified Kosher or Halal $42.37 for 60 100 mg gel caps on Amazon Recommended Serving: one gel cap Price per gel cap: $.71 (using Amazon's price) Soy allergen free No GMOs No ascorbyl palmitate No cholesterol No mercury Not enteric coated Not vegetarian One 100 mg gel cap contains 100 mgs of Ubiquinol (Kaneka QH) Phone Number: (800) 662-2544 Manufactured in the U.S.A. Ingredients: Ubiquinol (Kaneka QH), organic extra virgin olive oil, soft gel capsule (gelatin, water, glycerin, caramel), ubiquinol, beeswax, d-alpha tocopherol, and rosemary extract (a natural preservative) Life Extension Super Ubiquinol CoQ10 with Enhanced Mitochondrial Support (See, Life Extension Super Ubiquinol CoQ10 with Enhanced Mitochondrial, 100 Mg, Softgels, 60-Count) ***** Ubiquinol Fat soluble Not certified Kosher or Halal $33.20 for 60 100 mg gel caps on Amazon Recommended Serving: one - two gel caps Price per serving: $.55 (using Amazon's price) No soy No GMOs No ascorbyl palmitate No cholesterol No mercury Not enteric coated Not vegetarian One 100 mg gel cap contains 100 mgs of Ubiquinol (Kaneka QH) Phone Number: (800) 226-2370 Manufactured in the U.S.A. Ingredients: Ubiquinol (Kaneka QH), PrimaVie Shilajit fulvic acid complex, sunflower oil, gelatin, glycerin, purified water, yellow beeswax, and caramel color. Shilajit fulvic acids help stabilize the ubiquinol. Nature Made Ubiquinol CoQ10 (See, Nature Made Ubiquinol CoQ10 100 Mg Softgel, 30 Count) ***** Ubiquinol Fat soluble Not certified Kosher or Halal $25.24 for 30 100 mg gel caps on Amazon Recommended Serving: one - two gel caps Price per gel cap: $.84 (using Amazon's price) No soy No GMOs No ascorbyl palmitate No cholesterol No mercury Not enteric coated Not vegetarian One 100 mg gel cap contains 100 mgs of Ubiquinol (Kaneka QH) Phone Number: (800) 276-2878 Manufactured in the U.S.A. Ingredients: Ubiquinol (Kaneka QH), medium chain triglycerides, gelatin, glycerin, yellow beeswax, water, carob, and caramel Nutrigold Ubiquinol Gold CoQ10 (See, Ubiquinol Gold, 100 mg, 120 Softgels - Kaneka QH Ubiquinol CoQ10) ***** Ubiquinol Fat soluble Not certified Kosher or Halal $ N/A for 120 100 mg gel caps on Amazon Recommended Serving: one gel cap Price per gel cap: $ N/A (using Amazon's price) No soy No GMOs No ascorbyl palmitate No cholesterol No mercury Not enteric coated Vegetarian One 100 mg gel cap contains 100 mgs of Ubiquinol (Kaneka QH) Phone Number: (800) 476-3542 Manufactured in the U.S.A. Ingredients: Ubiquinol (Kaneka QH), organic olive oil, softgel (bovine gelatin, non-GMO vegetable glycerin, and purified water), non-GMO sunflower lecithin, natural beeswax, and natural turmeric extract Qunol Mega CoQ10 (See, Qunol Mega CoQ10 Softgels, 100 Mg, 120 Count) **** Ubiquinol Fat soluble Not certified Kosher or Halal $37.98 for 120 100 mg gel caps on Amazon $34.99 for 120 100 mg gel caps at Costco Recommended Serving: one gel cap Price per gel cap: $.32 (using Amazon's price) No soy No GMOS Contains ascorbyl palmitate No cholesterol No mercury Not enteric coated Not vegetarian One 100 mg gel cap contains 100 mgs of Ubiquinol (Kaneka QH) Phone Number: (877) 290-2621 Manufactured in the U.S.A. Ingredients: Ubiquinol (Kaneka QH), medium chain triglycerides, polysorbate 80, gelatin, glycerin, ascorbic palmitate, purified water, and annatto suspension in sunflower oil Doctor's Best Best Ubiquinol (90 Count) (See, Doctor's Best Best Ubiquinol Featuring Kaneka's Qh (50mg), 90-Count) *** Ubiquinol Fat soluble Not certified Kosher or