A Study Reveals That Ubiquinol Can Support Our Cognitive Health

WORDS LIM TECK CHOON

FEATURED EXPERT GINA KOAY Community Pharmacist City Wellness Pharmacy

LET’S TALK ABOUT UBIQUINOL

What is it and what does it do?

• Ubiquinol is a form of coenzyme Q10, a substance naturally found in our bodies.
• It acts as an antioxidant that helps to protect our cells from damage.
• It also plays a role in energy production within our cells.
• Studies suggest that ubiquinol also plays a role in supporting heart health and reducing one’s risk of heart failure.

Where can one obtain ubiquinol?

• Diet. Good sources include oily fish such as salmon and tuna, organ meats such as liver, and whole grains.
• It is also produced by our body. However, as we age, the amount produced begins to decrease.

DOES UBIQUINOL SUPPORT OUR COGNITIVE HEALTH?

A study, of which the data was published in 2024, suggested that a daily dose of 100mg of ubiquinol may enhance cognitive health in older adults.

Benefits observed throughout the study included improvements in memory, attentiveness, and work processing ability in middle-aged and elderly people.

More about this study

• Involved 90 adults aged between 50 and 83, monitored over a period of 34 weeks.
• These participants were administered a daily dose of 100 mg of patented bioidentical ubiquinol ingredient made from a fermented yeast process.
• Their cognitive performance was meticulously evaluated using established neuropsychological tests.

UBIQUINOL COULD BE BENEFICIAL TO MALAYSIA’S AGEING SOCIETY

The statistics

• According to the Statistics Department, Malaysia will have an ageing population of 5.6 million, or 15% of the total population, by 2030.
• The number of elderly persons with dementia is estimated to reach 353,000 cases in 2030.

Can ubiquinol be beneficial to the elderly population?

Gina Koay, a community pharmacist, tells us that these findings continue to support the role of ubiquinol in maintaining cognitive health, cardiovascular health and general well-being.

“As we age, the decline in cognitive function is a cause for concern as it impacts a person’s memory, recall, and processing, causing a decline in quality of life,” she says.

She then adds: “It is promising that supplementation can provide an option for those looking to maintain their cognitive health and support brain function as they age.”

References:

1. Kinoshita, T., Shirakawa, H., Handa, E., Hino, M., Hashimotob, Y., & Maruyama, H. (2021). The effects of ubiquinol (reduced form of coenzyme Q10) on memory, attentiveness, and work processing ability in healthy middle-aged and elderly residents – a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Japanese pharmacology and therapeutics, 49, 1739-1747.
2. Mutalib, Z.A., Ismail, M.F., & Miskiman, N. (2020). Spatial analysis: Ageing population of multi-ethnic in rural area, Malaysia. Retrieved June 25, 2024, from https://www.unescap.org/sites/default/files/70_Spatial_Analysis-Ageing_Population_of_Multi-ethnic_in_Rural_Area_Malaysia.pdf