PQQ--The Super Anti-Aging, Anti-Chronic Fatigue Supplement

Pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) is a B vitamin-like cofactor that occurs naturally in plant foods and in most organs and tissues. It is found in fermented soy beans called natto, in tea, green peppers, parsley, kiwi, and human milk.

It has been demonstrated to function as an antioxidant by scavenging free radicals and subsequently protecting the mitochondria (the energy producing organs in the cell) from oxidative stress‑induced damage.

As discussed in an earlier blog, mitochodria are important because they are the source of 95% of the body's energy.  The average cell has about 200 of these power plants, and important organs such as the heart and brain can have more than 10,000 mitochondria per cell.

However, as you age or deal with illness, the mitochondria become damaged and there are less of them per cell, thus reducing energy.  According to The Journals of Gerontology, you have lost up to 80% of the mitochondria you had at age 25 by the time you are 67!  (Which will be my age in 2 weeks.) 

Mitochondrial dysfunction has been implicated in nearly all disease conditions, including cancer.

PQQ is a nutrient like no other.  Besides its excellent anti-oxidant properties, it has been shown to restore mitochondrial function AND create new mitochondria to replace the old ones that have died.  This is something that other nutrients such as CoQ 10 and Omega 3s can't do.  CoQ 10 is like the fuel to your cell energy, while PQQ fixes and grows new engines that use the fuel.

Researchers at the University of California at Davis, as reported in the Journal of Nutrition, found that mice who were deficient in PQQ had growth impairment, suppressed immune systems, reduced fertility and mitochondrial dysfunction.  When they were fed a diet supplemented with PQQ, there was a 55% increase in the number of new mitochonria in their cells, and the mice with the strongest mitochondria showed no signs of aging.

Besides increased mitochondria making new energy, PQQ reduces inflammation and free radical damage.  In one study, healthy people who took 20 mg of PQQ experienced an up to 45% decrease of the inflammatory markers CRP and I6 in three weeks.  It is 5,000 times more powerful as an anti-oxidant than Vitamin C.

PQQ also stimulates the production of Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) in your brain.  In a study by M. Nakano, healthy adults who supplemented PQQ showed significant improvements in word memorization and recall tasks, far better than those who did not take PQQ.  And it may protect your brain from plaques which cause dementia.


Besides increasing the number of functioning mitochondria in your heart cells, PQQ also protects your heart from low blood flow, protects your heart from oxidative stress, and reduces the damage to your heart muscle from a heart attack.  It can reduce the LDL cholesterol.

PQQ is able to improve sleep quality and duration.  Studies have shown it may improve vigor, fatigue, tension-anxiety, depression, anger-hostility and confusion.

If you diabetes, pre-diabetes or metabolic syndrome, PQQ has been shown to decrease insulin resistance by increasing new mitochondria in your muscle cells, similar to the benefit you get from exercise.

We have felt that PQQ is such an important discovery that we have added it with other mitochondrial support nutrients to our SpringTree supplement "Cell Fuel." (www.springtreehealth.com)  We are receiving positive compliments on increases of energy in our patients with Lyme disease, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia Syndrome, as well as improvement in our aging patients (including myself!).

One of our patients wrote, "After starting Cell Fuel the “bite” was taken off of my constant chronic pain. I was able to stand all day in the kitchen – barefoot – on hard floors – without numbing pain. Now, 3 bottles later, my pain is gone. Combining Cell Fuel with the Glucose Balance has been a life saver!!"  K.S.

For prevention we recommend 2 capsules of Cell Fuel a day, providing 10 mg of PQQ plus many other mitochondrial support ingredients, including CoQ 10.  For treatment of fatigue and aging, no matter what the cause, we recommend 2 capsules twice a day.  That is what I take.

Until we meet again,
Dr. Judi