For a while now, I’ve been recommending a powerful antioxidant with the unpronounceable name, pyrroloquinoline quinine – or PQQ for short.
And although I recommend this compound to almost everyone who comes to see me at my wellness clinic in South Florida because of its energy-giving qualities, I’ve also observed its extraordinary power to fight cancer.
For years, I’ve seen PQQ work wonders with my older patients, because it keeps you feeling young by giving your cells extra energy.
PQQ was first discovered back in 1979 by a team of Japanese scientists, who knew little about the substance, except that it seemed to play some role in ensuring the propagation of our species.
Then further research revealed the impact of PQQ on the output of energy from mitochondria, the microscopic power plants inside each of your cells.
Since, researchers have discovered many important roles of PQQ on the body’s cellular processes – but the understanding is not yet complete.
PQQ has even been discovered in interstellar stardust, which has led some scientists to theorize about its role in the evolution of life on Earth.
In one study, PQQ prevented a significant number of heart cells from self-destructing when scientists deprived them of oxygen and glucose.1
In another study, researchers applied toxic hydrogen peroxide to cells taken from the jelly-like core of the spine. And a significant number of cells were saved by doses of PQQ.2
In yet another study, researchers used hydrogen peroxide to stress the cells that came from the protective sheaths around nerve fibers in the peripheral nervous system. In this case, PQQ reduced the death rate from 58.8 percent to 33.7 percent.3
Researchers have shown that PQQ optimizes the health of the nervous system and protects brain cells from oxygen deprivation during a stroke.
A growing body of evidence now shows PQQ can also help with Alzheimer disease and Parkinson’s disease, as well as increasing memory function.
And I always recommend taking PQQ and CoQ10 together – because both of these micronutrients provide strong defense against decay of the mitochondria.
Until recently, I’ve attributed PQQ’s rejuvenating and healing properties to its ability to fuel the mitochondria.
But its real power is gradually emerging as new studies continue to show there’s much more to the story.
Now, the latest advances reveal why PQQ is one of the most promising cancer fighters I’ve come across.
The key is the micronutrient’s role in helping the body to maintain a function called “apoptosis” – the delicate balance of cell death.
Apoptosis is a kind of cell-suicide wrapped up in the code of life, in which a genetically controlled mechanism leads to the deconstruction of the cell from within.
The idea of cell death may sound worrying, but it’s absolutely vital to your health.4
Your body’s cells are dying constantly and are constantly being replaced.
Your very existence depends on this cycle of life, because new cells often undergo slight changes to help them better perform their functions.
Unlike cell death from an injury, which is characterized by cell ruptures and inflammation, cell suicide is written into our genes, and is a much gentler and choreographed process.
Without PQQ and its role in the balance of cell life and death, there would be no cell development.
If too few cells die, you can develop cancer. And if too many cells die, you can suffer a stroke, heart attack, a neurological disease or many other serious medical disorders.
I first became interested in PQQ because of its anti-aging qualities, and I recommend it regularly to patients who come to my anti-aging clinic.
But while PQQ promotes cell life by supercharging your mitochondria, spurring them to duplicate more rapidly, it also uses its cell-suicide function directly against cancer cells. 5,6
PQQ turns the mitochondria of cancerous cells against themselves by using the little power plants to trigger apoptosis.
In a study published last year, Chinese researchers at a university in Shanghai found that PQQ worked so well at destroying cancer cells with its low-toxicity treatment, they recommended its potential use as a widespread anti-cancer therapy.7
PQQ attacks tumors by cutting off or reducing their sources of blood. It also inhibits the tumor’s ability to grow new blood vessels.
This essential nutrient also turns off the genes that promote the spread of cancer. And, at the same time, it combats cancer-causing inflammation.
Meanwhile, when cells suffer stress, PQQ steps up to prevent apoptosis. It sends the mitochondria into overdrive to give the cells extra energy so they don’t self-destruct under the strain.
This essential, vitamin-like nutrient is not produced in the body and can only taken in through external sources.
The only problem with PQQ is that most nutritionists know little or nothing about it.
The richest natural source of PQQ identified so far is a food called natto, a pungent Japanese dish made of fermented soya beans.
However, eggs, parsley, green peppers, kiwi fruits and papaya are also good sources.
I recommend that my patients get PQQ both from food sources and supplements, because it is so important for cell health.
Based on the results of numerous studies, I recommend taking 10 mg. a day.
For peak performance, take PQQ with a 50-mg. supplement of ubiquinol, a super-charged form of CoQ10. It’s the favorite fuel of mitochondria.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD, CNS
P.S. Look out for tomorrow’s Doctor’s House Call to learn more about the extraordinary health, energy and anti-aging benefits of combining PQQ and CoQ10 into one powerful formula.
1. Xu, F., et al. “Pyrroloquinoline quinone inhibits oxygen-glucose deprivation-induced apoptosis by activating the P13K/AKT pathway in cardiomyocytes.” Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry. 2014, January. Volume 386, Issue 1-2, P 107-115.
2. Yang, L., et al. “Pyrroloquinoline quinone protects nucleus pulposus cells from hydrogen peroxide-induced apoptosis by inhibiting the mitochondrial-mediated pathway.” European Spine Journal. 2014, October.
3. He, B., et al. “Effects of pyrroloquinoline quinone on oxidative stress-induced apoptosis of Schwann cells and its mechanism.” Chinese Journal of Plastic Surgery. 2014. 30 (2): 111-117.
4. Crow, M.T., et al. “The mitochondrial death pathway and cardiac myocyte apoptosis.” Circulation Research. 2004; 95: 957-970. doi: 10.1161/01.RES.0000148632.35500.d9.
5. Stites, T., et al. “Pyrroloquinoline quinone modulates mitochondrial quantity and function in mice.” J. Nutr. 2006; 136 (2): 390-6.
6. Zhihui, M., et al. “Pyrroloquinoline quinone induces cancer cell apoptosis via mitochondrial-dependent pathway and down-regulating cellular Bcl-2 protein Expression.” Journal of Cancer. 2014; 5(7): 609–624. Published online 2014 Jul 29.doi: 10.7150/jca.9002.
7. Zhihui, M. et al. Ibid.