Guide
Is it safe to take CoQ10 every day?
What the safety sources say about taking CoQ10 daily, their limits, and our label's cautions.
The safety literature we read supports daily CoQ10 at the doses studied but can't promise it for you. A 2006 review of ubiquinone trials covering 60 to 1,200 mg a day found no dose-related side effects and set an observed safe level of 1,200 mg; an industry trade body wrote it. We found no long-term study of our capsule.
What the sources show about daily use
The 2006 risk assessment, by the Council for Responsible Nutrition, found that nausea and other stomach complaints were no more common at 1,200 mg a day than at 60 mg. It set an observed safe level of 1,200 mg a day and judged data above that insufficient (Hathcock 2006). A 4-week study of ubiquinol at 90, 150 and 300 mg a day in healthy volunteers found no clinically relevant changes in laboratory tests, vital signs or ECG; the product's manufacturer ran it (Hosoe 2007). A 2022 meta-analysis of 13 randomised trials in 1,126 people reported one gastrointestinal adverse event among the 602 given CoQ10 (Tsai 2022). A 2006 pharmacokinetics review, by authors working for a CoQ10 manufacturer, describes an excellent safety record (Bhagavan 2006).
The gaps: the longest controlled period we cite is 4 weeks for safety measures, several of the sources have industry ties, and the results are for groups, not for you. A 2003 trial found no change in INR or warfarin dose when 24 people on long-term warfarin took 100 mg a day for 4 weeks (Engelsen 2003), but it was small and at half our dose.
Daily dose and our label
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Official recommended daily amount | None; Daily Value not established on our panel |
| Doses in the trials we cite | 60 to 300 mg a day |
| Doses in the 2006 safety review | 60 to 1,200 mg a day |
| Our capsule | 200 mg ubiquinone, one capsule once a day |
Electric Tiger CoQ10 200 mg directs one capsule a day, 20 to 30 minutes before a meal, or as your healthcare professional directs; as low as $16.31 a bottle on subscription. The warning says: do not exceed the recommended dose; ask a physician before use if pregnant or nursing, under 18, taking medication (especially blood thinners) or with a medical condition. We make no benefit claim for it. We give no separate dose for men or women; see how much CoQ10 to take.
Questions people ask
Is CoQ10 safe? Is it safe to take, and are CoQ10 supplements safe?
At the doses studied, the sources we read reported no dose-related side effects, with the caveats above. Safe for you depends on your medicines and health; our label says to ask a physician if you take medication or have a medical condition.
Is it safe to take CoQ10 every day or daily? Can it be taken daily?
The trials we cite gave it daily for periods up to 4 weeks, and the label directs a daily capsule. We found no long-term study of our capsule. See CoQ10 side effects.
What happens when you take CoQ10 every day?
Blood levels rise over about 2 to 4 weeks in the trials we read (Schulz 2006, 14 days at 60 mg; Hosoe 2007, 4 weeks). What you would notice, if anything, we can't say. See how long CoQ10 takes to work.
Is it safe to take 200 mg of CoQ10 daily? What about 600 mg?
200 mg is one-sixth of the 1,200 mg observed safe level, and it is our capsule's dose. 600 mg is inside the range reviewed but above our label, which says not to exceed the recommended dose. See how much is too much.
Is it safe with low-dose aspirin or other medicines?
We found no study of CoQ10 with low-dose aspirin. See CoQ10 and medications, and ask your pharmacist.
Should I stop CoQ10 before surgery?
We found no study that answers this. Tell your surgeon and anaesthetist about every supplement you take; they decide.
Should I stop taking CoQ10 after ovulation?
We give no guidance on timing around ovulation or pregnancy and found nothing on it in our sources. Our label says to ask a physician before use if pregnant or nursing.
What is the recommended daily dose for men or women?
No official daily allowance exists and the sources we read gave no sex-specific doses. Follow your product's label or your clinician.
Sources
- Risk assessment for coenzyme Q10 (Ubiquinone) A 2006 review of the clinical literature found no dose-related side effects in studies from 60 to 1,200 mg a day.
- Study on safety and bioavailability of ubiquinol (Kaneka QH) after single and 4-week multiple oral administration to healthy volunteers In healthy volunteers, 90 to 300 mg a day of ubiquinol for 4 weeks raised blood levels without lab or ECG changes; it was not compared with ubiquinone.
- Effectiveness of Coenzyme Q10 Supplementation for Reducing Fatigue: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials Pooling 13 trials in 1,126 people, CoQ10 lowered fatigue scores modestly versus placebo, with larger effects at higher doses and longer durations.
- Coenzyme Q10: absorption, tissue uptake, metabolism and pharmacokinetics A review by authors at a CoQ10 manufacturer reports slow, limited absorption, a peak about 6 hours after a dose and a half-life of about 33 hours.
- [Effect of Coenzyme Q10 and Ginkgo biloba on warfarin dosage in patients on long-term warfarin treatment. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over trial] In 24 people on stable warfarin, 100 mg a day of CoQ10 for 4 weeks did not change INR or warfarin dose.
- Comparison of the relative bioavailability of different coenzyme Q10 formulations with a novel solubilizate (Solu Q10) In 54 healthy adults taking 60 mg a day for 14 days, a solubilised CoQ10 raised blood levels more than crystalline or oily forms, though the main differences were not statistically significant.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
