PQQ: Magnificent Benefits in Multiple Arenas
PQQ (pyrroloquinoline quinone), a novel cofactor with B vitamin like-activity and antioxidant function, provides powerful support for a wide range of functions in the body. Numerous studies have indicated that PQQ supports brain, cognitive, and nerve health, cardiac and cancer protection, mitochondria biogenesis or birth of new mitochondria, energy production, and stress tolerance. The antioxidant status of PQQ is 5,000 times more potent than vitamin C. It is a new kid on the block here at Wellness Resources. It is a commanding nutrient with remarkable potential.
Discovered in 1979, PQQ is a small quinone compound with vitamin-like properties and a massively powerful redox agent or an extreme antioxidant. It is heat stable and water soluble. It is found in very small amounts in all live plants, animals, humans, and soil. Some of the highest food sources are found in green tea, fermented natto, spinach, green peppers, parsley, and kiwi. It is also found in higher amounts in human breast milk, as it is vital for normal cellular growth and development.
PQQ is considered a redox agent with the ability to drive repeated oxidation and reduction reactions. This means that it is heavily involved with cell signaling pathways and provides cyclical antioxidant effects. It is recycled by glutathione allowing the redox or regenerative cyclical process to occur. PQQ can undergo the process of getting used up to quench free radicals and back to original form up to 20,000 cycles before it is depleted. Quercetin has approximately 800 catalytic cycles, green tea extracts 75-700 cycles, and vitamin C has a potential of four cycles. Because PQQ is found throughout all life forms, many of PQQ’s functions are universal not only in bacterial and plant forms but to humans.
Some of the most promising benefits of PQQ are with mitochondrial biogenesis or the birth and regulation of healthy mitochondria. Mitochondria are small energy or ATP producing structures found in cells throughout the entire body. Skeletal, heart, and smooth muscle and the brain have the highest amounts and need for healthy mitochondria in order to function. Mitochondria burn glucose and fat for fuel generating energy for the entire body. Animal studies show that mice that were deficient in PQQ had 20-30 percent less mitochondria present and reduced mitochondria function. Another study showed that animals lacking PQQ negatively impacted over 200 gene signals associated with mitochondria and major signaling pathways like PGC-1α (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator-1 alpha). PGC-1α is heavily involved with mitochondria biogenesis and also with blood pressure regulation, cellular cholesterol homeostasis, protecting mitochondria from toxins and abnormal cell growth. Lacking PQQ and dysfunctional PGC-1α is an open door to aging and loss of health and vitality.
Another function of PQQ is the reduction of lactic acid production. Symptoms of too much lactic acid waste products are muscle fatigue, pain and cramps. This is what you feel after a strenuous work-out. For others, this inefficient build-up of lactic acid and inflammation is what is felt daily not due to an over-demanding work-out. It could be regularly waking up with muscle soreness. Or, it could be chronic pain, muscle fatigue, cramps, and weakness, loss of strength and stamina.
A study involving adults measured levels of lactic acid and other metabolic fatigue markers and the effect of PQQ. Participants were given 20 mg of PQQ. The metabolic cellular waste products lactic acid and pyruvic acid were reduced 15 percent after just one week. Inflammatory markers C-Reactive Protein, and IL-6 also decreased as a response to improve mitochondria function. PQQ promoted mitochondrial proliferation, cell membrane stabilization, cellular energy, and mitochondrial efficiency. These are immensely significant findings and may offer great support for those who struggle with impaired mitochondrial function.