Halal $19.59 for 90 50 mg gel caps on Amazon Recommended Serving: one gel cap Price per gel cap: $.22 (using Amazon's price) Contains soy (in phosphatidylcholine) Contains GMOs No ascorbyl palmitate No cholesterol No mercury Not enteric coated Not vegetarian One 50 mg gel cap contains 50 mgs of Ubiquinol (Kaneka QH) Phone Number: (800) 333-6977 Manufactured in the U.S.A. Ingredients: Ubiquinol (Kaneka QH), extra virgin olive oil (non-GMO), gelatin (capsule), medium-chain triglycerides, glycerin, phosphatidylcholine, beeswax, rosemary extract, mixed tocopherols, and annatto (color) Source Naturals Ubiquinol CoQh (See, Source Naturals Ubiquinol CoQh 100mg, 90 Softgels) *** Ubiquinol Fat soluble Not certified Kosher or Halal $35.63 for 90 100 mg gel caps on Amazon Recommended Serving: one gel cap Price per gel cap: $.40 (using Amazon's price) Contains soy Contains GMOs No ascorbyl palmitate No cholesterol No mercury Not enteric coated Not vegetarian One 100 mg gel cap contains 100 mgs of Ubiquinol (Kaneka QH) Phone Number: (831) 438-1144 Manufactured in U.S.A. Ingredients: Ubiquinol (Kaneka QH), rice bran oil, gelatin, beeswax, glycerin, purified water, rosemary extract, zinc oxide, lecithin, D-alpha tocopherol, turmeric, and canthaxanthin Jarrow Formulas QH-Absorb (See, Jarrow Formulas Ubiquinol QH-Absorb, 100 mg, 120 Softgels) ** Ubiquinol Fat soluble Not certified Kosher or Halal $39.07 for 120 100 mg gel caps on Amazon Recommended Serving: one - three gel caps Price per gel cap: $.33 (using Amazon's price) Contains soy Contains GMOs Contains ascorbyl palmitate No cholesterol No mercury Not enteric coated Not vegetarian One 100 mg gel cap contains 100 mgs of Ubiquinol (Kaneka QH) Phone Number: (310) 204-6936 Manufactured in the U.S.A. Ingredients: Ubiquinol (Kaneka QH), medium chain triglycerides, phosphatidyl-choline (from soy lecithin), beeswax, rosmarinic acid, vitamin E, and ascorbyl palmitate, softgel consists of gelatin, glycerin, and water, carob extract, and caramel added as a light barrier Dr. Mercola Ubiquinol (See, B004H6YD1K) *** Ubiquinol Fat soluble Not certified Kosher or Halal $61.97 for 90 100 mg capsules on Amazon Recommended Serving: one capsule Price per gel cap: $.69 (using Amazon's price) No soy No GMOs No ascorbyl palmitate Contains cholesterol No mercury Not enteric coated Not vegetarian One 100 mg gel cap contains 100 mgs of Ubiquinol (Kaneka QH) Phone Number: (877) 985-2695 Manufactured in the U.S.A. Ingredients: Ubiquinol (Kaneka QH), medium chain triglycerides, citrus extract, capsule (tilapia fish gelatin, water) UBIQUINOL SOURCE: All of these products use Ubiquinol (Kaneka QH). PRICE: Nature Made Ubiquinol CoQ10 ($.84 per gel cap) is the most expensive per pill of those in the comparison; followed by Nordic CoQ10 Ubiquinol ($.71 per gel cap); Dr. Mercola Ubiquinol ($.69); followed by Reserve Age Active Ubiquinol CoQ10 with Resveratrol ($.67 per Li-cap); followed by Life Extension Super Ubiquinol CoQ10 with Enhanced Mitochondrial Support ($.55 per gel cap); followed by Source Naturals Ubiquinol CoQh ($.40 per gel cap); followed by Jarrow Formulas QH-Absorb ($.33 per gel cap); followed by Qunol Mega CoQ10 ($.32 per gel cap); and followed by Doctor's Best Best Ubiquinol (90 Count) ($.22 per gel cap), which is the least expensive per pill of those in the comparison. However, Doctor's Best Best Ubiquinol (90 Count) is only a 50 mg gel cap, so 100 mgs of it, which is the size of most of the other products, will cost you twice as