Q-Best®

In the 1950s, scientists began to discover how coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) played a highly critical role in cellular energy, longevity and the health of such organs as the heart, kidneys and liver. In fact, CoQ10 is responsible for 95 percent of energy expenditure in some areas of cells. Unfortunately, the body’s production of CoQ10 diminishes with age. young and healthy individuals produce about 300 mg/d of CoQ10, but production levels decline rapidly after age 30.

CoQ10 is a fat-soluble, endogenous antioxidant; but, it does more than just clean up free radicals in the body. It is an essential element in cell respiration, electron transfer, A T P production and control of oxidative reactions. And CoQ10 intervention plays a key role in the treatment of cardiovascular illnesses, including congestive heart failure (CHF) and angina. Recent studies show it may also be very effective in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease and cancer.

With decades of positive research, CoQ10 supplementation has been hindered mostly by absorption issues. The melting point of CoQ10 is almost 20-degrees higher than body temperature; therefore, the standard crystalline (powder) form of CoQ10 has always been poorly absorbed, with absorption of about 1 percent—for every 100 mg of CoQ10 capsule/tablet ingested, the body only absorbs 1 mg.

Challenged to create a form of CoQ10 that would improve this low absorption rate, scientists developed oil-soluble softgel formulas, increasing absorption of the CoQ10 to about 3 percent. Then came patented softgel formulas with improved absorption rates of around 5 percent. Subsequent efforts produced “reduced” CoQ10 (ubiquinol) and “nano” CoQ10, a much smaller crystalline form, which still had all the high-melting-point problems associated with being a crystal. Another possible issue with some softgels occurs after the manufacturing process, when the CoQ10 may re-crystallize inside the softgel, sometimes creating larger crystals than the finely milled starting material.

Best Formulations created a proprietary, patent-pending, lipid tri-blend formulation to produce Q-best, a 100-percent crystalfree form of CoQ10, increasing absorption and bioavailability dramatically. A number of different lipids were tested to solubilize and enhance the absorption of CoQ10. Best’s researchers discovered a blend of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), flaxseed oil and monoglycerides yielded the best absorption results. A proprietary treatment of this lipid tri-blend keeps the CoQ10 solubilized and enhances absorption. The formulation also benefits from increased surface area or mass of dosage form. A 50 mg Q-Best™ softgel comes in a size 14 oblong softgel, whereas a standard 50 mg CoQ10 softgel is usually found in a smaller 7 oval size. The larger softgel dosage allows the CoQ10 in Q-Best™ to be spread across a larger lipid medium; therefore, when it hits the intestine, a larger surface area is covered, allowing for increased absorption.

To support the bioavailability claims, Q-Best underwent company-sponsored clinical trials, including a 36-hour peak absorption study to determine the total amount of CoQ10 absorbed, as well as a 28-day steady state study to determine the amount of CoQ10 in the blood plasma available for use by the body cells. In these studies, Q-Best was compared to a standard dry powder CoQ10 product. The results of the absorption study showed Q-Best had a total absorption of 11.65 percent, compared to a 1.32-percent absorption rate for dry powder.