MitoQ vs CoQ10: What’s The Difference?
Coenzyme Q10, also known as ubiquinone or CoQ10, is a vitamin-like substance found in the bodies of almost all life forms. CoQ10 is found primarily within mitochondria, the power plants of the cell, where it is a vital part of the energy production process and also acts as a free radical neutralizing antioxidant.
Why supplement?
Natural production of CoQ10 can decrease with age, illness and lifestyle factors like diet and smoking. When CoQ10 levels diminish, we tend to see poorly functioning mitochondria and increased free radical damage which is now known to contribute to a whole host of health concerns.
CoQ10 supplements have been widely available for many years, however, the research has shown us that supplementing with standard CoQ10 isn’t as effective as hoped. That’s because CoQ10 is a fairly large fat-soluble molecule and only a very small amount of it actually makes it inside the mitochondria due to their tough double membranes. That includes the active form of CoQ10 ubiquinol which is quickly oxidized back into ubiquinone (inactive form of CoQ10) inside the body. Yet the mitochondria is the very place you need CoQ10 to target in order for levels to be supported.
CoQ10 Breakthrough
The real breakthrough was discovered in New Zealand by two biochemists in the late 1990s. They realized that because mitochondria have a significant negative charge compared to the rest of the cell, attaching the right positively charged molecule to CoQ10 should finally solve the absorption problem. After years of experimenting with different molecules, they found the optimal formulation and ‘MitoQ’ was born.
How Does MitoQ Work?
This mitochondria-targeting of CoQ10 worked amazingly well, with high levels of the MitoQ molecules finding their way into the mitochondria. It is so effective that the recommended dose (10mg daily) can be significantly less than the normal CoQ10 dose (up to 200mg), yet still provide a high amount of this advanced molecule directly into the mitochondria. Additionally, once it neutralizes a free radical, MitoQ is recycled back to its active form allowing it to perform this task over and over again.*
MitoQ provides health support for:
• Optimal energy production*
• Overall organ health*
• Immunity*
• Mental focus*
• Stress and mood *
• Sleep quality*
• Recovery from exercise*