The recommended CoQ10 dosage varies from one supplement manufacturer to the next. You will see products that contain anywhere from 15-40 mg. The amount used in scientific studies is usually quite a bit higher, from 150-300mg per day, because of something called “poor bioavailability”.
When researchers are investigating drug benefits, they also look at the amount of the drug that reaches the patient’s bloodstream. The same thing is considered when they investigate herbal remedies or nutritional supplements.
When a substance is injected directly into the bloodstream, there is 100% bioavailability. In any other delivery method, the bioavailability is less than 100%.
Stomach acid, liver metabolism, point of absorption and other factors, such as co-supplementation with other nutrients, affect the bioavailability of a drug or a nutritional supplement. The bioavailability of coenzyme Q10 is very low, unless the molecules of the nutrient are reduced in size and/or the nutrient is protected by an enteric coating.
In scientific studies, researchers use a very large amount, because they know the bioavailability is low and they are not using a well-designed supplement. In other words, no effort has been made to address the issue of bioavailability.
So, you would need to follow the manufacturer’s recommended CoQ10 dosage. Only the manufacturer knows what efforts have been made to insure that the nutrient is fully absorbed into the bloodstream. You might also be interested in what other ingredients are included in the supplement.
Single ingredient supplements are of questionable benefit; they do not provide the best value for your money. If you take a number of different single ingredient supplements, you never know what the risks/benefits will be. Nutrients interact in the same way that drugs do.
Coenzyme Q10 is particularly expensive. So, it makes sense to look for a brand with a low recommended coq10 dosage. That means you are getting the most benefit out of the least amount of money spent. If you need to take 10 or 20 times as much to see the same benefit, you are flushing a good deal of your money down the drain.
If you are taking statin drugs, you might ask your doctor about the recommended coq10 dosage; although many of them are unaware that co-supplementation is necessary, because the drug salesmen never told them.
Statins interfere with the pathway through which coenzyme Q10 is produced in the body. Taking the drugs reduces the blood levels of CoQ10 by as much as 40%! If the levels become depleted, muscle death can occur.
The only dietary sources of the nutrient are the heart and body tissues of mackerel and herring. The concentration is higher in the red tissue of mackerel than in the white tissues of the herring.
Since most people don’t eat mackerel or herring on a daily basis, and people are particularly squeamish about eating the hearts, supplementation is the best choice. In order to choose the best supplement, remember to look at the manufacturer’s recommended coq10 dosage, as well as the other ingredients. The inclusion of an enteric coating “seals” the deal.
Mo Devine is a consumer advocate and a dedicated researcher who has been on a quest to find the best nutritional supplements available. After extensive research, she has found an exceptional nutritional supplement that is now the foundation of her own health program. Visit her website at http://healthysupplementsforlife.info/ to discover what she personally recommends and why.
