Protocols by Charles Sieg

Supplements

CoQ10 with PQQ

What the research says about coenzyme Q10 and PQQ for heart failure, blood pressure, statin muscle aches, and the brain, and what a sustained-release capsule does and doesn't change.

Overall evidence Mixed23 sourcesReviewed November 5, 2026

CoQ10 has one good trial in heart failure, but the statin-ache and blood pressure meta-analyses disagree, the PQQ human trials are small and mostly industry-linked, and I found no human data on this product's sustained-release absorption.

The short version

  • I take SR-CoQ10 with PQQ from Pure Encapsulations. A 2-capsule serving has 100 mg of MicroActive CoQ10, a CoQ10-cyclodextrin complex the label calls 24-hour sustained release, and 20 mg of PQQ1.
  • CoQ10's best evidence is in heart failure: in the Q-SYMBIO trial of 420 patients, those on CoQ10 had fewer major cardiovascular events over 2 years (15% versus 26%, HR 0.50)2. A later review funded by the UK's National Institute for Health Research found a mortality risk ratio of 0.68 with a confidence interval that crosses 1, and said stronger evidence is needed3.
  • For statin muscle aches, the meta-analyses split: two found no clear benefit, and two found less pain4,5,6,7.
  • For blood pressure, a Cochrane review found no clinically significant effect in two small trials, while a later meta-analysis in people with cardiometabolic disease found systolic pressure 4.77 mmHg lower8,9.
  • PQQ's human trials are short, and the ones that report a size enrolled 10 to 64 people. Most are on memory, and the memory trials' authors list company affiliations10,11,12,13.

The protocol

This is what the label and the research describe, not a prescription. My own dose and timing aren't listed here.

ParameterWhat the sources say
Product serving2 capsules once a day, in the morning with a meal; 30 servings in a 60-capsule bottle1
CoQ10 per serving100 mg, listed as MicroActive CoQ10-cyclodextrin complex and described as "24 hour sustained release"; the label record doesn't say ubiquinone or ubiquinol1
PQQ per serving20 mg, as BioPQQ pyrroloquinoline quinone disodium salt1
CoQ10 in heart failureQ-SYMBIO used 100 mg three times a day for 2 years2
CoQ10 in the statin-ache trials100 to 600 mg a day for 30 to 90 days7
CoQ10 and blood pressureThe largest drop came at about 100 to 200 mg a day9
PQQ in research20 mg a day for 12 weeks (Itoh), 20 mg a day for 6 weeks with exercise training (Hwang), and 21.5 mg a day for 12 weeks (Shiojima)11,14,12

How I use it

I take SR-CoQ10 with PQQ from Pure Encapsulations. I haven't said here how much, when, or why.

Why it works

CoQ10 is a coenzyme in the mitochondria, the cell's power plants, where it helps pass electrons to make energy15. Rhonda Patrick notes that statins inhibit the body's ability to make it, and that ubiquinol, the reduced form, is a little more bioavailable than ubiquinone, the oxidized form, though both can do the job15. PQQ, she says, can't be made in the body and comes from food, including fermented foods15. Those are one researcher's summaries, not proof that a capsule does the same.

What the research says

Moderate CoQ10 in heart failure. Q-SYMBIO randomized 420 patients with moderate to severe chronic heart failure to CoQ10 (100 mg three times a day) or placebo on top of standard therapy. The 16-week endpoints didn't change, but major adverse cardiovascular events at 2 years were 15% versus 26% (HR 0.50, 95% CI 0.32 to 0.80, P = 0.003), with lower cardiovascular death (9% vs. 16%) and all-cause death (10% vs. 18%)2. A health-technology review pooled 26 trials (2,250 people) in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction and found a mortality risk ratio of 0.68 (95% CI 0.45 to 1.03) from 7 trials and no increase in adverse events; citing concerns about risk of bias and the plausibility of the effect sizes, its authors said stronger evidence is needed3. This is evidence in people with heart failure, not in healthy people.

