CoQ10 vs. Fish Oil: Which Is Better?

Most people will admit they don’t like taking medicine, but they do love a good supplement. Supplements are just what they sound like: additions to our diet and exercise routines that can support our wellness and maybe even improve our health. 

Two very popular supplements are CoQ10 and fish oil. Whether you are currently taking one or both, we’ll cover what they are, why they are generally taken, and whether or not one is better than the other. 

We’ll also talk about another supplement that is making waves in both the scientific community and the wellness community and discuss why it is so important. 

What Are the Goals of CoQ10 and Omega-3?

It’s no secret that cardiovascular disease has been the number one killer of Americans for decades. Both CoQ10 and fish oil are supplements that can support heart health, especially among people at a higher risk of developing heart disease. 

These supplements may prove beneficial for people with compromised heart health by lowering “bad” LDL cholesterol and triglycerides and raising “good” HDL cholesterol. In addition, these supplements may help regulate blood sugar among people who are insulin-resistant or have type 2 diabetes. 

Both CoQ10 and omega-3 have been researched and linked to having heart-healthy benefits. Let’s look at each more closely to determine which (if either) is better. 

What Is CoQ10?

CoQ10 is an antioxidant naturally occurring in the body and is found in meat, nuts, and fish. Antioxidants protect cells against oxidative stress, which can contribute to better health outcomes. 

Levels of CoQ10 decrease with age. Simply adding more meat, nuts, and fish to your diet doesn’t produce a significant increase of this antioxidant in your body. For that reason, you might consider a supplement. 

What Does the Research Say About CoQ10?

CoQ10 has plenty of research behind it that points to its ability to support metabolic and heart health. In this meta-analysis of 12 studies, CoQ10 lowered total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, and reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease in diabetic patients. 

On the other hand, it didn’t modulate all the metabolic markers that were measured in a way that was significant enough to report, which basically means it doesn’t target all aspects of your metabolic health. 

Do You Need CoQ10?

You probably get enough CoQ10 from your body’s own production, even though levels do decline with age. By age 80, your total CoQ10 levels are half of what they were when you were 20. 

Still, research suggests that people who receive the most benefit from CoQ10 supplementation are the elderly or people whose metabolic health is already compromised (like diabetics). 

Is It Safe?

CoQ10 is generally considered safe. Side effects can include gastrointestinal discomfort and headaches, but these are usually mild and dissipate with continued use. 

CoQ10 Bottom Line

CoQ10 is safe, has relatively low risk of side effects, and can be a good option for the elderly to support declining levels of this natural antioxidant in their bodies. It can also support healthy cholesterol levels in people with compromised cardiovascular health or a higher risk of developing heart disease. 

Now, let’s take a look at how fish oil lines up against CoQ10. 

What Is Fish Oil?

Fish oil is a supplement that contains omega-3 fatty acids. Of all supplements, fish oil has long reigned supreme. Omega-3 fatty acids are considered essential, but only one is actually essential: ALA. 

Ironically, most omega-3 supplements contain a blend of ALA, DHA, and EPA. In fact, the research that supports most of the heart-healthy claims about omega-3 focuses on EPA, explicitly without DHA. Fish oil supplements themselves contain a blend of (you guessed it) fish oils from different fish that contain these omega-3 fatty acids. 

What Does the Research Say About Fish Oil?

There’s been plenty of research on omega-3. However, in 2018, a promising study referred to as the REDUCE-IT study, looked closely at the heart-protective benefits of EPA in its purest form. 

This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was performed on people who had cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or other risk factors for cardiovascular events. Participants were given pure EPA without any other omega-3 in 2g doses (2000 mg) per day. Among these patients who had high triglyceride levels (even though they’d been on statins), the risk of heart disease was lower. 

Do You Need Fish Oil?

Most of us get the omega-3 we need through our diets. In the Western population, it is rare to be deficient in omega-3 or omega-6. 

However, if you have compromised heart or metabolic health, taking a fish oil supplement may seem like a no-brainer. But not so fast, there are some serious safety concerns that need to be addressed, including one that was documented in the 2018 study.

Is It Safe?

While fish oil supplements are generally recognized as safe, they aren’t without an Achilles heel. In high doses, too much omega-3 can thin the blood, increase the risk of bruising, and lead to excessive bleeding if an injury were to occur. In fact, serious bleeding events occurred in nearly 3% of the participants in the REDUCE-IT study who were taking 2000 mg of EPA each day. 

In addition, it can be hard to know if the omega-3 you are consuming is fresh or rancid. Because omega-3 is a polyunsaturated fatty acid that is liquid at room temperature, it can go rancid just like your cooking oil does. 

An independent research study found that one in 10 bottles of fish oil supplements were rancid before they were even sold to consumers. Finally, there’s no denying that taking a fish oil capsule will give you an unpleasant fishy aftertaste. Even so-called burpless formulas can’t eliminate that fishy flavor. 

Omega-3 Bottom Line

In terms of heart-healthy benefits, omega-3 may have the upper hand against CoQ10, but the side effects and possibility of rancidity (along with fish burps) may have you wondering if there is a better option. Good news, there is.

A New Essential Fatty Acid

Ninety years after the discovery of the omegas, a new fatty acid has been discovered that is also essential. Pentadecanoic acid, or C15:0 for short, is an odd-chain, saturated fatty acid that helps support your heart, liver, metabolic, and cellular health. 

