What is CoQ10?
Coenzyme Q10
CoQ10 is a molecule inside your mitochondria that helps pass energy along the assembly line that recharges ATP, and it also works as an antioxidant.
Think of the energy assembly line in your mitochondria as a bucket brigade passing water. CoQ10 is one of the people in the line, handing the bucket from one station to the next. Without enough of them, the line slows down.
Why it matters for aging
CoQ10 is found in every cell, with the highest amounts in energy-hungry organs like the heart, liver and kidneys. You also get small amounts from meat, fish and nuts.
Your body makes CoQ10 through the same production pathway it uses to make cholesterol. That's why statins, drugs that block this pathway to lower cholesterol, also lower CoQ10 in the blood.
A common myth
Everyone over 40 needs a CoQ10 supplement for energy.
Your body makes its own CoQ10. Supplements have real evidence only for specific groups, such as heart failure, and possibly people on statins with muscle aches. For healthy people seeking energy, the evidence is weak.
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Updated Nov 9, 2026 · All terms