One of the most acutely felt but most often overlooked component of chronic illness, disease or even aging is mitochondrial dysfunction. Severe fatigue, brain fog, inflammation, is frequently written off as just part of “x” disease or “you’re getting older, of course you’re tired and you don’t think as clearly as you used to.”
But what if it’s not? What if there is a much deeper issue at play? And what if that issue can be reversed or at least lessened?
What are mitochondria?
Mitochondria are power plants inside our cells that produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP) which is energy. How many each cell has depends on what type of cell. Surprisingly red blood cells have none. Liver cells can have 2000. Heart cells can have 5,000! Retinal cells have massive demand for energy and contain vast amounts of mitochondria as well. Your mitochondria have their own DNA inherited from your mother only. The father’s mitochondrial DNA is programed to die.
What causes mitochondrial dysfunction?
Mutations can occur from simply being inherited, or they can be a result of infections, and also environmental exposures. Unfortunately a large number of medications can contribute to issues in the mitochondria, including simple ones routinely taken like acetaminophen and statins. Mutations can even happen spontaneously.
What diseases are associated with mitochondrial dysfunction?
Aging itself is associated with loss of mitochondrial dysfunction along with all chronic diseases. These include but are not limited to:
Alzheimer’s Disease
Parkinson’s Disease
Huntington’s Disease
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease)
Heart and vascular conditions
Lupus
Type 1 Diabetes
Type 2 Diabetes
Neurological and psychiatric diseases such as autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia, bipolar and mood disorders
Gastrointestinal disorders
Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia
Autoimmune diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis
Chronic infections
Eye diseases and loss of eyesight in general
PQQ to the rescue!
So why take PQQ?
The first, most potent reason is it activates genes to help stimulate the production of new mitochondria. It activates the PGC-1 alpha pathway. What better way to guard against mitochondrial loss and dysfunction than to stimulate new ones?
Second, one of the hallmarks of chronic illness or aging is memory and brain function decline. PQQ can help undo the damage of oxidative stress in the brain. This study showed that PQQ by itself or in combination with Coq10 had protective effects on memory and increase learning ability.
Third, is PQQ can assist in decreasing inflammation. C reactive protein levels are the blood marker for inflammation. Chronically high levels of inflammation put a damper on mitochondrial function.
Fourth, PQQ can help with higher quality of sleep and reduction of pain. Disturbed sleep and pain come with any chronic illness as well as aging, so to find a simple supplement to help with both is a huge plus.
My Experience with PQQ
I started taking PQQ quite by accident. I had read about it a few times in years past, and thought it sounded like a great supplement. It seemed like I could only find ones derived from soy at the time (soy and I are not on speaking terms) so I dropped pursuing it. Then my geneticist suggested I start taking Coq10. There again, most are derived from soy. I finally found a brand that was not derived from soy, it happened to contain PQQ as well. Great, two birds with one stone…
My results were fantastic. They were not immediate, as in I didn’t take one capsule and start running marathons. When I started, I was taking a nap every day, sometimes two! (Sometimes I had to take a nap after I showered – chronic illness people, especially those with POTS or dysautonomia will know what I’m talking about) I had the most debilitating fatigue and brain fog. I was sure spending a lot of time in bed but never felt rested. I’d even fall sound asleep while waiting a couple of minutes to pick up my kids from school. After about 2 weeks of taking it, I realized I just didn’t feel as weary, but I still didn’t really pay much attention to why. Then after a month, I realized I hadn’t taken a nap for a couple of days in a row and I wasn’t in a heap of tears from no nap! I rarely take naps now, however in my new energy level I sometimes overdo it and need one. I still don’t run marathons but then again I’ve never really had the desire to. 😉 Maybe one day.
Over time I did find that it lessened brain fog as well.
A few months later, I found out that PQQ was on the recommended supplement list from Deborah Cusack for Ehlers Danlos. I was glad I hadn’t had a rough time adding the supplement since some with EDS do (like I did with the aloe on the list)
Another win. It was an accidental one, but I’ll still take it.
Best. Energy. Supplement. EVER!