Early Selenium plus CoQ10 in older adults. The KiSel-10 trial gave 443 Swedes aged 70 to 88 selenium plus CoQ10 or placebo. Over 5.2 years, cardiovascular mortality was 5.9% versus 12.6% (P = 0.015), and NT-proBNP, a marker of heart strain, was lower at 48 months (214 vs. 302 ng/L)16. After 12 years, cardiovascular death was 28.1% versus 38.7% (HR 0.59, 95% CI 0.42 to 0.81)17. The authors call it a small study whose results are hypothesis-generating, and the trial tablets came from a supplement maker, Pharma Nord17. It can't separate CoQ10 from the selenium.

Mixed CoQ10 for statin muscle symptoms. Four meta-analyses disagree:

  • 2015: 6 trials, 302 patients, no significant effect on muscle pain (SMD −0.53, 95% CI −1.33 to 0.28) or creatine kinase4.
  • 2018: 12 trials, 575 patients, less muscle pain (weighted mean difference −1.60, 95% CI −1.75 to −1.44), weakness, cramps, and tiredness, with no change in creatine kinase6.
  • 2020: 7 trials, 321 patients, no clear benefit for myalgia (−0.42, 95% CI −1.47 to 0.62) or for staying on the statin (RR 0.99)5.
  • 2025: 7 trials, 389 patients, a pooled pain difference of −0.96 (95% CI −1.88 to −0.03), with 4 trials positive and 3 not7.

The trials are small (37 to 76 people each in the 2020 review) and short (30 to 90 days in the 2025 review), and the reviews pooled different sets of trials, which may be part of why they split5,7,4,6. The statin itself is well supported: in a pooled analysis of 26 trials, each 1.0 mmol/L drop in LDL cholesterol lowered the rate of major vascular events (rate ratio 0.78), which my heart page covers18. The CoQ10 question here is only about the aches.

Mixed CoQ10 and blood pressure. The Cochrane review could pool only 2 trials (50 people) and found clinic systolic pressure −3.68 mm Hg (95% CI −8.86 to 1.49) and diastolic −2.03 (95% CI −4.86 to 0.81), with moderate-quality evidence of no clinically significant effect8. A 2022 meta-analysis of 26 trials with 1,831 people who had cardiometabolic disease found systolic pressure 4.77 mmHg lower (95% CI −6.57 to −2.97), largest at about 100 to 200 mg a day on a U-shaped dose curve, with moderate certainty for systolic pressure9. They studied different people: primary hypertension in the first, cardiometabolic disease in the second8,9.

Early PQQ for memory. Itoh gave 41 healthy older adults 20 mg a day of BioPQQ or placebo for 12 weeks; scores on a Stroop attention test changed significantly less on PQQ, which the authors read as PQQ preventing decline, and a memory test improved only in the lower-scoring subgroup11. In 64 Japanese adults aged 40 to under 80 (58 finished), 21.5 mg a day of a different brand, mnemoPQQ, for 12 weeks improved several cognitive scores, with no adverse events12. A third trial, in adults aged 20 to 65, found memory gains at 12 weeks13. The abstracts give few numbers, and authors of all three list company affiliations11,12,13.

Early PQQ for inflammation and energy. Ten healthy adults given 0.3 mg per kg a day had lower C-reactive protein and IL-6 after 76 hours10. In 23 untrained men doing six weeks of endurance training, 20 mg a day didn't improve aerobic performance beyond what training alone did, though PGC-1α, a marker of new mitochondria, rose more than on placebo14. These are lab markers in short trials, not disease outcomes.

Early What sustained release does. The label calls this CoQ10 "24 hour sustained release," but I found no published human study of this product's absorption1. Formulation clearly matters: in 14 people comparing 7 formulations of 100 mg CoQ10, absorption over 48 hours differed significantly, with softgel capsules doing best19, and an older four-formulation trial in 10 people found a soybean-oil suspension absorbed best, with a two-peak blood curve20. Neither tested a sustained-release capsule or a cyclodextrin complex. So I don't know whether this capsule gets more CoQ10 into the blood than a plain softgel at the same dose.