Mitochondrial myopathies are a group of neuromuscular diseases caused by damage to the mitochondria. Elevated lactic acid levels not due to recent exercise often reflect mitochondrial problems. Mitochondrial myopathies are linked with many more concerns than just skeletal muscle. Mitochondrial myopathies are linked with:
1. Nervous system: Seizures, spasms, developmental delays, deafness, dementia, stroke (often before age 40), visual system defects, poor balance, problems with peripheral nerves
2. Heart: Cardiomyopathy (cardiac muscle weakness), conduction block
3. Liver: Liver failure (uncommon except in babies with mtDNA depletion syndrome), fatty liver (hepatic steatosis)
4. Kidneys: Fanconi’s syndrome (loss of essential metabolites in urine), nephrotic syndrome (uncommon except for infants with coenzyme Q10 deficiency)
5. Eyes: Drooping eyelids (ptosis), inability to move eyes (external ophthalmoplegia), blindness (retinitis pigmentosa, optic atrophy), cataracts
6. Skeletal muscle: Muscle weakness, exercise intolerance, cramps, excretion of muscle protein myoglobin in urine (myoglobinuria)
7. Digestive tract: Difficulty swallowing, vomiting, feeling of being full, chronic diarrhea, symptoms of intestinal obstruction
8. Pancreas: Diabetes
PQQ offers amazing neurological support in many different dimensions. PQQ has been shown to protect the brain from too much glutamate, the neuroexcitatory neurotransmitter. Glutamate uses a receptor site called NMDA. PQQ has been shown to regulate NMDA activity for glutamate. Too much glutamate and excess NMDA activity leads to high levels of free radical activity or too much wear and tear in the brain. Animal studies show that PQQ shields and protects the hippocampus and the frontal cortex from oxidative stress and high levels of inflammation related to the excess glutamate and NMDA activity. Problems with depression, anxiety, suicide, bipolar, schizophrenia, sleep disorders, behavioral disorders, head injury, seizure disorders, migraines, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, stroke, Restless Leg Syndrome, ALS, and so many others reflect this state of out of control oxidative stress and excess glutamate levels. The results from these animal studies opens the door wide open for mitochondrial and nerve health, improved antioxidant status, and stunning neuroprotection. It has been shown helpful protecting against plaque build-up in the brain linked with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
In another facet of brain health and repair, cellular studies show that PQQ helped nerve growth factor increase anywhere from 5-40 times. Nerve growth factor is a special protein vital for the growth, maintenance, and survival of nerve cells and it helps with signal activity in the brain. In addition to helping nerve growth factor production, chronic sciatic nerve irritation and injury in animals was reduced with PQQ leading to a major reduction in several pro-inflammatory chemicals, protecting it against chronic neuropathy. It helped reduce pain. In another animal study, after inciting trauma to the spinal cord, PQQ protected the delicate tissues from further damage. It reduced the production of pro-inflammatory iNOS that can lead to NMDA activity and neurotoxicity, i.e. damage and pain.
A clinical trial with a small group of adults found that PQQ supported stress tolerance, improved sleep problems, and increased energy. The dosage used was 20 mg of PQQ daily for 8 weeks. Concerns with vigor, fatigue, tension-anxiety, depression, anger-hostility, and confusion were measured before and after the test period. These symptoms significantly improved following the use of PQQ. Given that PQQ helps reduce glutamate and NMDA neurotoxicity, it would seem likely that feeling calmer, better stress tolerance, and improved sleep would occur.
Cellular studies on human connective tissues cultures (fibroblasts) show that lack of PQQ causes a reduction in connective tissue growth and repair. Loss of PQQ leads to friable skin, loss of elasticity and connective tissue health. Problems with gut diverticuli and consequential hemorrhage and tissue damage were also improved by PQQ positive effect on connective tissue health.
Immune challenges associated with inadequate PQQ show defective function with B- and T-cell sensitivity and a reduction in the interleukin-2 (IL-2). IL-2 is essential for immune system memory after exposure to antigens. Once PQQ levels were restored, these immune functions improved.
Animal studies also show problems with fertility and reproduction with insufficient PQQ. Adding it back into the diet improved these markers with improved fertility success.
A recent animal study showed that PQQ was able to lower oxidative inflammation that causes hyperthyroidism. This offers another remarkable tool for the management of autoimmune thyroid inflammation and tissue injury.
In recent years, PQQ has acquired a steadfast reputation as being heart protective. Animal and cellular studies show PQQ protects heart cells as an antioxidant from free-radical stress caused by ischemia-reperfusion injuries or heart attacks. It protects heart cells when there is sudden lack of oxygen and glucose, followed by the subsequent flood of pro-inflammatory chemicals. It reduced the amount of cell death in the heart muscle and protected the heart mitochondria. It reduced the death of heart muscle from a heart attack. After three weeks of PQQ supplementation, research also showed that healthy adults were able to reduce their CRP levels by as much as 45 percent.
