How Does CoQ-10 Work?

In an attempt to offer a simplified description of the mechanism by which CoQ-10 works its life-enhancing "miracles," Eugene S. Wagner, Ph.D., professor of biochemistry at the Muncie Center for Medical Education, Ball State University, Indiana University School of Medicine, has likened a cell’s energy cycle to that of a car engine. "Within the cell are mitochondria, which, like cylinders, combine the gasoline and oxygen to create combustion [; this] results in a force that moves the pistons. This energy, in turn, is transported to mechanical drives and gears that ultimately make the wheels of the car turn. Using the car analogy, think of CoQ-10 as the spark plug that provides the necessary ‘spark’ for the engine’s ignition. When you see the body in these terms you’ll instantly realize that just as a car cannot function without that initial spark, the human body cannot function without CoQ-10." Writing on a more technical level, almost 10 years ago, medical doctors Steven Greenberg and William H. Frishman noted that, "Following ingestion of 100 mg of CoQ, peak plasma levels occur between five and 10 hours." Their conclusion: absorption from the gastrointestinal tract is slow, possibly due to the nutrient’s high molecular weight and low water solubility.

One company, Tishcon Corp., has attempted to address this issue with its line of Q-Gel® brand CoQ-10 products. According to Tishcon, Q-Gel® is the only hydrosoluble form of coenzyme Q-10, and it has been proven in five separate biostudies among adult humans to provide the highest bioavailability determined by blood CoQ-10 levels.

In a recent advertisement, Tishcon indicates that, "for those nutrients which lack solubility, hydrosoluble technology not only renders them soluble but also significantly enhances their bioavailability."

Tishcon says that there is a patent pending on the hydrosoluble technology. Currently, it adds, the trademarked "softsule" dosage form is being used to achieve "optimum dissolution and bioavailability of important nutrients such as Coenzyme Q-10, Echinacea, Ginkgo Biloba, Kava Kava, Lipoic Acid, Saw Palmetto, St. John’s Wort and many others."

References: Nutrition News, Vol. X, No. 8 All About Coenzyme Q-10 by Ray Sahelian, M.D. Coenzyme Q-10 The Vital Spark of life by Eugene S. Wagner, Ph.D. Coenzyme Q-10: A New Drug for Cardiovascular Disease by Steven Greenberg, M.D., and William H. Frishman, M. D. in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 1990 Material provided by Tishcon Corp.