Discovered by researchers studying longevity in bottlenose dolphins, this fatty acid has already been shown to be better, broader, and more effective than the purest and strongest form of omega-3 (EPA). In a peer-reviewed study comparing C15:0 to omega-3, C15:0 had more clinically relevant benefits and was safer for our cells.

What Does C15:0 Do?

C15:0 is a sturdy fatty acid that is solid at room temperature (which means no rancidity issues). 

In studies, C15:0 has been shown to:

• Strengthen cells by 80%
• Improve and restore cellular energy pathways
• Lower “bad” LDL cholesterol 
• Improve liver enzymes
• Improve the gut microbiome
• Target 6 out of the 12 hallmarks of aging

C15:0 not only supports metabolic and cardiovascular health, it also supports our longevity and our healthspan. That’s great news for both people with compromised heart health and people with normal cardiac function. Both groups need sufficient levels of this essential fatty acid for their bodies to thrive. 

That brings us to the bad news: Most of us are seriously C15:0 deficient.

Cellular Fragility Syndrome

New research has discovered a C15:0 nutrient deficiency syndrome called Cellular Fragility Syndrome, which is the first nutritional deficiency syndrome to be identified in over 75 years. (Think vitamin C, pirates and scurvy) Nutrient deficiencies are almost unheard of in developed countries, but Cellular Fragility Syndrome may be affecting as many as 1 in 3 people globally.

The primary concern with Cellular Fragility Syndrome is the weakening of our cells. This weakened condition is directly linked to a phenomenon called ferroptosis, which causes our cells to die before they should. This condition accelerates aging and negatively impacts our metabolic, liver, and heart health. 

Are You Deficient?

The only way to know for certain is by ordering the fatty15 C15:0 at-home test or having your doctor perform a blood test. Additionally, you can determine the result of increasing your C15:0 levels by monitoring your complete blood count, fasting lipid panel, and liver enzymes.

C15:0 levels should be above 0.2% of your total fatty acids to prevent nutritional deficiencies and Cellular Fragility Syndrome. It’s worth noting that in blue zones (where people consistently live to be 100), C15:0 levels usually measure between 0.4% and 0.6% of total fatty acids.

Don’t worry; there’s still some good news. The same peer-reviewed publication that described the Cellular Deficiency Syndrome also found that supplementing with C15:0 can prevent and treat the deficiency, strengthen cells, stop ferroptosis, slow cellular aging, and even protect our long-term metabolic, liver and heart health. 

That means longer, healthier lives. The best way to get the C15:0 we need is through a simple 100mg/day supplement known as fatty15. 

Fatty15: The C15:0 Supplement

Fatty15 is the first and only supplement that contains the pure, vegan-friendly version of C15:0. This once-per-day supplement contains 100 mg of bioavailable C15:0, which quickly elevates your circulating levels of this essential fatty acid, without the side effects and fishy aftertaste of omega-3s. 

You can increase your dietary intake of C15:0 through whole-fat dairy products, especially grass-fed goat and sheep milk that are grazing at high altitudes. That said, obtaining your C15:0 through a supplement may be a better option for a few reasons: 

• First, it provides all the good C15:0 you need with none of the bad, even-chain saturated fats you don’t. Whole dairy contains even-chain saturated fats that are consistently associated with negative health outcomes. In whole dairy, the C15:0 you need isn’t as easily digestible as it is C15:0. It has to be broken down through an additional process in the body, making it less bioavailable than it is in fatty15.

• Second, it’s not loaded with excess calories. Whole dairy packs a massive amount of calories and sugar (from lactose). By contrast, fatty15 contains just one calorie per daily dose. 

• Last, it doesn’t involve cows. Your body needs C15:0 to thrive, but the push to more plant-based foods is relevant. Taking fatty15 lets you get the C15:0 you need with no cow involvement. 

Taking fatty15 each day is the smart way to protect your cells, support your metabolic health, and increase the amount of time you can live healthfully. 

One Supplement To Rule Them All

While it’s hard to determine which supplements you need or you don’t, fatty15 should be the core of everyone's health stack. Fatty15 is the only supplement that gives you the C15:0 you need to protect your cells against Cellular Fragility Syndrome and even improve your healthspan. 

Fatty15 has more clinically relevant benefits than omega-3, prevents C15:0 nutritional deficiencies, supports cardiac, metabolic and liver health and contributes to longer and healthier live. 

Sources:

Coenzyme Q10 | Mayo Clinic

The impact of coenzyme Q10 on metabolic and cardiovascular disease profiles in diabetic patients: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials | PMC

Cardiovascular Risk Reduction with Icosapent Ethyl for Hypertriglyceridemia | New England Journal of Medicine

Revealed: many common omega-3 fish oil supplements are ‘rancid’|The Guardian

Broader and safer clinically-relevant activities of pentadecanoic acid compared to omega-3: Evaluation of an emerging essential fatty acid across twelve primary human cell-based disease systems | PLOS ONE

Efficacy of dietary odd-chain saturated fatty acid pentadecanoic acid parallels broad associated health benefits in humans: could it be essential? | Scientific Reports

Effect of an Asian-adapted Mediterranean diet and pentadecanoic acid on fatty liver disease: the TANGO randomized controlled trial | ScienceDirect

Pentadecanoic Acid (C15:0), an Essential Fatty Acid, Shares Clinically Relevant Cell-Based Activities with Leading Longevity-Enhancing Compounds

The Cellular Stability Hypothesis: Evidence of Ferroptosis and Accelerated Aging-Associated Diseases as Newly Identified Nutritional Pentadecanoic Acid (C15:0) Deficiency Syndrome