It’s frustrating to hear conventional doctors talk about the “diseases of aging” – like diabetes, Alzheimer’s, heart disease, or poor bone health – as if there’s nothing you can do about them.
But, there is a lot you can do.
A recent study found that it’s possible to increase your lifespan and your healthspan as much as 30% by taking an overlooked “longevity vitamin.”1
Conventional medicine is lagging way behind, so you won’t hear about this from your doctor.
More on this in a moment…
As a regular reader, you know that you can rebuild telomere length via telomerase activators. But telomeres are only half of the anti-aging equation…
The other half is your mitochondria, the microscopic energy powerhouses found in each one of your cells.
They are your body’s master energy system, and power every function and organ in your body.
Brand new research has discovered mitochondria also hold the secret to preventing – and in some cases reversing – many of the awful conditions that strike us from middle age onwards.
Mitochondrial dysfunction is known to be the root of multiple health problems, including insulin resistance and diabetes, macular degeneration, cognitive decline, osteoarthritis, coronary artery disease, fibromyalgia, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s.2
The problem begins with the aging process itself.
You see, the more energy your mitochondria produce, the more waste products they emit. Over time, this leads to high levels of free radicals and inflammation. And that causes your mitochondria to weaken and misfire.3
In the process, some mitochondria die off. Those that remain become weaker. Ultimately, this causes organs and organ systems to fail, and diseases to strike.
However, mitochondria dysfunction isn’t just a byproduct of aging – studies show that it’s a source of aging.4
The good news is that not only can you turbocharge your existing mitochondria
, but you can also grow new mitochondria – with the help of the “longevity vitamin.”Recent preclinical research reveals that a little-known super nutrient called pyrroloquinoline quinone, or PQQ, triggers your cells to build healthy new mitochondria.5,6
This allows your cells to produce more fuel, so your cell systems work more energetically and efficiently.
PQQ can rejuvenate and restore your mitochondria in three ways:
First, PQQ triggers a key transcription factor protein (CREB) that directly fuels mitochondrial biogenesis. In other words, it jumpstarts the growth and replication of new mitochondria.
Stronger mitochondria, and more of them, produce more cellular ATP. The more energy in a cell, the better it does its job.
Secondly, mitochondria have their supply of DNA, and once you supply them with this super nutrient, they start multiplying within each of your cells. PQQ triggers your aging cells to grow new mitochondria. And it is this process of “mitochondrial biogenesis” that halts and reverses cell aging. PQQ is the only nutrient that can do this.
Finally, PQQ also protects the existing mitochondria in your cells by working to neutralize free radicals – which is what destroys mitochondria in the first place.7
Protect your power cells with a “longevity vitamin”
Supporting your mitochondria with PQQ is easy. Here’s what I suggest:
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- Get what you can from food. While PQQ exists in virtually everything you eat, it appears only in trace amounts. Good sources are kiwi fruit, sweet green peppers, carrots, potatoes, cabbage, sweet potatoes, and bananas. But it’s not easy to get what you need from your diet. So, I recommend you supplement.
- Then add a supplement. I recommend taking at least 10 mg of PQQ every day. But if you’re suffering from a chronic condition, I recommend increasing your dosage to 20 mg of PQQ daily.
- Always include this nutrient… I always recommend combining PQQ with CoQ10, another super nutrient that does an amazing job of squeezing more power out of your existing mitochondria. Every cell in your body uses CoQ10 to get energy from your mitochondria. It sparks them to make extra energy. The best sources are organ meats like grass-fed liver. But again, it’s hard to get what you need from today’s food sources. I recommend everyone take 30 mg of CoQ10 daily. If you’re over 60, double that to 60 mg. But if you’re suffering from a chronic condition, increase the dose to at least 100 mg a day. And make sure it’s the ubiquinol form of CoQ10, which is the most potent.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD, CNS
References:
1. Ames BN. “Prolonging healthy aging: Longevity vitamins and proteins.” Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2018 Oct 23;115(43):10836-44.
2. Neustadt J, Pieczenik SR. “Medication-induced mitochondrial damage and disease.” Mol Nutr Food Res.2008;52(7):780-8.
3. Barja G. “The mitochondrial free radical theory of aging.” Prog Mol Biol Transl Sci. 2014;127:1-27.
4. Jornayvaz FR, Shulman GI. “Regulation of mitochondrial biogenesis.” Essays Biochem. 2010;47:69-84
5. Ebeling MC, et al. “Improving retinal mitochondrial function as a treatment for age-related macular degeneration.” Redox Biol. 2020 Jul;34:101552.
6. Lu Jet al. “Mitochondrial regulation by pyrroloquinoline quinone prevents rotenone-induced neurotoxicity in Parkinson’s disease models.” Neurosci Lett. 2018 Nov 20;687:104-10.
7. Wu JZ, et al. “Pyrroloquinoline quinone enhances the resistance to oxidative stress and extends lifespan upon DAF-16 and SKN-1 activities in C. elegans.” Exp Gerontol. 2016 Jul;80:43-50.