much for 100 mgs. PILL SIZE: All of these products are 100 mg pill size and contain 100 mgs of Ubiquinol (Kaneka QH) with the exception of Doctor's Best Best Ubiquinol (90 Count), which is a 50 mg pill size and contains 50 mgs of Ubiquinol (Kaneka QH). SOY CONTENT: The following products contain soy: Doctor's Best Best Ubiquinol (90 Count), Source Naturals Ubiquinol CoQh, and Jarrow Formulas QH-Absorb. The following products do not contain soy: Reserve Age Active Ubiquinol CoQ10 with Resveratrol, Nordic CoQ10 Ubiquinol, Life Extension Super Ubiquinol CoQ10 with Enhanced Mitochondrial Support, Nutrigold Ubiquinol Gold CoQ10, Nature Made Ubiquinol CoQ10, and Dr. Mercola Ubiquinol. GMO CONTENT: The following products contain GMOs: Doctor's Best Best Ubiquinol (90 Count), Source Naturals Ubiquinol CoQh, Jarrow Formulas QH-Absorb. The following products do not contain GMOs: Reserve Age Active Ubiquinol CoQ10 with Resveratrol, Nordic CoQ10 Ubiquinol, Life Extension Super Ubiquinol CoQ10 with Enhanced Mitochondrial Support, Nutrigold Ubiquinol Gold CoQ10, Nature Made Ubiquinol CoQ10, and Dr. Mercola Ubiquinol. ASCORBYL PALMITATE CONTENT: Qunol Mega CoQ10 and Jarrow Formulas QH-Absorb contain ascorbyl palmitate. VEGETARIAN: Reserve Age Active Ubiquinol CoQ10 with Resveratrol is the only product in this group that is vegetarian. RESVERATROL: Reserve Age Active Ubiquinol CoQ10 with Resveratrol is the only product in this group that contains resveratrol. PRODUCT UNAVAILABILITY: Nutrigold Ubiquinol Gold CoQ10 is currently unavailable on Amazon. OPINION: All ten products are high quality Ubiquinol (Kaneka QH). The significant differences may be found in the price, and whether they contain soy, GMOs, or ascorbyl palmitate. Some folks have a problem with soy, GMOs, and ascorbyl palmitate. With respect to Dr. Mercola Ubiquinol, I went to the company's website and read and listened to Dr. Mercola's hype about this product. I was unimpressed. I then called the company and spoke with a product specialist who didn't know the answers to basic questions. I couldn't confirm that the source of the ubiquinol is Kaneka QH, but, for the moment, I will assume that it is. I then looked at the label and product page on Amazon and found the information to be lacking in many specifics. The product uses tilapia fish gelatin as part of its capsule. Tilapia is very high in cholesterol, and I would assume the tilapia used is farmed and not wild caught. Customer service is an important part of my review of a product. In this case, I was unimpressed with Dr. Mercola's customer service. Under the circumstances, I can't recommend this product. I may revise my rating of this product upwards or downwards as I obtain more information. RATING: I rated Reserve Age Active Ubiquinol CoQ10 with Resveratrol, Nordic CoQ10 Ubiquinol, Life Extension Super Ubiquinol CoQ10 with Enhanced Mitochondrial Support, Nutrigold Ubiquinol Gold CoQ10, and Nature Made Ubiquinol CoQ10 five stars. I rated Qunol Mega CoQ10 four stars because it contains ascorbyl palmitate. I rated Doctor's Best Best Ubiquinol (90 Count) three stars because it contains soy and GMOs. I rated Source Naturals Ubiquinol CoQh three stars because it contains soy and GMOs. I rated Jarrow Formulas QH-Absorb two stars because it contains soy, GMOs, and ascorbyl palmitate. I rated Dr. Mercola Ubiquinol three stars because it contains cholesterol and I could not verify information from the company. I have separately reviewed all of these products.