Animal studies showed impressive results with PQQ improving triglycerides levels. Animals that had a diet deficient in PQQ resulted in very high levels of triglycerides regardless of the omega-3 oil status. PQQ’s effect on mitochondria may help burn fat and glucose more efficiently.
PQQ offers potential superior radiation protection for cancer patients receiving radiation treatment or those exposed to radiation from nuclear fall out or other scenarios. Animal studies showed that when mice were treated with radiation at various doses, including lethal doses, and had PQQ administered before the exposure, survival and the health of the animals were far superior to those that were untreated. White blood cells, reticulocytes (a type of red blood cell) and bone marrow cells recovered more rapidly and easier even with dangerous levels of radiation exposure.
Other cancer studies show PQQ as a promising agent. Recent research showed that PQQ caused tumor cell death and stopped cell proliferation in three different types of human cancer cellular cultures. The tumor cell’s lines were impacted, but healthy normal cells did not experience any tissue injury or toxicity.
Research published last month confirms that PQQ is a potent inhibitor of a pathway called mTOR. When the mTOR pathway is deregulated, it leads to tumor development and cancer cell proliferation. Scientists specifically found human leukemia HL-60 cells and the dysfunctional mTOR pathway to respond very well to PQQ. The study’s authors thought it to be highly significant for cancer risk reduction.
Research in cellular studies in mice has shown that PQQ has no genotoxic activity at a dose of 2,000 mg/kg. Human cellular studies showed no levels of genetic toxicity with PQQ intake. PQQ works best when there are adequate glutathione stores in the body. NAC, whey protein, lipoic acid, several B vitamins and several other nutrients help glutathione production in the body.
PQQ offers a tantalizing array of possibilities because of its redox capacity and how it recycles itself when interacting with glutathione. It clearly offers a major supportive, proactive tool in many different systems of the human body. The current research plainly shows protection against many different concerns with the nervous system, excess glutamate and iNOS, mitochondrial injury and damage, pain, stress, overactive thyroid, certain cancers, cardiac injury, elevated triglycerides and more. Many of the authors in the cited studies felt quite strong about PQQ as a very positive nutrient that holds much promise for many devastating disorders. It is absolutely worth taking PQQ for a test drive today!
Sources of PQQ
Discovered in 1979, PQQ is a small quinone compound with vitamin-like properties and a massively powerful redox agent or an extreme antioxidant. It is heat stable and water soluble. It is found in very small amounts in all live plants, animals, humans, and soil. Some of the highest food sources are found in green tea, fermented natto, spinach, green peppers, parsley, and kiwi. It is also found in higher amounts in human breast milk, as it is vital for normal cellular growth and development.
PQQ: A Powerful Cyclical Antioxidant
PQQ is considered a redox agent with the ability to drive repeated oxidation and reduction reactions. This means that it is heavily involved with cell signaling pathways and provides cyclical antioxidant effects. It is recycled by glutathione allowing the redox or regenerative cyclical process to occur. PQQ can undergo the process of getting used up to quench free radicals and back to original form up to 20,000 cycles before it is depleted. Quercetin has approximately 800 catalytic cycles, green tea extracts 75-700 cycles, and vitamin C has a potential of four cycles. Because PQQ is found throughout all life forms, many of PQQ’s functions are universal not only in bacterial and plant forms but to humans.
Mitochondria Biogenesis, Lactic Acid, and CRP
Some of the most promising benefits of PQQ are with mitochondrial biogenesis or the birth and regulation of healthy mitochondria. Mitochondria are small energy or ATP producing structures found in cells throughout the entire body. Skeletal, heart, and smooth muscle and the brain have the highest amounts and need for healthy mitochondria in order to function. Mitochondria burn glucose and fat for fuel generating energy for the entire body. Animal studies show that mice that were deficient in PQQ had 20-30 percent less mitochondria present and reduced mitochondria function. Another study showed that animals lacking PQQ negatively impacted over 200 gene signals associated with mitochondria and major signaling pathways like PGC-1α (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator-1 alpha). PGC-1α is heavily involved with mitochondria biogenesis and also with blood pressure regulation, cellular cholesterol homeostasis, protecting mitochondria from toxins and abnormal cell growth. Lacking PQQ and dysfunctional PGC-1α is an open door to aging and loss of health and vitality.
