Coenzyme Q10 is produced in most human tissues by the body itself. As its synthesis requires vitamin B6, adequate vitamin B6 nutrition is essential for coenzyme Q10 production (61).
Rich sources of dietary coenzyme Q10 include mainly meat, poultry, and fish. Other relatively rich sources include soybean oils and nuts.
Fruits, vegetables, eggs, and dairy products are moderate sources of coenzyme Q10.
It has been estimated that dietary consumption contributes about 25% of blood coenzyme Q10 (57).
While coenzyme Q10 is partly destroyed during frying of vegetables and eggs, its content does not change when these foods are boiled.
As coenzyme Q10 is fat-soluble, it is best absorbed with fats in a meal.
Coenzyme Q10 is also available as a dietary supplement. Doses for adults range usually from 30–300mg/day, which is considerably higher than normal dietary coenzyme Q10 intake.
Oral supplementation with coenzyme Q10 is known to increase blood and fat transporting protein (‘lipoprotein’) concentrations of coenzyme Q10 in humans (9, 62).
Authored by Dr Peter Engel in 2010, reviewed and revised by Dr. D. Raederstorff on 12.04.2017
