Top 15 CoQ10 Foods: mg per 100 g, Cooking and Intake

The richest food sources of CoQ10 are heart and other organ meats, meat and poultry, oily fish, nuts and some vegetable oils such as soybean and corn oil. Most vegetables, fruits, dairy foods and eggs contain much less. Even a diet built around the top foods supplies only a few milligrams a day: published estimates put the average dietary intake at about 3 to 6 mg, far below the 200 mg that a single capsule of some CoQ10 supplements provides.

Key Takeaways

Heart (chicken, beef or pork) is the richest common food, averaging about 13 mg of CoQ10 per 100 g in published analyses.
Meat, poultry, oily fish and nuts provide roughly 1 to 5 mg per 100 g; most fruits, vegetables, eggs and dairy provide well under 1 mg.
Average dietary intake is about 3 to 6 mg a day, and in Denmark about two-thirds of it came from meat and poultry.
Frying destroyed 14 to 32% of the CoQ10 in tested foods, while boiling caused no detectable loss.
Your body makes its own CoQ10, and tissue levels fall with age; food alone cannot match the amounts used in supplements.

What Is CoQ10 and Why Does Food Matter?

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), also called ubiquinone, is a compound your body makes itself. It is found in most tissues, with the highest levels in the heart, liver, kidneys and pancreas [1][2]. Inside cells it acts as a cofactor in producing ATP, the molecule cells use for energy, and it also has antioxidant activity [8].

Because the body makes CoQ10, food adds a smaller, extra amount on top of what your cells produce. Researchers who measured CoQ10 in the Danish diet noted that the optimal dietary intake of CoQ10 is unknown [4].

Tissue levels do change over a lifetime. In an autopsy study of human organs, CoQ10 levels in most organs peaked around age 20 and then fell steadily with further aging [7]. The U.S. National Cancer Institute also notes that CoQ10 decreases in the body as people get older [2]. That decline is one reason people look for CoQ10 in food. For a broader look at how the body makes and uses it, see our guide on how to get CoQ10 naturally.

The Top 15 CoQ10 Foods

The table below lists 15 of the richest foods in a 2025 compilation of published food analyses [6]. Values are averages, shown in milligrams per 100 g, with the published range in brackets. Serving amounts are our calculation from the per-100 g average. A 2010 review of CoQ10 in foods found large differences in the same food from different countries, so treat every number as an estimate [3].

Food	CoQ10 per 100 g (range)	Example serving	CoQ10 per serving
Soybean oil	18.8 mg (9.8–27.9)	1 tbsp (10 g)	about 1.9 mg
Corn oil	13.9 mg	1 tbsp (10 g)	about 1.4 mg
Heart (chicken, beef, pork)	13.1 mg (6.1–19.2)	100 g	about 13 mg
Rabbit	10.3 mg (9.5–11.1)	150 g	about 15 mg
Virgin olive oil	7.7 mg (5.2–11.4)	1 tbsp (10 g)	about 0.8 mg
Liver (chicken, beef, pork)	4.8 mg (2.2–11.6)	100 g	about 4.8 mg
Beef	3.5 mg (2.3–4.9)	150 g	about 5.2 mg
Lamb	2.5 mg (1.9–3.1)	150 g	about 3.7 mg
Pork	2.3 mg (1.3–4.5)	150 g	about 3.5 mg
Dried fruit (dates, figs, raisins, prunes)	2.1 mg (0.8–6.7)	50 g	about 1.1 mg
Chicken or turkey	1.7 mg (1.1–2.5)	150 g	about 2.5 mg
Nuts (almonds, peanuts, hazelnuts, pistachios, pine nuts)	1.7 mg (0.5–2.6)	30 g	about 0.5 mg
Fish canned in oil (sardines, anchovies, tuna)	1.5 mg (1.5–1.6)	50 g	about 0.8 mg
Oily fish (trout, mackerel, tuna, salmon, herring, sardine)	1.1 mg (0.4–3.0)	150 g	about 1.6 mg
Spinach and chard	1.0 mg (0.7–1.3)	200 g	about 2.0 mg

For comparison, the same compilation lists much lower amounts for broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower (about 0.5 mg per 100 g), oranges and other citrus (about 0.17 mg), whole milk (about 0.17 mg) and eggs (about 0.14 mg, or under 0.1 mg in a 60 g egg) [6].

