CoQ10 Ubiquinol - made from "yeast" - is it OK ?

[Bansaw]

I am pondering which CoQ10 supplement to use.
So far I have narrowed it down to two.

The Jarrow formulas QH-Absorb Ubiquinol here.
And the Swanson Ultra here.

However, I am looking at the Swanson and it appeals to me that its non-GMO apparently, but it says:

--Manufactured using the yeast fermentation method
--100% pure & natural bio-identical CoQ10

The Jarrow one has soy in it which I tend to avoid. Everytime I see "yeast" its a red flag to me becuase of Candida but I'm not sure the Swanson one has yeast in it, but just the bi-product so it might be OK.

Any comments?

 

[Critterina]

I am pondering which CoQ10 supplement to use.
So far I have narrowed it down to two.

The Jarrow formulas QH-Absorb Ubiquinol here.
And the Swanson Ultra here.

However, I am looking at the Swanson and it appeals to me that its non-GMO apparently, but it says:



The Jarrow one has soy in it which I tend to avoid. Everytime I see "yeast" its a red flag to me becuase of Candida but I'm not sure the Swanson one has yeast in it, but just the bi-product so it might be OK.

Any comments?

One of the principal methods of manufacturing products is to splice the gene that makes the desired substance into a yeast or bacteria and to grow them in vats, recover, and purify the substance. This is the science of biotechnology. If the manufacturer uses cGMP (current Good Manufacturing Practices), which they have to do if they use the facility to make substances controlled by the FDA, you can be sure that the yeast themselves don't make it into the product. Many good manufacturers of supplements choose to use cGMP, even though they are not required to do so. Maybe someone else here will know if Jarrow does, but I wouldn't be surprised if they do.

That said, if you were ALLERGIC to yeast, you'd probably want to avoid it, because who knows what protein in the yeast would be causing it, and since it's possible to have an anaphylactic response to only 6 molecules of something, you'd really want to avoid it. But that's different, very different, than having a whole live yeast in the supplement.

 

[Bansaw]

Would I be right in saying that nearly all of the CoQ10 ubiquinol products out there are made in the same way, ie: yeast/bacteria fermentation?

 

[Critterina]

Would I be right in saying that nearly all of the CoQ10 ubiquinol products out there are made in the same way, ie: yeast/bacteria fermentation?

I don't know. I have several clients in the biotechnology field, but they make vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, and cancer treatments mostly. I know it's a common way to manufacture things because it's cost-effective, contollable high quality, and generally less controversial than harvesting from animals (nobody has yet come to protest the right to life for microbes).

 

[Keela Too]

I've just switched to using this type of Co-Q-10 ... I never thought to check how it was made!

But having said that I'm not worried about yeast particularly. I drink kefir and I understand that it is made by a yeast/bacteria symbiosis.

 

[Critterina]

I've just switched to using this type of Co-Q-10 ... I never thought to check how it was made!

But having said that I'm not worried about yeast particularly. I drink kefir and I understand that it is made by a yeast/bacteria symbiosis.

Yes, and you're actually drinking the yeast and bacteria. It's supposed to be very good for you (as long as you're not histamine intolerant like me!)

 

[Bansaw]

I drink raw milk Kefir also. The yeasts in kefir are beneficial, and Candida is too (until it changes into its pathogenic state that is). I actually take S.Boulardii which is said to be antagonistic to Candida.
But a blood test found I was intolerant to yeast (bakers and brewers) so I've got to be careful.
But if the CoQ10 ubiquinol is a bi-product of the yeast process and no or little yeast is found in the final product then it won't affect me much. (I have the odd slice of bread once every few weeks with no reaction).

 

[Jonathan Edwards]

Would I be right in saying that nearly all of the CoQ10 ubiquinol products out there are made in the same way, ie: yeast/bacteria fermentation?

Ubiquinol is a small molecule (about 700D) that I suspect is found in almost all cells of all organisms, like phospholipids or cholesterol. It is not a protein so genetic engineering would not be relevant I think. It looks as if the length of the lipid tail can vary. It is lipid soluble so I suspect it is extracted using a solvent that would leave specific yeast proteins behind. I agree that contamination might be enough if there was an allergy issue. Otherwise I cannot see any reason to worry. It is likely that most small biological molecules involved in active metabolism like this are produced in yeast because yeast is so easy to grow in suspension.

 

[Critterina]

Ubiquinol is a small molecule (about 700D) that I suspect is found in almost all cells of all organisms,...

Yes, that's how it got it's name, from the word "ubiquitous".

... It is not a protein so genetic engineering would not be relevant I think.

Not sure what you mean here, as inserting a gene into a yeast to grow it is something I consider genetic engineering. Maybe you have a narrower definition?

It is likely that most small biological molecules involved in active metabolism like this are produced in yeast because yeast is so easy to grow in suspension.

That may be true. I know for other/larger molecules E. coli is used, as are dog kidney (MDCK), green monkey kidney (Vero), and other standard types of cell lines. It really depends on what you're growing, and whether you are splicing a gene into a cell nucleus or infecting the cells with a virus (like influenza or anthrax) to harvest the virus.

 

[Jonathan Edwards]

Not sure what you mean here, as inserting a gene into a yeast to grow it is something I consider genetic engineering. Maybe you have a narrower definition?

There is no gene for ubiquinol - it will be synthesised by a series of enzymes which the yeast will already have if, as we think, all cells make ubiquinol. I would guess that any old yeast in the kitchen will do the job! There is no need to give the yeast any extra genes for more enzymes if it already has its own. I don't think this has anything to do with making proteins in E coli or CHO cells etc. I guess you might make GM yeast that goes into ubiquinol synthesis overdrive but I doubt that is necessary.

 

[ahmo]

I've been using this one, labelled non-GMO, no soy. Comes in varied dosages.

http://www.iherb.com/Healthy-Origin...Healthy Origins Ubiquinol&rc=907&sr=null&ic=6

 

[Critterina]

There is no gene for ubiquinol - it will be synthesised by a series of enzymes which the yeast will already have if, as we think, all cells make ubiquinol. I would guess that any old yeast in the kitchen will do the job! There is no need to give the yeast any extra genes for more enzymes if it already has its own. I don't think this has anything to do with making proteins in E coli or CHO cells etc. I guess you might make GM yeast that goes into ubiquinol synthesis overdrive but I doubt that is necessary.

OK, Thank you. I now see what you mean. Hmmm, it would seem like overdrive would be worth trying for, if you're going into business making it. But I have no idea what they actually have done.