ENERGY VIA SYNERGY ! When

Supplements Work Better Together

By Will Block

Many people are aware of two popular dietary supplements, namely CoQ10 and PQQ, and their role in supporting mitochondrial and heart health.

But did you know that when PQQ (Pyrroloquinoline quinone) and CoQ10 (Coenzyme Q10) are taken together, the end results of their anti-aging benefits, along with vital organ protection are even better than when taking either supplement alone?

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)

CoQ10 has vitamin-like properties which function as prevent chronic heart failure by regulating mitochondrial function.2 PQQ is good to take if you are subject to blood clots.

Liver support antioxidant. Although the factors responsible for the anti-fibrotic action of CoQ10 have yet to be fully clarified, its antioxidant and antiinflammatory functions are thought to be major contributors to its clinical efficacy in the treatment of this age-related disorder. Studies have shown that:

And there’s more!

• Perhaps the most unique and unexpected benefit of PQQ is its use for cosmetic and skincare applications.4 It rejuvenates skin cells and rebuilds healthy tissue for thicker skin and fewer wrinkles.

2 + 2 = 5

This is an example where the sum is more than the whole of its parts--in other words, the action of synergy. Think of it as something like:So, let’s firstly look at each one in turn.

PQQ

PQQ is a nootropic supplement that supports memory, provides cerebral energy, protects the brain, and aids mitochondria by increasing their numbers.

Among its wide range of improvements, PQQ is commonly used for the health of your brain, heart, and liver. Specifically, studies have shown that PQQ can provide:

Neurological support

• PQQ enhances cognitive function and improves shortterm memory. 1 It can help the brain to prevent memory loss and neurodegenerative disorders. With its ability to restore damaged brain and nerve cells, it also promotes recovery in cases of stroke and cerebral infarction.

Cardiovascular support

• PQQ improves blood circulation and cardiac function, supports energy production in the heart and provides powerful antioxidant production. Studies indicate that PQQ can also promote recovery from heart attacks and can reduce infarct size. Moreover, PQQ can

• PQQ aids fat metabolism in the liver and converts those fats into greater energy output. Clinical results show it may also reverse acute and chronic liver injury, including damage from fatty liver disease.

• In addition to supporting your vital organs, PQQ augments and sustains higher levels of natural energy production.3 By stimulating your body’s energy production at the cellular level, PQQ serves as an excellent energy supplement for a broad range of uses. It is especially ideal as a sports and fitness supplement for athletes seeking more pure and natural alternatives to boost their performance.

• PQQ can be effective as an anti-aging preventative, not just for your brain, heart, and liver, but also as a cosmetic anti-aging treatment for your skin. In short, PQQ is an emerging superstar supplement with a variety of benefits to revitalize your mind and body.

• CoQ10 can positively influence age-affected cellular metabolism and combats signs of aging starting at the cellular level. Therefore, topical application of CoQ10 is beneficial for human skin as it rapidly improves mitochondrial function in skin.

• CoQ10 can reduce hydroperoxide levels and increase activity of alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E), coenzyme Q, and catalase; and increase mitochondrial function.

• CoQ10 improves the recovery of the myocardium after stress if used for pretreatment prior to stress.

Synergy

CoQ10 improves the speed and efficiency of the mitochondria, while PQQ assists by promoting the replication and growth of mitochondria. Together, they help the body produce more energy faster. There are some other examples of this kind of synergy.

Other one-two punches

ALA & LAC

There are other naturally occurring substances that work well together. For example, R-Lipoic acid (ALA) and L-acetyl-carnitine (LAC) deliver a powerful one-two punch, just as PQQ and CoQ10 do.

• ALA and LAC offer promising preventive supplementation when used together. They diminish ChemotherapyInduced Peripheral Neuropathy, a typical side effect related to time of administration and dose of anticancer agents. 5

• Study 6 in the references shows increased PDC (pyruvate dehydrogenase complex) activity, thus providing a possible mechanism for the glucose(and lactate-) lowering effect of R-lipoic acid in diabetic subjects.

• Formulations containing antioxidant vitamins, R-alpha lipoic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid (an omega-3 fatty acid found in cold-water, fatty fish, such as salmon), administered for six consecutive months, counteracted oxidative stress. It did this by further stabilizing the morphological/ functional parameters of both the ocular surface and glaucoma, without presenting adverse effects or intolerances.

• Although motor symptoms respond to dopamine replacement therapies, the underlying disease process remains. A recent review details some features of progressive molecular pathology and proposes deployment of a combination of nutrients: R-lipoic acid, acetyl-l-carnitine, ubiquinol, melatonin (or receptor agonists) and vitamin D3, with the collective potential to slow progression of these attributes. These agents can therefore be helpful in the management of Parkinson’s disease.

