Why We Didn't Choose Ubiquinol For OvaGold

If you’ve done even a tiny bit of Googling about Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and reproductive health when trying to conceive, you’ve probably come across the two major forms: ubiquinone (also known as, ubidecarenone) and ubiquinol. 

And then maybe spiral into a rabbit hole of Reddit threads, influencer opinions, and supplement price tags that left you more confused than when you started.

So let’s clear this up: the CoQ10 you’ll find in OvaGold, our premium preconception supplement, is ubidecarenone. Not ubiquinol. 

Now before you hit that exit tab button, this was a 100% intentional decision backed by science, absorption data, stability, and good old-fashioned clinical common sense.

So stay and learn exactly why ubidecarenone is actually the real most valuable form of the most researched antioxidant for fertility health, CoQ10.

First, A Quick Refresher on CoQ10 and Fertility

CoQ10 is a nutrient your body naturally produces, it’s essential for energy production in your cells and acts as a powerful antioxidant, protecting your precious eggs from oxidative stress, a bit like cellular rust.

We know that CoQ10 levels decline with age (Barcelos & Haas 2019), and that this decline is linked to reduced egg quality, poorer embryo development and lower IVF success rates.

Supplementing with CoQ10 has been shown to:

• Improve egg quality and mitochondrial function (Ben-Meir et al., 2015; Shang et al., 2024)
  Increase the number of mature eggs retrieved during IVF (Zhang et al., 2020)
  Potentially boost fertilisation and pregnancy outcomes (Zhang et al., 2020)

So yep, CoQ10 is a strong consideration in your preconception supplementation plan.

But the form matters. And that’s where the confusion starts.

Ubidecarenone vs. Ubiquinol: What's the Difference?

Think of them as two sides of the same coin:

• Ubidecarenone = oxidised form (also called ubiquinone)
• Ubiquinol = reduced form

 

Your body can pretty efficiently convert between the two, and this conversion happens naturally during or shortly after absorption in the small intestine.

So if you’re taking ubidecarenone, your body will reduce (or convert) it to ubiquinol anyway – you’re still getting the active form, but with several key advantages (keep reading).

1. The Science on Reproductive Health Has Focused on Ubidecarenone and Ubiquinone

Here’s a major mic-drop moment: the CoQ10 used in fertility studies is ubidecarenone, not ubiquinol.

That means when scientists say CoQ10 supports egg quality, embryo development, and IVF outcomes, they’re talking about the benefits of ubidecarenone.

For example, the following studies used ubidecarenone or ubiquinone and showed fertility-supportive outcomes:

PMID: 34502447

PMID: 39019217

PMID: 39129455

This is why we’ve used 300 mg of ubidecarenone in OvaGold, because it’s the form that’s actually been studied in the context of reproductive health.

2. Absorption? It’s All About the Meal

One of the marketing claims about ubiquinol is that it’s “better absorbed.” But here’s the thing: you can increase ubidecarenone absorption simply by taking it with a meal containing healthy fats.

And guess what? That’s exactly what we recommend with OvaGold.

Pro tip: Pair it with breakfast and lunch that includes things like avocado, olive oil, nuts or seeds, or a piece of salmon, even some eggs will do the trick! This fat-meal combo helps your body absorb CoQ10 more efficiently.

No overpriced “enhanced” formulation needed. Just science + food = better bioavailability. Not to mention the benefits of these healthy fats in your diet when trying to conceive!

Bonus tip? Breaking up our 2 capsule per day dose into 1 capsule twice daily can also enhance absorption of CoQ10 as some data suggests we get the most out of the 300 mg CoQ10 dose when taken in two separate doses of 150 mg each (Mantle & Dybring, 2020).

3. Stability Matters (Especially for Something You’re Taking Daily)

Ubiquinol can oxidise and degrade in storage unless it’s in special packaging, and even then, quality can vary.

That’s not a risk we were willing to take.

We chose ubidecarenone because it’s:

• More stable
• More consistent in potency
• Less prone to oxidation
• Easier to formulate without additives or preservatives

Stability = reliability = peace of mind for you and your reproductive health!

4. Cost-Effective, Without Compromising Quality

Let’s be real: we know the fertility journey can come with a lot of expenses. 

By choosing ubidecarenone, we can deliver a research-backed, clinically relevant dose of CoQ10 at a more affordable price, without compromising on effectiveness.

That means:
❌ No unnecessary markups
❌ No fancy fluff

Just effective, evidence-based ingredients, thoughtfully combined by fertility nutritionists.

This cost-effective approach lets us invest more in what actually matters, like pairing CoQ10 with antioxidant teammates like Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Alpha Lipoic Acid, and NRC (a precursor to NAD+), all of which are inside OvaGold.

5. CoQ10 Levels in the Body Increase within 30 Days with Ubidecarenone

Absorption data tells us that if you’re using a CoQ10 supplement for 30-45 days, then your blood level of CoQ10 tends to reach a similar point whether you use ubiquinol or ubidecarenone (Mantle & Dybring, 2020).

With OvaGold, we strongly recommend using our preconception supplement for at least 30 days, but 90 days is even better to match up with the preconception window of 3 months prior to conception.

6. It's What We’ve Been Using in Clinic for Years

Our founders, Mon & Stef, are fertility nutrition professionals who’ve worked with hundreds of clients navigating natural conception and assisted reproductive treatments.

For years, they’ve been recommending ubidecarenone-based CoQ10, at doses around 300 mg per day, as part of preconception prep. And that exact dosage is what you’ll find inside OvaGold, because it works.

Why reinvent the wheel when the science (and the real-world outcomes) already speak volumes?

Ubidecarenone is a Perfectly Suitable Form of CoQ10 for you Reproductive Health

At arxi, we’re all about cutting through the noise and bringing you the formulas we wish existed when we were supporting clients in practice. No fluff, no filler, and definitely no overpriced gimmicks.

That’s why we’ve chosen ubidecarenone as our CoQ10 of choice. 

Because it's:
✅ Backed by the latest research
✅ Highly absorbable (when taken with food)
✅ More stable and reliable
✅ More cost-effective
✅ The exact form used in real-world fertility support

We’ve done the legwork so you don’t have to. So you can focus on nourishing your eggs, feeling empowered in your prepconception, and giving your future self the best chance possible.