PQQ benefits include supporting healthy mitochondrial structure and function to help maintain healthy mental functions Clinical research is showing PQQ may protect brain health well into advanced years Promotes healthy structure and function of the mitochondria, the energy centers of cells Available from Swanson Health Products, PQQ (Pyrroloquinoline quinone) is a relatively newly discovered vitamin-like nutrient related to the B-vitamin family. This compound found in an array of healthy foods displays antioxidant activity and neuro-protective actions that make it ideal for cognitive support. Studies suggest PQQ supports healthy mitochondrial structure and function to help maintain healthy mental functions like recall, memory and cognition as we age. PQQ has been shown to be at least 100 times more efficient than vitamin C and all phenolic compounds tested to date in redox cycling potential.1 PQQ is found in beans, potatoes, parsley, green tea and fermented foods, and it’s also found in quite high amounts in human breast milk. In the body, PQQ is concentrated in vital organs that require high amounts of energy for optimal performance—organs like the brain and heart. Not surprisingly, PQQ is active within cellular mitochondria, the energy centers of cells. This has major implications for brain health, nervous system health and potentially other systems, structures and functions throughout the body, as it also displays antioxidant activity, neuroprotective action and cognitive benefits. The breadth of PQQ’s potential benefits is nothing short of amazing. PQQ has been described as combining some of the best chemical features of vitamins C, B-2 and B- 6 (reducing potential, redox reactions and carbonyl reactivity, respectively) into one molecule.2 In this way, PQQ is capable of acting directly as an antioxidant and then being recycled by glutathione back into an active form, substantially extending its antioxidant capabilities. Current research on PQQ is looking into how it may benefit brain health specifically, as scientists believe the brain is at most risk of mitochondrial function decline. In the research, PQQ has been shown to support healthy mitochondria as well as something called nerve growth factor, which is essential for the growth and maintenance of healthy neurons and branching nerve cells. This means PQQ may prove helpful in maintaining healthy brain function well into our advanced years.
