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If you’ve been trying to conceive for a while, you’ve probably heard the hype around taking CoQ10 for fertility. But with so much competing info out there, it can be hard to tell fact from fiction.
Here’s what we know for sure about CoQ10 for fertility at this point.
There have been some studies showing CoQ10’s ability to boost both female fertility and male fertility. And it’s been increasingly prescribed in cases of PCOS and infertility.
But research on CoQ10 and fertility is still relatively new. And data from larger-scale studies will help us know even more in the future.
In the meantime, if you’re curious to know what the latest research says about how CoQ10 benefits fertility, keep reading!
What is CoQ10?
CoQ10 stands for coenzyme Q10. It’s also known as ubiquinone.
Without dragging you down too deep of a biology rabbit hole, here are some C0Q10 basics to know:
- It’s a biomolecule that naturally exists in every cell of your body.
- It plays a big part in transferring energy between your cells. It does this by generating ATP (adenosine triphosphate).
- It has antioxidant-like properties, meaning it protects your cells from oxidative stress. (Oxidative stress occurs when your cells have a build-up of unstable molecules called “free radicals.” Oxidative stress can damage your cells and DNA and bring on quicker aging or adverse health conditions.)
- CoQ10 is found in many foods that you probably eat (depending on your diet).
- Some people take CoQ10 as a dietary supplement (like how you would take a vitamin). You can find it over-the-counter as a capsule, tablet, and a few other forms.
- As you get older, CoQ10 levels in your body naturally begin to fall.
Now that you understand how CoQ10 works, let’s tackle the elephant in the room. Is CoQ10 good for fertility?
To answer this, let’s first go over how CoQ10 is connected to egg health.
CoQ10 and fertility (for females)
CoQ10 and egg health
As you age, your ovarian reserve (the amount of healthy immature eggs you have) declines. This is a natural result of prolonged inflammation and oxidative damage. Both are a normal part of the aging process, by the way. Here’s why…
Egg maturation, fertilization, and embryo development are processes requiring a TON of energy. In fact, female eggs (oocytes) have the highest amount of mitochondria-containing cells in the whole body. But with all that energy expended over time, comes a lot of oxidative stress.
But since CoQ10 (whose job is to counteract that oxidative stress), also declines with age, egg quality suffers.
So that’s where taking a CoQ10 supplement comes in.
In theory, supplementation can help restore higher levels of C0Q10 to your cells to counteract all that natural oxidative damage.
Here’s what some of the latest research shows about CoQ10’s effect on egg health:
Purpose of Study | Findings |
Study 1: To see if declining oocyte mitochondrial function could be improved with CoQ10 supplementation in animals | The natural decline in oocyte quality due to aging can be reversed by taking CoQ10 |
Study 2: To observe CoQ10’s effect on oocyte outcomes for 45 women aged 38 and older undergoing IVF. | When oocytes were cultured in a CoQ10 medium for 24-48 hours:
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Keep in mind that the first study here was done with female animals, not humans. And the second study has a relatively small sample size.
So take this information for what it is. But do realize that there seems to be a glimmer of promise with CoQ10 supplementation and egg health!
Know more: How to Improve Egg Quality
CoQ10 and IVF outcomes
Similar research was done to see the effects of CoQ10 on women undergoing ART treatments.
Here’s what current studies found about the relationship between CoQ10 and IVF:
Purpose of Study | Findings |
Study 1: To see the link between follicular fluid CoQ10 levels, embryo development, and pregnancy rates in 60 IVF-ICSI patients | Patients with higher CoQ10 levels had higher-quality embryos and increased pregnancy rates. |
Study 2: To observe the effectiveness of CoQ10 treatment for 169 young women with poor ovarian response (POR) or low ovarian reserve | The group who was treated with CoQ10 had:
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Study 3 (a meta-analysis of 5 studies): To review evidence linking CoQ10 supplementation with clinical pregnancy rates, live birth rates, and miscarriage rates for 449 patients undergoing ART | The evidence shows that:
|
As seen in the table above, there’s some evidence proving CoQ10’s positive impact for IVF patients. This included improvements like embryo quality as well as higher fertilization and pregnancy rates.
But at this point, it’s still not all that clear how CoQ10 affects live birth rates.
CoQ10 and PCOS
It also appears that CoQ10 can help women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). This happens to be the most common endocrine disorder among reproductive-aged women.
A telltale sign of PCOS is higher-than-normal levels of androgens. But high androgens can lead to insulin resistance and vice versa. These two factors can both lead to fertility challenges in women.
One study looked at the impact of taking CoQ10 on reproductive hormone levels and glucose levels in 86 PCOS patients.
Their results showed that taking CoQ10 led to quite a few benefits. This included improved fasting blood sugar levels, insulin levels, and total testosterone levels.
Now, this study wasn’t solely focused on fertility measures. But these improvements would likely lead to better reproductive outcomes too.
Know more: Get Pregnant With PCOS
CoQ10 and fertility (for males)
Just like female eggs, sperm can also suffer from oxidative damage. This can lead to lower sperm count and even poor sperm quality. As you can imagine, neither of these is good for fertility, yikes!
