Kaneka Ubiquinol alleviates menopausal symptoms, consumer research reveals

21 May 2024 --- A new study reveals that two months of supplementation with Kaneka Ubiquinol alleviates menopausal symptoms in almost 80% of participating women. They reported reduced stress, irritability and sensitivity after taking 200 mg of Ubiquinol daily. Moreover, 80% of participants reported mood improvements and feeling “more emotionally stable” after 30 days of taking the supplement.

Ubiquinol is an antioxidant in the human body, activating the production cycle of mitochondria, the cell’s powerhouse. After age 20, ubiquinol levels in the body decrease, leading to a reduction in energy production, an acceleration in aging and depletion of the immune system. Kaneka Nutrients’ product is a bioidentical supplement ingredient. 

Filip Van hulle, general manager of Kaneka Nutrients Europe, tells Nutrition Insight that the company is increasingly focusing on Ubiquinol’s applications in women’s health. 

“We did a consumer study on 200 French postmenopausal women; the recruitment was done via Instagram, using French influencers like Virginie Florin and Nathalie Simon.” 

He highlights that typical menopausal symptoms include more stress, irritation and sensitivity, lower sleep quality and skin conditions.

“Most of these factors were significantly improved by taking Ubiquinol, so now more than eight out of 10 of the women actually want to continue to take Ubiquinol. We think this is an important new market, done via this real-life consumer study. It’s new, it’s not really a scientific study, but it’s under the umbrella of tried and tested.” 

Study set up 
The study was conducted by the French research institute Expansion Consulteam with French lifestyle influencers who helped recruit 200 female participants aged 45–55 through Instagram. 

The researchers looked for women who were experiencing menopausal discomfort, scoring at least a rate of five on a scale from one to 10. Symptoms included emotional imbalance, impact on quality of life (e.g., stress or sleep) and muscle aches and pains. The team excluded participants who were on hormone treatment or non-drug therapy, as well as women who were taking food supplements, herbal medicine, homeopathy, medicine or topical treatment to alleviate menopausal symptoms. 

Participants consumed 200 mg of Ubiquinol daily over two months, reporting on their observations before, during and after the supplementation period. 

At the start of the study, the most frequently reported symptoms were poor skin quality (94% of participants), sleep disturbances (90%) and stress and anxiety (85%). 

At Vitafoods Europe 2024, Kaneka Nutrients highlighted the application range of Ubiquinol.Alleviating symptoms 
After two months, 80% of participants reported that the supplement alleviated menopausal symptoms. In addition to psychological and emotional benefits, 70% reported a better quality of sleep, less muscular pain and improved well-being by the end of the study. 

Moreover, 76% of participants said they felt the effects of supplementation after 30 days. Meanwhile, 8 out of 10 participants said they would recommend the product as a solution for other women experiencing menopause.

“Everyone with a menstrual cycle will go through menopause during their lifetime — and by 2025, it is estimated that there will be 1.1 billion postmenopausal women worldwide,” comments Van hulle. 

“Once considered a taboo topic, consumers are now beginning to talk more openly about the effects of the menopause. And with 50% of women saying that their menopause symptoms have impacted their home life, they must have the solutions they need to live life to the fullest.” 

“These findings present an exciting new opportunity for brands to offer new solutions for women experiencing menopause.”

15th anniversary 
At last week’s Vitafoods Europe 2024 trade show, Kaneka Nutrients celebrated 15 years of its flagship ingredient, Kaneka Ubiquinol. The company showcased new delivery formats and the ingredient’s wide application range at the expo. 

The company also highlighted research on the ingredient, demonstrating improvements in general fitness and enhancements of power production. These result in a reduction of physical and mental fatigue, improved sleep, decreased muscle soreness and better recovery for athletes. 

“If we look back to when we introduced Ubiquinol 15 years ago, a lot of things have changed,” underscores Van hulle. “We have developed more scientific evidence and more product applications.”

“If you want to achieve this, then you must look at more product forms. When we introduced Ubiquinol through the biologically active form of Coenzyme Q10, it was much more targeted at cellular energy and maybe heart health, but in the meantime, more applications have been introduced, whether it is fertility or healthy aging, mental health or sports nutrition applications.” 

By Jolanda van Hal