Everyone wants longevity and youth. I do know that dietary and exercise lifestyle changes will extend your longevity. For some, this is not enough.
Everyone searches for the Fountain of Youth. The Fountain of Youth is a legendary spring that reputedly restores the youth of anyone who drinks of its waters. Tales of such a fountain have been recounted across the world for thousands of years, appearing in writings by Herodotus, the Alexander romance, and the stories of Prester John. In grade school we all learned about the Fountain of Youth attached to the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León, first Governor of Puerto Rico. According to an apocryphal story that features a combination of New World and Eurasian elements, Ponce de León was searching for the Fountain of Youth when he traveled to what is now Florida in 1513. Since then, the fountain has been frequently associated with Florida. Wouldn't it be fabulous to 'dip' yourself in a fountain of water and become youthful !
Some consumer ads in various magazines taut the Anti-aging vitamin/supplement. Is is a mushroom? Is it testosterone? Is is Co Enzyme Q10 or is it Growth Hormone. I do not think there is one essential supplement that increases longevity. It is a multitude of changes that need to be made. From seventh grade biology one may recall that every cell has a "powerhouse" or energy source. This organelle is called the mitochondria which produces energy, called ATP. Coenzyme Q10 is a co factor needed in the formation of ATP as well as NADH. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could produce more mitochondria thus producing more energy ? Now there is Pyrroloquinoline quinone, also known as PQQ. It is a factor found in a variety of different foods. In humans, the benefits reported from PQQ supplementation range from improvements in cognitive function ( brain function) to an overall reduction in internal inflammation.
Remember that inflammation is the underlying cause of most diseases. Recent published research also suggests that taking a PQQ supplement has the potential to stimulate mitochondrial function (the primary energy source in cells) and protects from excessive oxidative damage, a major cause of rapid cell aging. PQQ was first recognized as a cofactor (a component essential to enzyme action) in bacteria. It has also been examined as a potent plant growth factor. In humans and animals, PQQ acts in a similar fashion to resveratrol or quercetin (so-called food biofactors) in that it serves as a mimic-signaling molecule important to sustaining cellular functions and mitochondrial action. Both resveratrol and quercetin are anti oxidant. Resveratrol is red wine extract, and quercetin is a bioflavinoid. For animals and humans there has been a constant exposure to PQQ. For example, soil bacteria that have a symbiotic or mutually favorable relationship with plants make it. . As a supplement, PQQ has many of the same benefits as the beneficial flavonoids found in chocolate and green tea.
I have been fortunate to have more than a few patients reach the age of 100 or better.
There are PQQ-rich foods which you might to increase in case you are not consuming them PQQ is not NEW. This supplement has been cited in the literature as early as 1997.
Until tomorrow…