Nutraceuticals World (NW): Can you briefly explain the role mitochondria play in the body? Why they are so important to health?
 
Melissa Olivadoti, PhD, Medical Affairs Consultant, Kaneka Nutrients, USA: Mitochondria are biological structures in cells that function as the body’s powerhouses for cellular energy production. They create adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, that supplies the energy that the body requires to function. Without healthy mitochondria, cellular energy production can drop drastically, leading to inadequate energy for cellular functions.
 
NW: What role do antioxidants play in mitochondrial health?
 
Olivadoti: As we metabolize foods to turn them into energy, the body naturally creates free radicals, which are high-energy particles that can damage cells. Free radicals can also be absorbed into the body from our environment, including from water, food, and air pollution. These free radicals can damage DNA, cell membranes, and organs, which affect how well the body functions. Free radicals created during the energy production process within mitochondria can also cause damage to mitochondrial DNA and the mitochondria themselves, making them less efficient at making cellular energy. This is why it’s especially important to help protect our mitochondria from free radical damage, because we need our powerhouses to be healthy and efficient as we age to maintain cellular energy production.
 
Antioxidants are crucial in neutralizing free radicals before they cause damage. As we age, antioxidant defense mechanisms become less efficient, which can lead to more free radical damage. Supporting the body with antioxidants can help safeguard the health of cells and the efficiency of cellular energy production against free radicals as we age.
 
NW: What is Kaneka’s Ubiquinol^® and what benefits does it offer?
 
Olivadoti: Ubiquinol is the antioxidant form of CoQ10. It is called ubiquinol because it is “ubiquitous,” in that it is naturally found in all of our cells. Ubiquinol is one of the most powerful antioxidants available to scavenge free radicals and is the only lipid (fat)-soluble antioxidant produced in the body. This makes it ideal for being able to travel into the lipid membranes of mitochondria, where the majority of free radicals from the electron transport chain are formed during cellular energy production. Maintaining adequate ubiquinol levels helps mitochondria create cellular energy, and protects against free radical damage at the site where they are created.
 
While young, healthy people with normal levels of ubiquinol in the body are able to stop free radical damage relatively easily, with age, the body is less able to convert ubiquinone into ubiquinol. This can create a higher ratio of ubiquinone to ubiquinol in the body, so there is not enough of the antioxidant ubiquinol to effectively manage free radical damage. Also, people who take statins may end up with lower levels of ubiquinol, which is a known side effect of the medication, because statins interfere with the body’s production of ubiquinol. Taking Kaneka Ubiquinol^® as a supplement is an effective way to replenish biological levels of ubiquinol to support the creation of cellular energy and combat free radical damage.
 
NW: You mentioned CoQ10, or ubiquinone, is a precursor of ubiquinol. Why don’t consumers take conventional CoQ10 (ubiquinone) as a supplement instead of Ubiquinol?
 
Olivadoti: This is a great question, especially because conventional CoQ10 (ubiquinone) has been on the market for some time now. Ubiquinol is the antioxidant form of CoQ10, which we know is able to scavenge free radicals. Conventional CoQ10 must be converted in the body into ubiquinol before it can perform antioxidant functions. However, as we age, the body is less efficient at this conversion process. If ubiquinol levels are not replenished in the body, there may not be enough of this antioxidant to reliably protect against free radical damage. Also, a study by Langsjoen and Langsjoen¹ demonstrated that the Kaneka Ubiquinol form of CoQ10 is  twice as easily absorbed by the body than Ubiquinone. These factors make Kaneka Ubiquinol^® a great option to supplement the body directly with Ubiquinol.
 
NW: Can you discuss the science of how ubiquinol helps to produce energy and neutralize free radicals?
 
Olivadoti: To go a bit deeper into the cellular energy creation process, the electron transport chain creates cellular energy inside the mitochondrial membranes. This process also naturally produces an abundance of free radicals. Since ubiquinol is lipid soluble, it can diffuse into the lipid membrane, where these free radicals are formed. In this way, it protects the mitochondria by neutralizing these free radicals right at their source. Upon neutralizing free radicals, ubiquinol reverts to ubiquinone, and feeds back into the electron transport chain where it is converted back into ubiquinol as it accepts electrons in the electron transport chain. The presence of ubiquinol in the mitochondria is vital for the constant synthesis of cellular energy and, when present at sufficient levels, supports the health of these cellular powerhouses through its antioxidant activities.
 
Unfortunately, with aging, the body is not able to convert ubiquinone into ubiquinol as easily, especially after age 40. Studies done by Wada² and Niklowitz³ have demonstrated that as we age, the ratio of serum ubiquinone to ubiquinol is more weighted towards ubiquinone. This suggests that the body is using ubiquinol faster than it can be produced or converted. Also, scientific research detailed  by Fusco⁴ and Bratic⁵ demonstrates that when free radicals are created in the absence of ubiquinol to neutralize them, they can cause damage to mitochondria, mitochondrial DNA, and cells affecting the production of cellular energy.
 
Foods are relatively low in CoQ10 and Ubiquinol, which means that diet alone is not sufficient to replenish ubiquinol levels that decrease with age.^6,7 The most efficient way to resupply the body with ubiquinol is through supplementation. Kaneka Ubiquinol^® is manufactured to be chemically identical to naturally-occurring ubiquinol in the body, ensuring efficient absorption and bioavailability. Research published by Hosoe⁸ and Schmelzer⁹ demonstrates that plasma levels of ubiquinol can be effectively replenished through supplementation using Kaneka Ubiquinol^®.
 
However, because Ubiquinol is a relatively unstable molecule, it must be produced and handled under strict manufacturing processes to ensure that the supplement is of high quality, and maintains its potency and purity.
 
NW: Why is Kaneka Ubiquinol^® different than other sources of CoQ10? How does a consumer know the product is of high quality?
 
Olivadoti: Kaneka has very strict quality control and quality assurance processes that ensure the ingredients they make meet high standards. Kaneka’s four key pillars of product integrity — safety, reliability, quality, and purity — ensure the ingredients supplied are of the highest quality. Kaneka’s manufacturing facility in Texas uses state-of-the-art equipment and a rigorous testing and sampling program at each critical step in the production process to ensure these pillars are met. 
 
Kaneka’s quality assurance program doesn’t stop once Kaneka Ubiquinol^® leaves the manufacturing facility. Finished supplement manufacturers must meet strict quality requirements to qualify as suppliers and distributors of Kaneka Ubiquinol^® and use the Kaneka Quality Seal on their own product labels. Kaneka also purchases supplements that contain Kaneka Ubiquinol^® from the marketplace and independently tests them to confirm they continue to meet their quality standards. These checks, from manufacturing to retailer locations, help ensure that consumers receive Ubiquinol supplements that meet Kaneka’s standards. That way, when consumers see the Kaneka Quality Seal, they can take comfort in the quality of the product.
 
For more information or product development questions about Kaneka Ubiquinol^® or other Kaneka products, contact NutrientsSales@kaneka.com.

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