NutraIngredients-Asia Awards 2024 winner Kaneka breaks down the importance of ubiquinol in the healthy ageing process

In our recent NutraIngredients-Asia Awards 2024 ceremony​ which was held in Bangkok, Thailand, Japan-based Kaneka Corporation took home the Ingredient of the Year: Healthy Ageing award for its ubiquinol product.

Ubiquinol is the active format of coenzyme Q which is more commonly known as CoQ-10, and is recognised as a powerful antioxidant.

“Ubiquinol is most well-recognised for its heart health benefits, but it is also a key player in cellular energy production,”​ Kaneka Corporation spokesman Kazuki Takita from the Overseas Marketing and Sales Team, Supplement Business Division told NutraIngredients-Asia​ the day after receiving the award.

“This is because it plays a crucial role in mitochondrial function, and mitochondria generate adenosine triphosphate (ATP) molecules which are essentially energy – on average, a human cell uses around 10 billion ATP molecules a day, and the body consumes about 40kg of ATP on a daily basis.​

“Because the entire human body is composed of cells and every cell has a mitochondrion, this means that ubiquinol can benefit overall health and wellbeing throughout the human body in just about every tissue and organ.​

“There is no way for the body to function without ATP, so maintaining cell and mitochondrial health and function is absolutely essential, and ubiquinol is the way to do this.”​

Given the widespread nature of ubiquinol’s impacts on the body, it not only supports cardiac health but also energy, fertility, overall wellbeing and more whilst protecting cells from oxidative stress and free radicals – making it an ideal supplement to the healthy ageing process.

“We believe that the challenges facing a healthy ageing process are everywhere, which is why we are pushing ubiquinol to many markets, not only in Asia but everywhere,”​ he added.

“Socially there is a serious problem with healthy ageing that we believe ubiquinol will be able to address – but what is still very much needed is broader and more in-depth education on ubiquinol and its benefits.​

“We are working with KOLs globally to get the word out given the importance of this, and Kaneka plans to continue to focus on this product with high priority for the near future.”​

Watch the video below to find out more:

Winning formula​

Kaneka’s ubiquinol is derived from a patented yeast fermentation process that mirrors the natural form in the human body, and the firm’s wealth of in-depth research is what eventually won the NIA Awards judging panel over.

“[The panel was] impressed by how this is a well-established product with high reliability, the clinical evidence presented across multiple outcomes and evidence of commercial success,” ​the judges highlighted.

“This product is backed by over 100 studies, 80 patents, 45 years of research, and precision manufacturing, in addition to being available in over 50 countries globally.​

“This is an important category and win considering the fact that the global population is getting older, and with an increasing number of over fifties in every country, the demand for anti-ageing nutritional solutions has risen sharply in recent years.”​