Another function of PQQ is the reduction of lactic acid production. Symptoms of too much lactic acid waste products are muscle fatigue, pain and cramps. This is what you feel after a strenuous work-out. For others, this inefficient build-up of lactic acid and inflammation is what is felt daily not due to an over-demanding work-out. It could be regularly waking up with muscle soreness. Or, it could be chronic pain, muscle fatigue, cramps, and weakness, loss of strength and stamina.
A study involving adults measured levels of lactic acid and other metabolic fatigue markers and the effect of PQQ. Participants were given 20 mg of PQQ. The metabolic cellular waste products lactic acid and pyruvic acid were reduced 15 percent after just one week. Inflammatory markers C-Reactive Protein, and IL-6 also decreased as a response to improve mitochondria function. PQQ promoted mitochondrial proliferation, cell membrane stabilization, cellular energy, and mitochondrial efficiency. These are immensely significant findings and may offer great support for those who struggle with impaired mitochondrial function.
Mitochondrial Myopathy
Mitochondrial myopathies are a group of neuromuscular diseases caused by damage to the mitochondria. Elevated lactic acid levels not due to recent exercise often reflect mitochondrial problems. Mitochondrial myopathies are linked with many more concerns than just skeletal muscle. Mitochondrial myopathies are linked with:
1. Nervous system: Seizures, spasms, developmental delays, deafness, dementia, stroke (often before age 40), visual system defects, poor balance, problems with peripheral nerves
2. Heart: Cardiomyopathy (cardiac muscle weakness), conduction block
3. Liver: Liver failure (uncommon except in babies with mtDNA depletion syndrome), fatty liver (hepatic steatosis)
4. Kidneys: Fanconi’s syndrome (loss of essential metabolites in urine), nephrotic syndrome (uncommon except for infants with coenzyme Q10 deficiency)
5. Eyes: Drooping eyelids (ptosis), inability to move eyes (external ophthalmoplegia), blindness (retinitis pigmentosa, optic atrophy), cataracts
6. Skeletal muscle: Muscle weakness, exercise intolerance, cramps, excretion of muscle protein myoglobin in urine (myoglobinuria)
7. Digestive tract: Difficulty swallowing, vomiting, feeling of being full, chronic diarrhea, symptoms of intestinal obstruction
8. Pancreas: Diabetes
PQQ, Glutamate, and Neurological Injury
PQQ offers amazing neurological support in many different dimensions. PQQ has been shown to protect the brain from too much glutamate, the neuroexcitatory neurotransmitter. Glutamate uses a receptor site called NMDA. PQQ has been shown to regulate NMDA activity for glutamate. Too much glutamate and excess NMDA activity leads to high levels of free radical activity or too much wear and tear in the brain. Animal studies show that PQQ shields and protects the hippocampus and the frontal cortex from oxidative stress and high levels of inflammation related to the excess glutamate and NMDA activity. Problems with depression, anxiety, suicide, bipolar, schizophrenia, sleep disorders, behavioral disorders, head injury, seizure disorders, migraines, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, stroke, Restless Leg Syndrome, ALS, and so many others reflect this state of out of control oxidative stress and excess glutamate levels. The results from these animal studies opens the door wide open for mitochondrial and nerve health, improved antioxidant status, and stunning neuroprotection. It has been shown helpful protecting against plaque build-up in the brain linked with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
PQQ and Nervous System Repair
In another facet of brain health and repair, cellular studies show that PQQ helped nerve growth factor increase anywhere from 5-40 times. Nerve growth factor is a special protein vital for the growth, maintenance, and survival of nerve cells and it helps with signal activity in the brain. In addition to helping nerve growth factor production, chronic sciatic nerve irritation and injury in animals was reduced with PQQ leading to a major reduction in several pro-inflammatory chemicals, protecting it against chronic neuropathy. It helped reduce pain. In another animal study, after inciting trauma to the spinal cord, PQQ protected the delicate tissues from further damage. It reduced the production of pro-inflammatory iNOS that can lead to NMDA activity and neurotoxicity, i.e. damage and pain.