Rhonda Patrick on CoQ10 and PQQ

In a FoundMyFitness clip from Q&A #57, "How Supplements Affect Mitochondrial Energy Production" (posted September 7, 2026), Rhonda Patrick describes CoQ10 as a mitochondrial coenzyme, says ubiquinol is a little more bioavailable than ubiquinone, and says people using statins "should be supplementing with a ubiquinol or a ubiquinone supplement"15. The page's own summary adds that a randomized trial in people with confirmed statin muscle symptoms did not establish relief with CoQ1015. On PQQ, she cites small studies on inflammation and oxidative markers, mitochondrial function, cognition, and endurance, calls them very small, and says to take the results with a grain of salt15. In Q&A #8, she says two human randomized trials of PQQ used 20 mg a day21. Her covering the topic doesn't mean she endorses me, this product, or this site.

About Pure Encapsulations

Pure Encapsulations, founded in the early 1990s, was bought by Atrium Innovations in 2004 and is now owned by Nestlé Health Science, which bought Atrium in 201722. NSF lists the company as certified to its good manufacturing practice standard for dietary supplements, a company-level listing that names no products23. No trial on this page tested this product, though Itoh's used BioPQQ, the PQQ named on its label11,1; the companies page has the full profile.

Where I buy it

Prices aren't listed because they change.

Cautions

  • The label says anyone pregnant or lactating, with a health condition, or taking any medication needs to consult a health professional before use, and it carries the standard statement that the FDA hasn't evaluated its claims1.
  • Anyone on a statin or a blood pressure drug has a question for a doctor here: the statin-ache evidence is split, and CoQ10 has been studied for lowering blood pressure6,5,9.
  • The strongest CoQ10 results are in people with heart failure, and the long-term mortality data in older adults come from a combined selenium and CoQ10 product2,16.
  • PQQ's human data are small, short, and mostly industry-linked, and I wouldn't call any of it settled10,11,13.

References

  1. Pure Encapsulations (label record in the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database). SR-CoQ10 with PQQ (Pure Encapsulations), label record 278360. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, Dietary Supplement Label Database, November 22, 2022.Product pageRead

    What it found: Label record entered November 22, 2022 and not marked off market: 2 capsules once a day (30 servings in 60 capsules) provide 100 mg of MicroActive CoQ10-cyclodextrin complex, described as 24 hour sustained release, and 20 mg of BioPQQ pyrroloquinoline quinone disodium salt, taken in the morning with a meal; the label claims mitochondrial, cognitive, and cardiovascular support and lists certified gluten-free (GFCO), non-GMO, and hypoallergenic, with a warning to consult a professional if pregnant, lactating, or taking medication.

    Limits: A database copy of the 2022 label, not the maker's current page, so I did not confirm the current label; it does not say whether the CoQ10 is ubiquinone or ubiquinol.

  2. Mortensen SA, Rosenfeldt F, Kumar A, Dolliner P, Filipiak KJ, Pella D, et al. The effect of coenzyme Q10 on morbidity and mortality in chronic heart failure: results from Q-SYMBIO: a randomized double-blind trial. JACC: Heart Failure. 2014;2(6):641-649.Randomized trialPubMed 25282031 · DOI

    What it found: Q-SYMBIO: 420 patients with moderate to severe chronic heart failure randomized to coenzyme Q10 100 mg three times daily or placebo on top of standard therapy. Short-term endpoints did not change, but major adverse cardiovascular events at 2 years were 15% versus 26% (HR 0.50, 95% CI 0.32 to 0.80, P = 0.003), with lower cardiovascular mortality (9% vs 16%) and all-cause mortality (10% vs 18%).

    Limits: Heart-failure patients on standard drugs, not healthy people, a modest-sized trial whose primary short-term endpoints showed nothing, and a later health-technology review rated concerns about risk of bias and plausibility.

