How Do You Get CoQ10 Naturally?

You get CoQ10 naturally in two ways: your body makes it, and you eat it. The richest food sources are organ meats such as heart and liver, then meat, poultry and oily fish such as beef, pork, chicken, sardines, mackerel and herring, followed by soybean and canola oils, nuts and seeds. Vegetables, fruit, eggs and dairy provide much smaller amounts, and a typical diet supplies only about 3 to 6 mg a day.

Your Body Makes Its Own CoQ10

Coenzyme Q10 is a compound your body synthesizes itself. It is present in most tissues, with the highest concentrations in the heart, liver, kidneys and pancreas and the lowest in the lungs. Cells use it in mitochondria to turn the energy in food into ATP, and its reduced form also works as an antioxidant in cell membranes.

Because the body makes it, CoQ10 is not a vitamin, and the researchers who measured CoQ10 in the Danish diet noted that the optimal dietary intake is unknown. The body builds the molecule in several steps. One of them, making the ring part of CoQ10 from the amino acid tyrosine, depends on vitamin B6, and a small study found higher blood CoQ10 in people with better B6 status.

How CoQ10 Levels Change With Age

A study of human organs from people aged one day to 81 years found that CoQ10 content peaked at about 20 years of age in most organs (at one year in the pancreas and adrenal glands) and then fell continuously with age. The National Cancer Institute summarizes the likely reasons as higher needs, lower production, or too little of the building blocks needed to make it.

This is one reason CoQ10 attracts interest from older adults. It is worth knowing, though, that dietary changes alone add only a few milligrams a day.

Food Sources of CoQ10

The figures below come from published laboratory analyses of foods compiled in a 2023 review. Values vary with the animal, cut, origin and test method, so we show the range reported. Serving figures are our own calculations from the per-100 g values.

Meat and organ meats

Heart and liver contain the most CoQ10 per serving, which makes sense: they are among the organs where the body keeps the most of it. Muscle meat such as beef and pork supplies less per bite, but because people eat it often, meat and poultry made up about 64% of daily CoQ10 intake in a Danish dietary analysis.

Oily fish

Sardines, mackerel and herring are good sources, comparable to chicken or lean beef. An earlier Japanese analysis also found considerably large amounts of CoQ10 in migratory fish. Leaner fish such as salmon and tuna contained less in the analyses reviewed.

Oils, nuts and seeds

Soybean and canola (rapeseed) oils are the richest plant sources, while olive oil contains very little. Peanuts and pistachios add smaller amounts. For people who eat little or no meat, these are the main dietary sources, though amounts stay modest.

Vegetables, fruit, eggs and dairy

These foods do contain CoQ10, but in small amounts. A medium orange or a large egg adds a fraction of a milligram. They are still worth eating for their other nutrients; they simply will not move your CoQ10 intake much. For more on specific foods, see our list of CoQ10 foods.

How Much CoQ10 Does Food Provide?

Average intake is small. A review of food analyses put typical dietary intake at 3 to 6 mg a day, about half of it in the reduced form (ubiquinol). The Danish study estimated 3 to 5 mg a day. For comparison, it would take roughly 2 to 6 kg of beef to reach 100 mg.

The CoQ10 in food is absorbed. In a small crossover study, 30 mg of CoQ10 given as a meal raised blood levels about as much as the same amount given as capsules. The authors concluded that dietary CoQ10 may contribute to blood levels.

Simple Ways to Get More CoQ10 From Your Meals

• Rotate your proteins. Mix beef, pork, chicken and oily fish such as sardines, mackerel or herring across the week. Heart or liver now and then adds the most per serving.
• Cook gently. In the Danish analysis, frying destroyed 14% to 32% of CoQ10, while boiling caused no detectable loss. Stewing, braising, steaming or baking are good options.
• Choose soybean or canola oil for cooking and dressings if you want a plant source; olive oil contains very little CoQ10.
• Snack on nuts. Peanuts and pistachios are easy, shelf-stable sources.
• Pair it with fat. CoQ10 is fat-soluble and absorbed best with fat, which these foods naturally provide.

When Food Isn't Enough

Food keeps a steady trickle of CoQ10 coming in, but it cannot reach the amounts researchers test. Human studies have usually used 90 to 390 mg a day, many times what any diet supplies. A review of CoQ10's biochemistry notes that correcting a deficiency requires supplementation with more CoQ10 than the diet provides.

That does not mean everyone needs a supplement. Healthy people make their own CoQ10, and how quickly any change might be noticed varies; see how long CoQ10 takes to work. People who are interested in a supplement, often older adults, should look at the evidence for the specific goal they have in mind and talk to their healthcare provider, especially if they take medicines.

