Which foods contain CoQ10, and how much?

CoQ10 (coenzyme Q10) is found in most foods, but in very different amounts. A 2025 study that pooled published measurements puts soybean oil, corn oil, olive oil and chicken, pork and beef heart (organ meat) in its top class, over 50 mg per kg, with averages of 188.5, 139.1 and 130.6 mg per kg for soybean oil, corn oil and heart. Animal liver (48.0), beef (34.7), pork (23.1), chicken and oily fish are in the next class, 10 to 50 mg per kg. Oils are used about a spoonful at a time, so per serving they give less than a portion of meat. Meanwhile, dairy, eggs and some fruit, such as oranges, bananas and apples, have less than 2 mg per kg. Cooking can change the amount, and frying lowers it more than boiling. CoQ10 is not among the nutrients in the Thai RDIs, so there is no Thai daily figure for it.

In short:

• Highest (over 50 mg per kg): soybean oil, corn oil, olive oil, and chicken, pork and beef heart (organ meat)
• High (10 to 50 mg per kg): animal liver, beef, lamb, pork, chicken, oily fish and nuts
• Plant oils: vary widely; sunflower oil has much less than soybean oil, and oils are used a spoonful at a time
• Fish: oily fish have more than lean fish and shellfish
• Low: milk, yoghurt, cheese, eggs, many fruits and vegetables
• From food: about 5.4 mg a day on average in Chinese adults, 3–5 mg in Denmark

This article lists the amounts of CoQ10 in foods only. For what CoQ10 is and how its two forms, ubiquinone and ubiquinol, differ, see What is CoQ10, and how do ubiquinone and ubiquinol differ?

Which kinds of food contain CoQ10?

A 2010 review by Pravst and colleagues at the Nutrition Institute in Ljubljana, Slovenia, which collected reports of CoQ10 in foods, says meat, fish, nuts and some oils are the richest dietary sources, while much lower levels are found in most dairy products, vegetables, fruit and cereals. The review also found large variations in CoQ10 content in some foods of different geographical origin.

How the amounts are grouped

A 2025 study from the University of Zaragoza in Spain searched the published literature for CoQ10 values in foods typically eaten in southern Europe, averaged them, and sorted the foods into five classes.

How much CoQ10 is in 100 g of each food?

The table below shows the averages from the Zaragoza study. The study gives values per kg; the middle column divides them by 10 to show the amount per 100 g. The range in brackets is the spread of the published values the study collected.

Meat and organ meats

Fish and seafood

Plant oils, nuts and plant foods

Milk and eggs

The values come from different studies that used different foods and methods, so the table shows a rough order rather than exact figures for any one product.

How much CoQ10 is in one serving?

The Zaragoza study also worked out the amount per serving, using serving sizes from a Spanish food questionnaire. Portions in Thai meals may differ, so treat these as examples.

Why does the order change per serving?

Per kg, soybean oil is one of the richest foods, but it is used about a spoonful at a time. Chard and spinach have little CoQ10 per kg, but a 200 g serving brings them close to a portion of chicken.

Why do different cuts and fish have different amounts?

Muscle type

A 2004 study from Massey University in New Zealand measured CoQ10 in beef liver and in several muscles of beef and lamb. Beef cheek muscle, made mostly of red fibres, had 3.2 times as much CoQ10 as the semitendinosus muscle of the hind leg, made mainly of white fibres. Lamb muscles had slightly less than beef semitendinosus, and the values differed significantly between eight lamb muscles. The researchers concluded that the levels vary between muscles, between animals and with cooking.

Production system and ageing

A follow-up study by the same group compared 15 grain-finished cattle from Washington, USA, with 16 pasture-finished cattle from New Zealand. The triceps brachii (shoulder) muscle had more CoQ10 than the longissimus (loin), and the cheek muscle more again. Muscles from the US cattle contained less CoQ10, and the authors noted that the reasons were not clear. A 2026 study from Uruguay of loin from 20 pasture-finished Angus steers found more CoQ10 in beef aged for 90 days than in beef aged for 5 days.

Fat content in fish and oils

In fish, a 2023 study by Semeniuc and colleagues concluded from earlier measurements that CoQ10 is proportional to fat content: fatty fish such as mackerel and herring had more than the medium-fat trout they tested. Among oils, a 2011 study from the University of Granada found that extra virgin olive oil had more CoQ10 than virgin argan oil, and that among the seed oils tested, only virgin soybean oil had more than argan oil.

Does cooking change CoQ10 in food?

Several studies have measured food before and after cooking.

The Danish study found that frying lowered CoQ10 more than boiling, the beef studies found less in cooked than in raw meat, and slowly cooked lamb showed a slight increase. Each study used different foods and conditions, so the figures cannot be applied directly to Thai dishes.

How much CoQ10 do people get from food?

No study estimating CoQ10 intake in Thailand was found, so the figures below come from other countries.

China

A study from Sun Yat-sen University used three consecutive 24-hour recalls and a household food inventory from 7,938 adults in the China Health and Nutrition Survey. Average intake was 5.4 mg a day, with a median of 3.92 mg. The median was 4.14 mg in men and 3.73 mg in women, 5.00 mg in northern China and 3.54 mg in southern China. Meat and meat products were the most important source, and oils and fats were also important. The intake was calculated from food records and published CoQ10 values for foods, not measured in the food people actually ate.

Denmark

Weber and colleagues (1997) combined Denmark's national dietary survey with their own analysis of foods and estimated average intake at 3–5 mg a day, about 64% of it from meat and poultry, with only minor contributions from cereals, fruit, edible fats and vegetables.

Is there a recommended daily amount?

CoQ10 is not among the nutrients in the Thai RDIs, so there is no Thai daily figure for it. Weber and colleagues also note that the optimal dietary intake of CoQ10 is unknown.

Who should talk to a doctor or pharmacist?

People taking regular medicines

NCCIH, part of the US National Institutes of Health, says CoQ10 may interact with some medicines, including medicines that make blood clot less easily, and that it may not be compatible with some types of medical treatment. If you take any regular medicine, or are under a doctor's ongoing care, ask a doctor or pharmacist before taking a dietary supplement containing CoQ10.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

If you are pregnant, planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding, talk to a doctor or pharmacist before taking any dietary supplement, including products containing CoQ10.

Dietary supplements are not intended to prevent, treat or cure any disease.