  3. Claxton L, Simmonds M, Beresford L, Cubbon R, Dayer M, Gottlieb SS, et al. Coenzyme Q10 to manage chronic heart failure with a reduced ejection fraction: a systematic review and economic evaluation. Health Technology Assessment. 2022;26(4):1-128.Systematic reviewPubMed 35076012 · DOI

    What it found: Systematic review of 26 randomized trials with 2,250 participants: for all-cause mortality (7 trials, 1,371 participants) the risk ratio was 0.68 (95% CI 0.45 to 1.03), short-term functional outcomes were modest or unclear, and adverse events were not increased; the authors say concerns about risk of bias and plausibility mean stronger evidence is needed.

    Limits: Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction only, and the mortality interval crosses 1, so it does not show a clear benefit.

  4. Banach M, Serban C, Sahebkar A, Ursoniu S, Rysz J, Muntner P, et al. Effects of coenzyme Q10 on statin-induced myopathy: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 2015;90(1):24-34.Meta-analysisPubMed 25440725 · DOI

    What it found: Meta-analysis of 6 randomized trials in 302 statin-treated patients: CoQ10 did not significantly change plasma creatine kinase (mean difference 11.69 U/L, 95% CI -14.25 to 37.63) or muscle pain (SMD -0.53, 95% CI -1.33 to 0.28), and the authors found no significant benefit for statin-induced myopathy.

    Limits: Six small trials with varied designs, so it may miss a modest benefit, and the authors call for larger well-designed trials.

  5. Kennedy C, Köller Y, Surkova E. Effect of Coenzyme Q10 on statin-associated myalgia and adherence to statin therapy: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Atherosclerosis. 2020;299:1-8.Meta-analysisPubMed 32179207 · DOI

    What it found: Systematic review and meta-analysis of 7 randomized trials with 321 patients with statin-associated muscle pain: CoQ10 did not clearly reduce myalgia (weighted mean difference -0.42, 95% CI -1.47 to 0.62) or improve staying on the statin (RR 0.99, 95% CI 0.81 to 1.20), though two studies reported a positive effect on pain.

    Limits: Seven small trials of 37 to 76 people each, so a modest benefit could be missed.

  6. Qu H, Guo M, Chai H, Wang WT, Gao ZY, Shi DZ. Effects of Coenzyme Q10 on Statin-Induced Myopathy: An Updated Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Journal of the American Heart Association. 2018;7(19):e009835.Meta-analysisPubMed 30371340 · DOI

    What it found: Meta-analysis of 12 randomized trials with 575 patients (294 on CoQ10, 281 on placebo): CoQ10 reduced muscle pain (weighted mean difference -1.60, 95% CI -1.75 to -1.44), weakness (-2.28), cramps (-1.78), and tiredness (-1.75), with no change in plasma creatine kinase (0.09, P = 0.23).

    Limits: Reached the opposite conclusion from the 2015 and 2020 meta-analyses using different trial sets and pooling, and the abstract does not report heterogeneity.

  7. Kovacic S, Habicht SD, Eckert GP. Effects of coenzyme Q10 supplementation on myopathy in statin-treated patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Nutritional Science. 2025;14:e72.Meta-analysisPubMed 41158831 · DOI

    What it found: Systematic review and meta-analysis of 7 randomized trials with 389 statin-treated patients (30 to 90 days, 100 to 600 mg/day of CoQ10): muscle symptoms fell significantly in 4 trials and not in 3, and the pooled pain-intensity difference was -0.96 (95% CI -1.88 to -0.03).

    Limits: Seven small, short trials and a pooled interval that barely excludes zero, so it leans toward a small benefit without settling the question.