So let’s see how CoQ10 supplementation factors into sperm health. Take a look at the latest research on CoQ10 and male fertility below:
Purpose of Study | Findings |
Study 1 (a meta analysis): Examined the effects of various antioxidant supplements (including CoQ10) on male sperm health | In studies where CoQ10 was taken for 3 months or less, no significant improvement on sperm parameters was observed In studies 3 – 6 months long where 200-300 mg/day of CoQ10 was taken, there were positive effects on sperm health. Improvements were seen in sperm motility, count, concentration, and morphology |
Study 2: Looked at the impact of a 6-month regimen of ubiquinol on semen parameters for 228 infertile men | Ubiquinol supplementation helped improve: sperm density, sperm motility, and sperm morphology |
The bad news? As you can see above, short-term CoQ10 supplementation doesn’t do much to improve sperm health in men. The good news? When CoQ10 is taken over a longer period of time, there does seem to be an observable boost in sperm health.
After seeing all this research, you’re likely wondering if taking CoQ10 is the right move for you. Or for your partner. Let’s get to the bottom of this next!
Should you take a CoQ10 supplement?
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer with coenzyme Q10 supplementation. As you saw, some smaller studies and animal studies do show that CoQ10 supplementation can help with fertility outcomes.
But not many larger studies have been done at this point to show truly conclusive data. So deciding to supplement with CoQ10 depends on your unique circumstances.
Of course, you should consult with your doctor first. Also, be aware that CoQ10 could have negative reactions for people who have certain conditions or who are taking certain medications.
That said, generally speaking, CoQ10 supplements are considered pretty harmless. After all, CoQ10 exists naturally in your cells already!
If you’re interested in a more “natural” method of boosting your CoQ10, the next section is for you.
What can you eat to naturally increase CoQ10?
Looking for another way to increase your CoQ10 levels? You could try altering your diet. While half of your body’s CoQ10 supply is created from within, the other half comes from what you consume.
The following foods are known to be good dietary sources of CoQ10:
- Nuts
- Soybeans
- Vegetable oils
- Pork, chicken, and other meats
- Fish (especially salmon and sardines)
In addition to the above foods, you can also get CoQ10 in smaller amounts from dairy products, vegetables, fruits, and some cereals.
Lifestyle factors can play into lowering oxidative stress as well. Getting enough sleep, lowering stress levels, and exercising regularly are all important for fertility.
Takeaways
- CoQ10 is a biomolecule found in your body’s cells. But amounts of CoQ10 naturally decrease with age.
- CoQ10 can help prevent and offset oxidative stress and aging processes.
- CoQ10 supplementation has proven to be a promising fertility mechanism.
- In smaller studies, CoQ10 has been shown to have a positive impact on female fertility. This goes for overall egg health as well as fertility outcomes for IVF and PCOS patients.
- More extended scientific research is needed to tell for sure if taking CoQ10 for fertility is actually beneficial.
- If you want to hear from real women who have used CoQ10 for fertility, join the Inito Facebook group.
- CoQ10 is not a magic potion that can reverse infertility. And you should definitely consult your doctor before taking it.
FAQs
Taking CoQ10 doesn’t directly help you get pregnant. But smaller studies have shown it can help improve egg quality and pregnancy rates. If you do decide to take CoQ10 for fertility reasons, realize that it’s not a magical solution. Instead, think of it as one part of a holistic approach to your fertility.
It takes time for CoQ10 supplementation to yield observable results. If taken as an oral supplementation, typically it will be prescribed for at least 2 – 3 months at minimum.
The most common type of CoQ10 prescribed for trying to conceive is oral ubiquinol. But it will also depend in part on your unique fertility treatment plan.
CoQ10 dosing depends on the exact brand and type of CoQ10 you’re supplementing with. Your unique medical circumstances will also play a role in dosage as well. So be sure to talk to your doctor about a dosing that would be right for you.
One study found that patients who took CoQ10 along with clomiphene citrate had a thicker endometrial lining. Keep in mind that this is only one study. More larger-scale research can eventually give us a better idea of Co10’s effect on the uterine lining.
This study actually saw improved ovulation in the women who took CoQ10.
On its own, CoQ10 does not make an in vitro fertilization cycle successful. That said, some small studies have shown that CoQ10 can improve in vitro fertilization outcomes. This includes increased fertilization and pregnancy rates as well as improved egg maturation embryo quality.
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- Coenzyme Q10: The essential nutrient – PMC
- Coenzyme Q10 Stat Pearls – PMC
- Coenzyme Q10 supplementation of human oocyte in vitro maturation – PMC
- Coenzyme Q10 Stimulate Reproductive Vatality – PMC
- Coenzyme Q10 restores oocyte mitochondrial function and fertility during reproductive aging – PMC
- Pretreatment with coenzyme Q10 improves ovarian response and embryo quality – PMC
- The association between coenzyme Q10 concentrations in follicular fluid with embryo morphokinetics and pregnancy rate – Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics
- Does coenzyme Q10 supplementation improve fertility outcomes in women undergoing assisted reproductive technology procedures? – PMC
- The Effect of Nutrients and Dietary Supplements on Sperm Quality Parameters – PMC
- Effects of the reduced form of coenzyme Q10 (ubiquinol) on semen parameters in men with idiopathic infertility – PMC