Stress Tolerance and Sleep
A clinical trial with a small group of adults found that PQQ supported stress tolerance, improved sleep problems, and increased energy. The dosage used was 20 mg of PQQ daily for 8 weeks. Concerns with vigor, fatigue, tension-anxiety, depression, anger-hostility, and confusion were measured before and after the test period. These symptoms significantly improved following the use of PQQ. Given that PQQ helps reduce glutamate and NMDA neurotoxicity, it would seem likely that feeling calmer, better stress tolerance, and improved sleep would occur.
Skin, Immune, Fertility, and Thyroid
Cellular studies on human connective tissues cultures (fibroblasts) show that lack of PQQ causes a reduction in connective tissue growth and repair. Loss of PQQ leads to friable skin, loss of elasticity and connective tissue health. Problems with gut diverticuli and consequential hemorrhage and tissue damage were also improved by PQQ positive effect on connective tissue health.
Immune challenges associated with inadequate PQQ show defective function with B- and T-cell sensitivity and a reduction in the interleukin-2 (IL-2). IL-2 is essential for immune system memory after exposure to antigens. Once PQQ levels were restored, these immune functions improved.
Animal studies also show problems with fertility and reproduction with insufficient PQQ. Adding it back into the diet improved these markers with improved fertility success.
A recent animal study showed that PQQ was able to lower oxidative inflammation that causes hyperthyroidism. This offers another remarkable tool for the management of autoimmune thyroid inflammation and tissue injury.
Cardiovascular Support
In recent years, PQQ has acquired a steadfast reputation as being heart protective. Animal and cellular studies show PQQ protects heart cells as an antioxidant from free-radical stress caused by ischemia-reperfusion injuries or heart attacks. It protects heart cells when there is sudden lack of oxygen and glucose, followed by the subsequent flood of pro-inflammatory chemicals. It reduced the amount of cell death in the heart muscle and protected the heart mitochondria. It reduced the death of heart muscle from a heart attack. After three weeks of PQQ supplementation, research also showed that healthy adults were able to reduce their CRP levels by as much as 45 percent.
Animal studies showed impressive results with PQQ improving triglycerides levels. Animals that had a diet deficient in PQQ resulted in very high levels of triglycerides regardless of the omega-3 oil status. PQQ’s effect on mitochondria may help burn fat and glucose more efficiently.
PQQ, Radiation Exposure, and Cancer
PQQ offers potential superior radiation protection for cancer patients receiving radiation treatment or those exposed to radiation from nuclear fall out or other scenarios. Animal studies showed that when mice were treated with radiation at various doses, including lethal doses, and had PQQ administered before the exposure, survival and the health of the animals were far superior to those that were untreated. White blood cells, reticulocytes (a type of red blood cell) and bone marrow cells recovered more rapidly and easier even with dangerous levels of radiation exposure.
Other cancer studies show PQQ as a promising agent. Recent research showed that PQQ caused tumor cell death and stopped cell proliferation in three different types of human cancer cellular cultures. The tumor cell’s lines were impacted, but healthy normal cells did not experience any tissue injury or toxicity.
Research published last month confirms that PQQ is a potent inhibitor of a pathway called mTOR. When the mTOR pathway is deregulated, it leads to tumor development and cancer cell proliferation. Scientists specifically found human leukemia HL-60 cells and the dysfunctional mTOR pathway to respond very well to PQQ. The study’s authors thought it to be highly significant for cancer risk reduction.
Research in cellular studies in mice has shown that PQQ has no genotoxic activity at a dose of 2,000 mg/kg. Human cellular studies showed no levels of genetic toxicity with PQQ intake. PQQ works best when there are adequate glutathione stores in the body. NAC, whey protein, lipoic acid, several B vitamins and several other nutrients help glutathione production in the body.
PQQ offers a tantalizing array of possibilities because of its redox capacity and how it recycles itself when interacting with glutathione. It clearly offers a major supportive, proactive tool in many different systems of the human body. The current research plainly shows protection against many different concerns with the nervous system, excess glutamate and iNOS, mitochondrial injury and damage, pain, stress, overactive thyroid, certain cancers, cardiac injury, elevated triglycerides and more. Many of the authors in the cited studies felt quite strong about PQQ as a very positive nutrient that holds much promise for many devastating disorders. It is absolutely worth taking PQQ for a test drive today!
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