Two Ways Strategy to Reverse Mitochondrial Aging: PQQ and CoQ10
What is Mitochondria?
Mitochondria (sing. mitochondrion) are organelles, or parts of a eukaryote cell. They are in the cytoplasm, not the nucleus.They make most of the cell's supply of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), a molecule that cells use as a source of energy. Their main job is to convert energy. They oxidise glucose to provide energy for the cell. The process makes ATP, and is called cellular respiration. This means mitochondria are known as "the powerhouse of the cell".
In addition to supplying cellular energy, mitochondria are involved in a range of other processes, such as signalling, cellular differentiation, cell death, as well as the control of the cell division cycle and cell growth.
Why we need Mitochondria?
Found inside the body’s cells, mitochondria are responsible for producing our primary source of energy, adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP provides at least 95% of the cellular energy that powers all living functions. But, if you have a defect in the pathways that the mitochondria usually functions with, you're going to have symptoms in the muscle, in the brain, sometimes in the kidneys as well; many different types of symptoms. And we probably don't know all of the different diseases that mitochondrial dysfunction causes.
Mitochondria are the easiest targets of free-radical injury for two reasons:
They are located exactly where these free radicals are produced, and
They lack most of the antioxidant defenses found in other parts of the cell.
Evidence strongly indicates that over time, accumulated damage to the DNA of the mitochondria in particular leads directly to metabolic disorders (such as diabetes) and degenerative disorders (such as Alzheimer’s).
When we’re young, we are largely protected against mitochondrial deterioration because our bodies produce substances to defend mitochondria from the onslaught of free radicals. However, as we age, that protection wanes, setting us up for a destructive cycle that accelerates aging and disease. As a result of this rapidly accelerating process, mitochondria in the cells of elderly people are mostly dysfunctional, whereas young individuals have virtually no mitochondrial damage.
Coenzyme Q10 Protects Mitochondria
The mitochondria's main role in the cell is to take glucose and use the energy stored in its chemical bonds to make ATP in a process called cellular respiration. There are 3 main steps to this process: glycolysis, the citric acid cycle or Krebs cycle, and ATP Synthesis. This ATP is released from the mitochondrion, and broken down by the other organelles of the cell to power their own functions.
Scientists have established that coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is an essential nutrient for normal mitochondrial function (namely, the production and transfer of energy). When CoQ10 levels fall, mitochondrial dysfunction skyrockets. Studies have found that boosting CoQ10 levels via supplementation increases mitochondrial electron transport—whether the cells are deficient in CoQ10 or not.
CoQ10’s ability to protect the vital mitochondria helps put an end to the vicious cycle that underscores a critical aspect of pathological aging. In fact, research with laboratory models has suggested that CoQ10 may be one of our most potent anti-aging nutrients. Studies have found that when cells or organisms are deficient in CoQ10, mitochondrial oxidative stress increases and aging is accelerated. However, supplementation triggers a significant slowing down of the aging process and an extended life span.
One study showed that rats supplemented with CoQ10 experience a 24% increase in maximum life span and an 11.7% increase in average life span. In human terms, based on today’s life expectancy of 78.5 years, this mean increase translates to a more than 9-year increase in life span!
CoQ10 also seems to work via a multi-targeted set of epigenetic mechanisms that not only slow aging—but that also protect against a variety of mitochondria-related diseases. Epigenetic mechanisms involve changes in gene function that do not relate to changes in gene structure. Studies have shown that CoQ10 protects against neurodegenerative diseasesand mental health disorders, enhances lung function, guards against the effects of elevated glucose in diabetes and metabolic syndrome,and offers impressive defense against cardiovascular disease, one of the primary diseases of aging.
Animal studies demonstrate that supplementation with CoQ10 reduces oxidative stress and reduces the buildup of amyloid-beta plaque (associated with Alzheimer’s disease) —resulting in a significant improvement in cognitive performance and memory.
CoQ10 offers a powerful way to help slow—or even reverse—a natural aging process by restoring youthful mitochondrial protection from free radicals.
PQQ Creates New Mitochondria
While coenzyme Q10 optimizes mitochondrial function and protects them from free radical damage, scientists have found another coenzyme that triggers the creation of new mitochondria altogether. A huge research advance in 2012 showed that the coenzyme Pyrroloquinoline Quinone disodium salt (or PQQ) activates genes that induce mitochondrial biogenesis—the spontaneous formation of new mitochondria in aging cells! This represents a major breakthrough in battling the mitochondrial destruction that underlies aging.
PQQ deficiency has a profound effect on your genes—especially those involved in cellular stress, cell signaling, transport of metabolites, and of course, the creation of new mitochondria. Specifically, PQQ deficiency negatively affects the expression pattern of 438 genes—but research has found that this effect is reversed after supplementation with PQQ.
Like CoQ10, PQQ also actively supports the energy transfer within the mitochondria that supplies the body with most of its bioenergy. Its exceptional stability allows it to carry out thousands of these transfers without undergoing molecular breakdown. PQQ has been proven especially effective in neutralizing two of the most potent free radicals, the superoxide and hydroxyl radicals.
Combined Benefits of PQQ with CoQ10
CoQ10 is well established as a mitochondrial enhancer, which may contribute to the prevention of numerous cardiovascular and neurological conditions. CoQ10 increases the efficiency of mitochondrial ATP production and cellular respiration.
Taking CoQ10 with PQQ has a synergistic effect in modulating cellular signalling pathways, preventing damage from free radicals and helping mitochondrial function.
A combination of both nutrients has shown clinical benefits for cognitive performance, such as improving attention and information processing, providing superior mitochondrial support, and exerting cardioprotective effects.
Where Can you Get PQQ or CoQ10?
CoQ10 is a popular and widely consumed supplement for mitochondrial health. Its benefits include facilitating more efficient production of ATP cellular energy, providing a “spark” for generating energy inside your mitochondria. PQQ is an ideal complement to CoQ10 because PQQ stimulates the growth and replication of those same mitochondria. More mitochondria with more spark means even more energy. If you’re already taking CoQ10, taking PQQ in addition can have a multiplier effect in enhancing the benefits of CoQ10 and work in concert to maximize your boost in pure and natural energy.
PQQ and CoQ10 can be purchased and taken separately. If you are looking for a place to buy pyrroloquinoline quinone disodium salt (PQQ) and CoQ10 powder in bulk, the one company you can blindly trust for sourcing raw material is Cofttek. The company, owing to its strong research team and dedicated sales department, has established a worldwide presence in only a short amount of time — it has clients and partners around the world. The pyrroloquinoline quinone disodium salt (PQQ) and CoQ10 produced by the company comes in big batches of 25 kgs and is sourced from highest-quality ingredients, thereby ensuring that the supplements produced from it can be trusted for quality and efficacy. If you want to buy pyrroloquinoline quinone disodium salt (PQQ) and CoQ10 in bulk, the only place to shop is cofttek.com.
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