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A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial Comparing the Effects of Commercially Available Ubiquinone, Ubiquinol, and Geranylgeraniol Dietary Supplements on Plasma CoQ10 Concentrations

Christopher R D'Adamo, Michelle Leary, Christopher Mote, Ronald Ackerman, Mark Holthouse, Brandilyn Binstock
Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism 2026 2026:5589963

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 42807157
PubMed Central
PMC13617315
DOI
10.1155/jnme/5589963
Trial registry
View on ClinicalTrials.gov Registered trial — results not yet published in a peer-reviewed journal.
Funding
The trial sponsor listed in the registry is OvationLab. A separate manuscript funding statement was not identified in the accessible publication extracts used for this audit.
Competing interests
Christopher R. D'Adamo disclosed service on the Scientific Advisory Board for Designs for Health, Inc.; the other authors declared no conflicts in the article.

Study snapshot

DesignRandomized, double-blind parallel-arm placebo-controlled trial; registry NCT06640465 lists masking of participant, care provider and outcomes assessor.
ModelHealthy adults aged 40 years and older.
Sample150 randomized; mean age approximately 52.1 years.
InterventionNOW CoQ10 ubiquinone 200 mg/day; Jarrow QH-absorb ubiquinol 200 mg/day; Annatto-GG geranylgeraniol 300 mg/day; Designs for Health CoQnol ubiquinol 200 mg + geranylgeraniol; or placebo.
Duration8 weeks.
EndpointsPrimary: plasma CoQ10 concentration; Lipids; Kidney and liver markers; PROMIS Global Health; POMS-Vigor; SF-36 Vitality; Adverse events

What the study showed, in plain terms

This 2026 five-arm study is unusually useful because it compared real commercially available ubiquinone and ubiquinol products at the same 200 mg label dose in 150 healthy adults over eight weeks.

Plasma CoQ10 increased by about 1.46 mg/L with ubiquinone, 2.29 mg/L with ubiquinol and 2.45 mg/L with ubiquinol plus geranylgeraniol; all three increases were greater than placebo (p<0.0001). Geranylgeraniol alone did not increase CoQ10 versus placebo.

Crucially, the direct ubiquinone-versus-ubiquinol comparison was not statistically significant, and ubiquinol did not differ significantly from ubiquinol plus geranylgeraniol (reported pairwise p values ≥0.15). The combination did exceed ubiquinone by about 0.99 mg/L (p=0.045). Patient-reported global health, vigor and vitality did not differ from placebo (p>0.16), and adverse events were rare.

For product comparison, this is strong evidence against a blanket claim that the word 'ubiquinol' alone guarantees superior absorption. Specific product formulation matters.

Key findings

  • Plasma CoQ10 change: ubiquinone +1.46 mg/L; ubiquinol +2.29 mg/L; ubiquinol+geranylgeraniol +2.45 mg/L; all > placebo, p<0.0001.
  • Geranylgeraniol alone did not significantly increase plasma CoQ10 versus placebo.
  • Ubiquinone vs ubiquinol: no statistically significant difference in plasma-CoQ10 response in the tested commercial products.
  • Ubiquinol vs ubiquinol+geranylgeraniol: no significant difference; pairwise comparisons reported p≥0.15.
  • Ubiquinol+geranylgeraniol exceeded ubiquinone by about 0.99 mg/L (p=0.045).
  • PROMIS Global Health, POMS-Vigor and SF-36 Vitality did not significantly differ from placebo (p>0.16).
  • Adverse events were rare across eight weeks.

What this study can and cannot tell us

  • The primary endpoint was plasma CoQ10, not disease outcomes or objective physical performance.
  • The findings apply to the specific commercial products and label doses tested, not to all ubiquinone/ubiquinol formulations.
  • Healthy adults and eight-week exposure limit inference about long-term clinical effectiveness.
  • One author disclosed an advisory-board relationship with Designs for Health, whose combination product was one of the study interventions.

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Dr. Khaled Mahmoud, MBBChCritical Care Medicine, Longevity Science & Editorial Direction Dr. Amr Yasser, PhDCardiometabolic, Musculoskeletal, Gut & Bioavailability Dr. Abdulla Mostafa, PhDCellular Senescence, Neurological, Mitochondrial & Brain-Ageing Biology