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Ingredient guide

Foods high in CoQ10

Written by the Full Measure editorial team, which sells supplements. Approved for publication by the Full Measure owners. Updated .

Drafted with AI assistance from the sources listed below. How we write these

Quick answer

Meat, fish, nuts and some oils are the richest food sources of CoQ10, while dairy, vegetables, fruit and cereals have much less. An average diet supplies only about 3 to 6 mg a day, far below the 90 to 390 mg a day used in most studies.1,2

Key facts

  • In a study of the Danish diet, 64% of CoQ10 intake came from meat and poultry.3
  • Rapeseed oil and soybean oil had considerably large amounts in one food analysis.4
  • Frying destroyed 14% to 32% of the CoQ10 in foods, while boiling caused no detectable loss.3
  • CoQ10 eaten in a meal reached the blood about as well as the same 30 mg taken as capsules.5

Which foods have the most

Meat, fish, nuts and some oils are the richest food sources of CoQ10. Most dairy products, vegetables, fruits and cereals have much less.1

Where CoQ10 is found in food, from the studies on this page1,3,4
Food groupWhat the studies found
Meat and poultryAmong the richest sources, and 64% of intake in a Danish diet study
FishAmong the richest sources, with considerably large amounts in migratory fish
NutsAmong the richest sources
Rapeseed (canola) and soybean oilsConsiderably large amounts
Pulses, such as beans, peas and lentilsPresent
Dairy, vegetables, fruit and cerealsMuch lower levels

In a study of the Danish diet, intake was 3 to 5 mg a day, and 64% of it came from meat and poultry. Cereals, fruit, fats and vegetables added only small amounts.3

In one food analysis, migratory fish, rapeseed oil and soybean oil had considerably large amounts of CoQ10, and it was also found in pulses, nuts, dairy products and many vegetables.4

None of these studies gives a ranked list of single foods in its summary, and the content of the same food varies with where it was produced. Read the groups above as a guide rather than exact amounts.1

Plant foods for vegetarians and vegans

Plant sources exist but are fewer. Rapeseed (canola) and soybean oils had considerably large amounts in one analysis, nuts are among the richer sources, and pulses and many vegetables also contain some.1,4

In a 20-day dose trial in India, the authors suggested that their participants' low starting blood levels might reflect vegetarian diets. They did not test that idea.6

How much a day food provides

An average diet supplies only about 3 to 6 mg of CoQ10 a day, about half of it in the reduced form, ubiquinol.1

Even the top of that range, about 6 mg a day, is a fifteenth of the lowest amount common in studies, 90 mg. The body makes its own CoQ10 as well, so food is only part of the supply.1,2

Cooking and absorption

Frying destroyed 14% to 32% of the CoQ10 in foods, while boiling caused no detectable loss.3

CoQ10 in food is absorbed. In a crossover study, 30 mg given in a meal or as capsules produced similar peak blood levels.5

CoQ10 is fat-soluble, which is why the fat in a meal matters for absorption, whether it comes from food or from a supplement taken with that meal.2

Cautions

Food amounts of CoQ10 are small. If you take warfarin and are thinking about a CoQ10 supplement, talk first to whoever manages your warfarin: its label lists coenzyme Q10 among products that may decrease its effect.7

Questions people ask

Are there vegan foods high in CoQ10?

Yes, though fewer than animal foods. Rapeseed (canola) oil and soybean oil had considerably large amounts in one analysis, nuts are among the richer sources, and pulses contain some.1,4

Can you get enough CoQ10 from food?

The body makes its own, and the best daily intake is unknown, so there is no official target to reach. Food alone supplies only 3 to 6 mg a day, far less than the amounts used in studies.1,2,3

Is the CoQ10 in food ubiquinone or ubiquinol?

Both. About half of the CoQ10 in an average diet is in the reduced form, ubiquinol, and the rest is ubiquinone.1

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Sources

  1. Pravst I, Zmitek K, Zmitek J. Coenzyme Q10 contents in foods and fortification strategies. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2010;50(4):269-280. Opened 2026-10-07.
  2. PDQ Integrative, Alternative, and Complementary Therapies Editorial Board. Coenzyme Q10 (PDQ): Health Professional Version. National Cancer Institute. Updated October 31, 2024. Opened 2026-10-07.
  3. Weber C, Bysted A, Hølmer G. The coenzyme Q10 content of the average Danish diet. Int J Vitam Nutr Res. 1997;67(2):123-129. Opened 2026-10-07.
  4. Kamei M, Fujita T, Kanbe T, et al. The distribution and content of ubiquinone in foods. Int J Vitam Nutr Res. 1986;56(1):57-63. Opened 2026-10-07.
  5. Weber C, Bysted A, Hølmer G. Coenzyme Q10 in the diet: daily intake and relative bioavailability. Mol Aspects Med. 1997;18 Suppl:S251-S254. Opened 2026-10-07.
  6. Singh RB, Niaz MA, Kumar A, Sindberg CD, Moesgaard S, Littarru GP. Effect on absorption and oxidative stress of different oral Coenzyme Q10 dosages and intake strategy in healthy men. Biofactors. 2005;25(1-4):219-224. Opened 2026-10-07.
  7. Warfarin sodium tablets: prescribing information (Amneal Pharmaceuticals). DailyMed, U.S. National Library of Medicine. Published June 3, 2026. Opened 2026-10-07.

This page is information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own situation.