William Faloon

A long-standing debate centers on how many regulations are needed to protect consumers without stifling innovation.

A movie titled "CoQ10 Wars" could depict the introduction of coenzyme Q10 to the United States (in 1983) and the epic FDA battles that followed.^1-3

The FDA claimed CoQ10 was a prescription drug that could not be sold in the United States.

Consumers who had been using CoQ10 rebelled when the FDA staged armed raids/arrests against CoQ10 suppliers.^2,3

The end result was passage of a bill in Congress (in 1994) that protected consumer access to CoQ10 and other nutrients the FDA sought to ban.⁴

What happened after deregulation were exponential advances in CoQ10 absorption technologies that slashed consumer costs while improving bioavailability.

In a nutshell, the consumers safely gained access to lower prices and improved absorption without regulatory impediments.

Had CoQ10 been classified as a prescription drug, it would have remained more expensive with few advances in cell delivery technologies. Unlike supplements, prescription drug changes require FDA approvals, which means delays and higher prices.

To put this into perspective, a bottle of 100 10 mg CoQ10 capsules cost about $30 in 1983. This same bottle today, after adjusting for inflation, would cost almost $100.

Consumers today can receive 100 mg in each capsule of a more bioavailable CoQ10 for around $45. That is 10x more CoQ10 per capsule than in 1983, plus enhanced bioavailability, at half the price! A clear victory of free market innovation over regulatory tyranny.

As relates to efficacy, randomized clinical trials since CoQ10 liberation demonstrate benefits against heart failure,⁵ inflammatory markers,^6,7 and progression of other age-related challenges.⁸ There is preliminary evidence that it may also help combat certain brain disorders.^9,10

A placebo-controlled clinical trial published in 2025 found that acute ischemic stroke victims given 600 mg/day of CoQ10 for 30 days had significant reductions in markers of inflammation/oxidation, with increases in a brain derived growth factor. This led the research team to conclude:

"CoQ10 may be considered a therapeutic option for enhancing neuroprotection and rehabilitation in stroke patients."¹¹

Educated consumers today are not waiting for acute cardiovascular events to initiate CoQ10 supplementation. Studies using CoQ10 have reported reductions in heart failure measures,^12,13 including fewer hospitalizations for heart failure and reductions in the risk of cardiovascular mortality.^12,13

The good news for consumers is a new matrix that has up to 3-times greater bioavailability than ubiquinol CoQ10 (introduced in 2006).

It also has up to 24-times greater bioavailability than the CoQ10 the FDA sought to ban after 1983.¹⁴

The article on page 32 of this issue describes this new CoQ10 formulation with an improved delivery system that significantly boosts its bioavailability.

For longer life,

William Faloon, Co-Founder, Life Extension®

References

1. Available at: https://www.naturalnews.com/021791_the_fda_medical_racket.html. Accessed July 2024.
2. Available at: https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/heartless-behavior/. Accessed Feburary 25, 2026.
3. Available at: https://openjurist.org/978/f2d/560/dietary-supplemental-coalition-inc. Accessed February 27, 2026.
4. Available at: https://ods.od.nih.gov/About/DSHEA_Wording.aspx. Accessed February 25, 2026.
5. Bodea O, Boia ER, Craciun LM, et al. Effect of Coenzyme Q10 Supplementation on Cardiac Function and Quality of Life in Patients with Heart Failure: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Clin Med. 2025 May 23;14(11).
6. Hou S, Tian Z, Zhao D, et al. Efficacy and Optimal Dose of Coenzyme Q10 Supplementation on Inflammation-Related Biomarkers: A GRADE-Assessed Systematic Review and Updated Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2023 Jul;67(13):e2200800.
7. Fan L, Feng Y, Chen GC, et al. Effects of coenzyme Q10 supplementation on inflammatory markers: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Pharmacol Res. 2017 May;119:128-36.
8. Gasmi A, Bjorklund G, Mujawdiya PK, et al. Coenzyme Q(10) in aging and disease. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2024;64(12):3907-19.
9. Young AJ, Johnson S, Steffens DC, et al. Coenzyme Q10: a review of its promise as a neuroprotectant. CNS Spectr. 2007 Jan;12(1):62-8.
10. Jimenez-Jimenez FJ, Alonso-Navarro H, Garcia-Martin E, et al. Coenzyme Q10 and Dementia: A Systematic Review. Antioxidants (Basel). 2023 Feb 20;12(2).
11. Mojaver A, Khazaei M, Ahmadpanah M, et al. Dietary intake of coenzyme Q10 reduces oxidative stress in patients with acute ischemic stroke: a double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled study. Neurol Res. 2025 Apr;47(4):232-41.
12. Alarcon-Vieco E, Martinez-Garcia I, Sequi-Dominguez I, et al. Effect of coenzyme Q10 on cardiac function and survival in heart failure: an overview of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Food Funct. 2023 Jul 17;14(14):6302-11.
13. Xu J, Xiang L, Yin X, et al. Efficacy and safety of coenzyme Q10 in heart failure: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. BMC Cardiovasc Disord. 2024 Oct 26;24(1):592.
14. Available at: https://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2015/4/coq10-wars. Accessed February 25, 2026.