If you do choose one, OPA CoQ10 Ubiquinone provides 200 mg of CoQ10 as ubiquinone in one capsule, within the range used in studies and roughly 30 to 65 times what a typical diet supplies in a day. The other ingredients are a cellulose vegetable capsule and rice flour, and a bottle holds 30 capsules. The label suggests one capsule 20 to 30 minutes before a meal with water; taking it before a meal that contains some fat fits both the label and CoQ10's absorption. Our ubiquinone vs ubiquinol guide explains the two forms, and the best time to take CoQ10 covers timing.

Safety and Interactions

CoQ10 from food is part of a normal diet. As a supplement, no serious side effects have been reported; mild insomnia or digestive upset can occur.

• Statins and other cholesterol-lowering medicines: statins block a step in the pathway the body uses to make CoQ10. A 2015 meta-analysis of placebo-controlled trials found that atorvastatin, simvastatin, rosuvastatin and pravastatin all lowered blood CoQ10, by an average of 0.44 micromol/L; whether that matters clinically is unclear. The National Cancer Institute adds that gemfibrozil and some oral glucose-lowering medicines can also lower blood CoQ10. Keep taking these medicines exactly as prescribed and ask your doctor or pharmacist before adding a supplement.
• Beta-blockers: these can inhibit CoQ10-dependent enzyme reactions. Ask your pharmacist whether a supplement is suitable for you.
• Warfarin, insulin and cancer treatment: CoQ10 supplements may interact with warfarin and insulin and may not be compatible with some cancer treatments. Talk to your doctor before starting one.

Never stop or change a prescribed medicine because of a supplement. Our guide to medications that may interact with CoQ10 explains each interaction. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, talk to your healthcare provider before taking a CoQ10 supplement.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the best way to get CoQ10 naturally?

Your body makes most of what it needs. From food, the richest sources are heart and liver, then meat, poultry and oily fish, then soybean and canola oils, peanuts and pistachios. Eating a variety of these, cooked by methods other than frying, keeps a steady supply coming in.

Which food has the most CoQ10?

Organ meats lead. In published analyses, chicken heart had about 19 mg per 100 g and beef heart about 6 to 11 mg. Among everyday foods, beef has about 1.6 to 4.9 mg per 100 g.

Can vegans get enough CoQ10?

The body makes its own CoQ10, so vegans are not without it. Plant sources include soybean and canola oils, peanuts, pistachios, avocado and broccoli, though amounts are modest.

Is CoQ10 present in eggs?

Yes, but very little: published analyses found 0.07 to 0.15 mg per 100 g of egg, which is under 0.1 mg in a large egg.

How much CoQ10 do you get from food each day?

Studies estimate about 3 to 6 mg a day on average, mostly from meat and poultry.

Does cooking destroy CoQ10?

Frying does. In one analysis, frying destroyed 14% to 32% of the CoQ10 in tested foods, while boiling caused no detectable loss.

Sources

1. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH). Coenzyme Q10. Updated 2019.
2. National Cancer Institute (NIH). Coenzyme Q10 (PDQ), Health Professional Version. Updated 2024.
3. Podar AS, Semeniuc CA, Ionescu SR, et al. An overview of analytical methods for quantitative determination of coenzyme Q10 in foods. Metabolites. 2023.
4. Pravst I, Zmitek K, Zmitek J. Coenzyme Q10 contents in foods and fortification strategies. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2010.
5. Weber C, Bysted A, Hølmer G. The coenzyme Q10 content of the average Danish diet. Int J Vitam Nutr Res. 1997.
6. Weber C, Bysted A, Hølmer G. Coenzyme Q10 in the diet: daily intake and relative bioavailability. Mol Aspects Med. 1997.
7. Kamei M, Fujita T, Kanbe T, et al. The distribution and content of ubiquinone in foods. Int J Vitam Nutr Res. 1986.
8. Kalén A, Appelkvist EL, Dallner G. Age-related changes in the lipid compositions of rat and human tissues. Lipids. 1989.
9. Willis R, Anthony M, Sun L, et al. Clinical implications of the correlation between coenzyme Q10 and vitamin B6 status. Biofactors. 1999.
10. Crane FL. Biochemical functions of coenzyme Q10. J Am Coll Nutr. 2001.
11. Banach M, Serban C, Ursoniu S, et al. Statin therapy and plasma coenzyme Q10 concentrations: a systematic review and meta-analysis of placebo-controlled trials. Pharmacol Res. 2015.

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