  8. Ho MJ, Li ECK, Wright JM. Blood pressure lowering efficacy of coenzyme Q10 for primary hypertension. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2016;3(3):CD007435.Systematic reviewPubMed 26935713 · DOI

    What it found: Cochrane review of placebo-controlled trials of at least 3 weeks of coenzyme Q10 in primary hypertension: only two trials (50 participants) could be pooled, and clinic blood pressure did not change significantly (systolic -3.68 mm Hg, 95% CI -8.86 to 1.49; diastolic -2.03, 95% CI -4.86 to 0.81), so the authors found no clinically significant effect.

    Limits: Only 50 people pooled, so it cannot rule out a real effect; later reviews that pool people with other conditions found a drop.

  9. Zhao D, Liang Y, Dai S, Hou S, Liu Z, Liu M, et al. Dose-Response Effect of Coenzyme Q10 Supplementation on Blood Pressure among Patients with Cardiometabolic Disorders: A Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE)-Assessed Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Advances in Nutrition. 2022;13(6):2180-2194.Meta-analysisPubMed 36130103 · DOI

    What it found: Meta-analysis of 26 randomized trials with 1,831 people who had cardiometabolic disease: CoQ10 lowered systolic blood pressure by 4.77 mmHg (95% CI -6.57 to -2.97), with the largest effect at about 100 to 200 mg a day on a U-shaped dose curve and moderate certainty for systolic pressure.

    Limits: Patients with diabetes, dyslipidemia, or other cardiometabolic disease rather than healthy people, and the abstract gives no diastolic number.

  10. Harris CB, Chowanadisai W, Mishchuk DO, Satre MA, Slupsky CM, Rucker RB. Dietary pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) alters indicators of inflammation and mitochondrial-related metabolism in human subjects. The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry. 2013;24(12):2076-2084.Lab or mechanistic studyPubMed 24231099 · DOI

    What it found: Two-part crossover study in 10 healthy adults (5 women, 5 men): a single dose of 0.2 mg PQQ per kg was followed over 48 hours, and 0.3 mg per kg daily was measured after 76 hours, when plasma C-reactive protein, IL-6, and urinary methylated amines were lower and urine markers suggested better mitochondrial function.

    Limits: Ten people for a few days, no effect sizes or p-values in the abstract, and markers rather than outcomes people feel.

  11. Itoh Y, Hine K, Miura H, Uetake T, Nakano M, Takemura N, et al. Effect of the Antioxidant Supplement Pyrroloquinoline Quinone Disodium Salt (BioPQQ™) on Cognitive Functions. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology. 2016;876:319-325.Randomized trialPubMed 26782228 · DOI

    What it found: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 20 mg/day of BioPQQ for 12 weeks in 41 healthy older adults: the change in the Stroop interference ratio was significantly smaller on PQQ than on placebo, which the authors read as preventing decline, a memory test improved only in the lower-scoring subgroup (initial score under 70), and preliminary near-infrared spectroscopy suggested more prefrontal blood flow.

    Limits: Forty-one people, no p-values in the abstract, a subgroup finding, and several authors list affiliations with Mitsubishi Gas Chemical and CX Medical Japan.

  12. Shiojima Y, Takahashi M, Takahashi R, Moriyama H, Bagchi D, Bagchi M, et al. Effect of Dietary Pyrroloquinoline Quinone Disodium Salt on Cognitive Function in Healthy Volunteers: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Parallel-Group Study. Journal of the American Nutrition Association. 2022;41(8):796-809.Randomized trialPubMed 34415830 · DOI

    What it found: Randomized, double-blind trial of 21.5 mg/day of PQQ disodium salt or placebo for 12 weeks in 64 healthy Japanese adults aged 40 to under 80 (58 completed): several cognitive scores improved significantly versus placebo, including memory, attention, and reaction time, with no adverse events.

    Limits: Fifty-eight completers, no p-values in the abstract, and authors list affiliations with Ryusendo Co., Ltd. and Dr. Herbs LLC.