Animal foods

Meat and fish lead the list because CoQ10 is concentrated in tissues that use a lot of energy. Heart is the standout: a 100 g portion supplies about 13 mg, several times more than the same weight of ordinary muscle meat [6]. Liver is the next richest organ meat. Among everyday meats, beef, lamb and pork provide roughly 2 to 3.5 mg per 100 g, and chicken or turkey slightly less [6].

Oily fish varies widely, from about 0.4 to 3 mg per 100 g depending on the species and the study [6]. Lean white fish such as cod and hake averaged only about 0.26 mg per 100 g [6].

Plant foods and oils

Two hands holding a pile of dried soybeans

Some vegetable oils are among the most concentrated sources by weight. Soybean oil averaged about 19 mg per 100 g and corn oil about 14 mg, while sunflower oil was far lower at about 1.2 mg [6]. A separate analysis of almost 100 olive oils found that the variety of olive and how ripe it was at harvest both changed the CoQ10 content [5]. Because people eat oils by the spoonful, a tablespoon still adds only about 1 to 2 mg.

Nuts, dried fruit, spinach and chard each add roughly 0.5 to 2 mg in a normal portion [6]. Most other vegetables, fresh fruits and grains contain much lower levels [3].

Fruits

Fruits are minor sources. In the compilation, oranges and other citrus averaged about 0.17 mg per 100 g, apples and pears about 0.12 mg, strawberries about 0.1 mg and kiwi about 0.24 mg [6]. Dried fruit is more concentrated simply because the water has been removed. Fruit adds variety, not much CoQ10.

Eggs and dairy

Eggs contain CoQ10, but only about 0.14 mg per 100 g on average, with a published range of roughly 0.07 to 0.23 mg [6]. Milk, yogurt and cheese are similarly low [6]. For more detail, see our article on whether eggs contain Q10.

Does Cooking Destroy CoQ10?

Some, depending on the method. In a Danish study that analyzed foods in the form people eat them, frying destroyed 14 to 32% of the CoQ10, while boiling caused no detectable loss [4]. If you want to keep as much as possible, boiling, poaching or stewing is gentler than frying.

CoQ10 in food does appear to be absorbed. In a small crossover study, healthy adults took a single 30 mg dose of CoQ10 either in a meal or as capsules. Blood levels rose significantly both ways, and peak levels did not differ between the two [9]. CoQ10 is fat-soluble, and its absorption from the gut is slow and limited overall [8], so eating CoQ10 foods as part of a meal that contains some fat is a sensible habit.

How Much CoQ10 Do You Get From Food?

Not much. A 2010 review of the published food data estimated average dietary intake at only 3 to 6 mg a day, about half of it in the reduced form (ubiquinol) [3]. In Denmark, researchers estimated intake at 3 to 5 mg a day, with 64% coming from meat and poultry and only small amounts from cereals, fruit, fats and vegetables [4]. A 2025 pilot study of 12 adults in Spain estimated a higher intake, about 10 mg a day [6].

Supplements work on a different scale. To get the 200 mg found in one capsule of some supplements from food, you would need to eat about 1.5 kg of heart or close to 6 kg of beef in a day, based on the averages above. That is why diet and supplements are not interchangeable: food contributes a few milligrams, while a supplement capsule can deliver dozens of times more.

If you choose a supplement

Supplements come in two main forms, ubiquinone and ubiquinol. The differences in absorption are covered in our guide to CoQ10 ubiquinone vs ubiquinol.

For adults who decide a supplement fits their routine, OPA CoQ10 Ubiquinone provides 200 mg of coenzyme Q10 as ubiquinone in one capsule a day, formulated for cellular energy and antioxidant support. A bottle holds 30 capsules, a 30-day supply. That one capsule is roughly 33 to 67 times the 3 to 6 mg most people get from food [3]. For context, a 2008 safety review that pooled clinical trial data put the observed safe level of CoQ10 at 1,200 mg a day; that review was written by scientists at a company that makes CoQ10 [10]. Talk to your doctor before starting, especially if you take medication.