  13. Tamakoshi M, Suzuki T, Nishihara E, Nakamura S, Ikemoto K. Pyrroloquinoline quinone disodium salt improves brain function in both younger and older adults. Food & Function. 2023;14(5):2496-2501.Randomized trialPubMed 36807425 · DOI

    What it found: Double-blind, placebo-controlled study in adults aged 20 to 65 given 20 mg/day of PQQ for 12 weeks: composite and verbal memory improved after 12 weeks, and younger adults also improved on cognitive flexibility and processing speed after 8 weeks.

    Limits: The abstract gives no sample size, p-values, or effect sizes, and the authors list affiliations with Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company and RIKEN, with no funding or competing-interest statement in the record.

  14. Hwang PS, Machek SB, Cardaci TD, Wilburn DT, Kim CS, Suezaki ES, et al. Effects of Pyrroloquinoline Quinone (PQQ) Supplementation on Aerobic Exercise Performance and Indices of Mitochondrial Biogenesis in Untrained Men. Journal of the American College of Nutrition. 2020;39(6):547-556.Randomized trialPubMed 31860387 · DOI

    What it found: Randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 20 mg/day of PQQ with a six-week endurance program in 23 untrained men: aerobic performance did not differ between groups (both improved with training, P < 0.05), but PGC-1alpha protein, a marker of mitochondrial biogenesis, was higher on PQQ (P < 0.05).

    Limits: Twenty-three men for six weeks, and a rise in a laboratory marker without any gain in performance.

  15. Patrick R. How Supplements Affect Mitochondrial Energy Production. FoundMyFitness, September 7, 2026.PodcastListen

    What it found: A clip page from Rhonda Patrick's Q&A #57: she describes CoQ10 as a mitochondrial coenzyme, says ubiquinol is a little more bioavailable than ubiquinone, says statins inhibit CoQ10 production and that people using statins should be supplementing with either form, and on PQQ cites small studies of inflammation markers, oxidative markers, and cognition and says to take them with a grain of salt; the page adds that a trial in confirmed statin myopathy did not establish relief with CoQ10.

    Limits: A short clip page without timestamps, dated September 7, 2026 on the page though it comes from Q&A #57; it is her commentary, and the PQQ research it points to is exploratory.

  16. Alehagen U, Johansson P, Björnstedt M, Rosén A, Dahlström U. Cardiovascular mortality and N-terminal-proBNP reduced after combined selenium and coenzyme Q10 supplementation: a 5-year prospective randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial among elderly Swedish citizens. International Journal of Cardiology. 2013;167(5):1860-1866.Randomized trialPubMed 22626835 · DOI

    What it found: KiSel-10: 443 Swedish adults aged 70 to 88 took selenium plus coenzyme Q10 or placebo; over 5.2 years of follow-up cardiovascular mortality was 5.9% versus 12.6% (P = 0.015), NT-proBNP was lower at 48 months (214 vs 302 ng/L, P = 0.014), and echocardiography scores were better (P = 0.03).

    Limits: A combined selenium and CoQ10 product given to older Swedish adults, so it cannot isolate CoQ10 from selenium or say the result carries over to other populations.

  17. Alehagen U, Aaseth J, Alexander J, Johansson P. Still reduced cardiovascular mortality 12 years after supplementation with selenium and coenzyme Q10 for four years: A validation of previous 10-year follow-up results of a prospective randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial in elderly. PLoS One. 2018;13(4):e0193120.Randomized trialPubMed 29641571 · DOI

    What it found: Follow-up of the 443 KiSel-10 participants, supplemented for four years: after 12 years cardiovascular mortality was 28.1% on selenium plus CoQ10 versus 38.7% on placebo (HR 0.59, 95% CI 0.42 to 0.81, P = 0.001).

    Limits: A small follow-up the authors call hypothesis-generating, with the study tablets supplied by Pharma Nord, a supplement maker, and it still cannot separate CoQ10 from selenium.

  18. Cholesterol Treatment Trialists' (CTT) Collaboration, Baigent C, Blackwell L, Emberson J, Holland LE, Reith C, et al. Efficacy and safety of more intensive lowering of LDL cholesterol: a meta-analysis of data from 170,000 participants in 26 randomised trials. Lancet (London, England). 2010;376(9753):1670-1681.Meta-analysisPubMed 21067804 · DOI

    What it found: Individual-patient meta-analysis of 26 statin trials (39,612 people in 5 trials of more versus less intensive therapy, 129,526 in 21 trials of statin versus control). Each 1.0 mmol/L LDL reduction cut major vascular events by 22% (RR 0.78, 95% CI 0.76 to 0.80) and all-cause mortality by 10% (RR 0.90), with no effect on cancer incidence (RR 1.00).

    Limits: The abstract reports mortality and cancer outcomes but not muscle or liver side effects, and the trials were mostly in people already at elevated risk.

  19. López-Lluch G, Del Pozo-Cruz J, Sánchez-Cuesta A, Cortés-Rodríguez AB, Navas P. Bioavailability of coenzyme Q10 supplements depends on carrier lipids and solubilization. Nutrition. 2019;57:133-140.Lab or mechanistic studyPubMed 30153575 · DOI

    What it found: Double-blind crossover study in 14 healthy young people comparing seven formulations of 100 mg CoQ10 by plasma AUC over 48 hours: absorption differed significantly between formulations, the two best were softgels with ubiquinone or ubiquinol, and the dissolving matrix, preservative, and added vitamin C all mattered.

    Limits: Fourteen young, healthy people taking single doses, and it did not test a sustained-release capsule or a cyclodextrin complex.

  20. Weis M, Mortensen SA, Rassing MR, Møller-Sonnergaard J, Poulsen G, Rasmussen SN. Bioavailability of four oral coenzyme Q10 formulations in healthy volunteers. Molecular Aspects of Medicine. 1994;15 Suppl:s273-s280.Randomized trialPubMed 7752839 · DOI

    What it found: Four-way randomized crossover trial in 10 healthy volunteers comparing four 100 mg CoQ10 formulations: the soybean-oil softgel showed the highest bioavailability, concentration-time curves had a characteristic two-peak pattern, and absorption differed by sex.

    Limits: Ten volunteers in a 1994 study of formulations no longer on the market, and the abstract reports no AUC values.

  21. Patrick R. Q&A #8: Curcumin Bioavailability and Exercise—Plus Coffee and Brain Health. FoundMyFitness, February 8, 2020.PodcastListen

    What it found: Rhonda Patrick's solo Q&A; the show notes compare curcumin formulations (piperine about 20-fold, micronized crystalline curcumin 28-fold, NovaSOL micellar curcumin, and Meriva phytosome about 29-fold more bioavailable than unformulated curcumin) and take up whether curcumin blunts exercise benefits, and in the transcript she says two human trials of PQQ used 20 mg a day and found better cognition and mitochondrial function.

    Limits: Members-only episode with a public summary and transcript; Theracurmin does not come up in either, the fold figures come from separate studies that she notes are not head-to-head comparisons, and the PQQ remark is her summary of two trials.

  22. Sherman A. Pure Encapsulations enters retail, launches into The Vitamin Shoppe. NutraIngredients, March 8, 2024.ArticleRead

    What it found: Trade report that Pure Encapsulations, founded in the early 1990s, was acquired by Atrium Innovations in 2004 and is now owned by Nestlé Health Science, which bought Atrium in 2017, and that it was previously reserved for health care practitioners and select ecommerce channels.

    Limits: A trade article; it gives no headquarters.

  23. NSF International. Pure Encapsulations (NSF certified company listing). NSF International certified listings, 2026.ArticleRead

    What it found: NSF's own company listing shows Pure Encapsulations certified to NSF/ANSI 455-2, Good Manufacturing Practices for Dietary Supplements; the page lists no products, and SR-CoQ10 with PQQ is not named on it.

    Limits: A company-level GMP listing, not a product certification, and it is not an NSF Certified for Sport listing; the page shows only a 2012 copyright line, so I could not date it.