Tips for Adding CoQ10 Foods to Your Meals

Use the richest foods occasionally. A portion of chicken hearts or liver once in a while adds more CoQ10 than days of fruit and vegetables.
Choose cooking methods with care. Boiling, stewing or poaching preserved CoQ10 better than frying in the Danish analysis [4].
Pair with some fat. A drizzle of olive or soybean oil on vegetables, or nuts in a salad, adds a little CoQ10 and the fat that helps absorption [8].
On a plant-based diet, lean on soybean and corn oils, nuts, dried fruit, spinach and chard, and accept that the total will be lower than in a diet that includes meat [4][6].
Keep expectations realistic. Food CoQ10 is measured in single milligrams a day, so food choices will not reproduce supplement doses [3].

Safety and Interactions

CoQ10 from food is part of a normal diet and is not a safety concern. Supplements are different, because they deliver far larger amounts.

Side effects: No serious side effects of CoQ10 supplements have been reported. Mild problems such as trouble sleeping or digestive upset can occur [1].
Warfarin: CoQ10 may interact with the blood thinner warfarin. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking CoQ10 if you use it [1][2].
Insulin and diabetes medicines: CoQ10 may interact with insulin [1]. Talk to your doctor if you take insulin or other blood sugar medication.
Blood pressure and cholesterol medicines: The National Cancer Institute notes that medicines used to lower cholesterol, blood pressure or blood sugar may decrease the effects of CoQ10 [2]. A meta-analysis of placebo-controlled trials found that statins lowered blood CoQ10 levels [11]. If you take any of these, ask your doctor or pharmacist before adding CoQ10.
Cancer treatment: CoQ10 may not be compatible with some types of cancer treatment [1]. Talk to your oncology team first.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding: Ask your healthcare provider before using any supplement.

For a full list, see our article on medications that should not be taken with CoQ10.

Frequently Asked Questions

What foods are high in CoQ10?

Heart and other organ meats are the richest common foods, at about 13 mg per 100 g for heart. Meat, poultry, oily fish, nuts and some oils, especially soybean and corn oil, follow. Most fruits, vegetables, dairy foods and eggs contain well under 1 mg per 100 g.

Can you get enough CoQ10 from food alone?

Your body makes its own CoQ10, and there is no official daily requirement. Food adds about 3 to 6 mg a day on average. That supports what the body already makes, but food cannot supply the much larger amounts found in supplements.

Does cooking destroy CoQ10?

Frying destroyed 14 to 32% of the CoQ10 in tested foods, while boiling caused no detectable loss. Gentler methods such as boiling, stewing and poaching keep more of it.

Do eggs contain CoQ10?

Yes, but only a little: about 0.14 mg per 100 g on average, or less than 0.1 mg in one egg. Eggs are a useful food for other nutrients but a minor CoQ10 source.

Can vegans get CoQ10 from food?

Yes, though in smaller amounts. Soybean and corn oils, virgin olive oil, nuts, dried fruit, spinach and chard are the richest plant options. Because meat and poultry provide most dietary CoQ10 in mixed diets, a vegan diet will usually supply less.

What fruits have CoQ10?

Oranges and other citrus, apples, pears, strawberries, kiwi and grapes all contain small amounts, mostly 0.1 to 0.5 mg per 100 g. Dried fruits such as dates, figs and raisins are more concentrated, at about 2 mg per 100 g on average.

Sources

Disclosure: OPA Nutrition sells supplements, including products mentioned in this article. This content is for education only and is not medical advice. Statements about dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Talk to your healthcare provider before using any supplement, especially if you take medication or have a medical condition.

Written and reviewed by Michael Gonzales, Founder, OPA Nutrition · Last reviewed: October 17, 2026 · How OPA researches and writes

The Top 15 CoQ10 Foods and How Much CoQ10 They Provide

Key Takeaways

What Is CoQ10 and Why Does Food Matter?