• The motor deficits which characterize the sporadic form of Parkinson’s disease arise from agerelated loss of a subset of dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra.

Note: R-Lipoic acid is synthesized in the human body and is contained in foods in a form covalently associated with lysine. Its dose in dietary supplements significantly exceeds the amount in the diet.

Niacin

Many dietary supplements contain racemic niacin, also known as nicotinic acid or vitamin B3. It’s one of the eight B-complex watersoluble vitamins used by the human body to turn food into energy.6 Vitamins are organic micronutrients that are essential for the growth and development of the human body, and niacin is a vitamin essential for energy metabolism.

B3 comes in different forms, and each form has various uses/ benefits. [Ed.- for a report on niacinamide see Aging Matters™ V3 issue 41 in an article written by Jonathan Wright, MD]. Niacin is found in food sources such as fish, meat, eggs, milk, yeast, nuts, green vegetables, beans, and cereal grains. But given that you need a lot of it, it is best to supplement with grams per day.

• Niacin is a B-group vitamin that plays a major role in metabolic reactions in the body. It helps in the functioning of the digestive system, skin, and nervous system.

• Niacin is a very important supplement in treating cholesterol problem s, particularly people with elevated triglycerides and low HDL. In fact, it’s one of the best supplements that can raise your HDL levels. Although it comes in many forms, and each form has various uses as well, it should be noted that only the fastacting, nicotinic acid form (that causes vasodilation and flushing) will beneficially affect the lipid profile. Niacin is found in food sources such as fish, meat, eggs, milk, yeast, nuts, green vegetables, beans, and cereal grains.

Other specific hydrosoluble vitamins

Folate (methylfolate), vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin), vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), and vitamin B3 (niacin or niacinamide) are water-soluble vitamins; they belonging to a group of organic substances that are required by humans in small amounts to prevent disorders of metabolism.

Folate (B9) is needed to form healthy cells, especially red blood cells. Methylfolate, the active form of folic acid, plays a role in converting homocysteine into methionine (a relatively harmless amino acid). If methylfolate is lacking due to the formation of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), this enzyme breaks down the amino acid homocysteine.7 When created through mutation it develops an inability to convert folic acid to methylfolate, and thus homocysteine can build up to dangerous levels.

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 serves a wide range of functions in the body. Some of the most important functions of B12 are to support healthy blood and nerve cells; this multi-utilized nutrient is also involved in DNA synthesis and conversion of food into energy.

The body stores 1,000 to 2,000 times as much vitamin B12 as you’d typically eat in a day, so the symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency can take years to appear. If you have a vitamin B12 deficiency, you may feel tired or weak. These are symptoms of megaloblastic anemia, which is a hallmark of vitamin B12 deficiency. You might also have pale skin, heart palpitations, loss of appetite, weight loss, and infertility. Your hands and feet might become numb or tingly, a sign of nerve problems. Other symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency include problems with balance, depression, the mouth or tongue.

[Ed.- note there are medicines that deplete vitamins. For example, metformin impairs the absorption of B12—so if you are taking Metformin, be sure to take extra B12.]

References:

A Better Place

Altogether, PQQ, CoQ10, ALA, LAC, and the water-soluble vitamins are important if you want to tamp down many anti-aging detriments. Use them and your world will be a better place.

1 Itoh Y, Hine K, Miura HK, et al. Effect of the antioxidant supplement quinone disodium salt (BioPQQ™) on cognitive functions. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2016;876:319-25.

2 Xuan X, Chen C, Lu WJ, et al. Pyrroloquinoline quinone can prevent chronic heart failure by regulating mitochondrial function. Cardiovasc Diagn Ther. 2020 Jun; 10(3): 453–69.

3 Jonscher KR, Chowanadisai W, Rucker RB. Pyrroloquinoline-quinone is more than an antioxidant: A Vitamin-like accessory factor important in health and disease prevention. Biomolecules. 2021 Sep 30;11(10):1441.

4 Hoang HT, Moon JY, Lee YC. Natural antioxidants from plant extracts in skincare cosmetics: Recent Applications, Challenges and Perspectives. Cosmetics 2021, 8, 106.

5 Dinicola S, Fuso A, Cucina A, et al. Natural products — alpha-lipoic acid and acetyl-L-carnitine — in the treatment of chemotherapyinduced peripheral neuropathy. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2018 Jul;22(14):4739-54.

6 Korotchkina LG, Sidhu S, Patel MS. R-lipoic acid inhibits mammalian pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase Free Radic Res. 2004 Oct;38(10): 1083-92.

7 Vidmar Golja M, Šmid A, Karas Kuželički N, et al. Folate insufficiency due to MTHFR deficiency is bypassed by 5-methyltetrahydrofolate. J Clin Med. 2020;9(9):2836. Published 2020 Sep 2. doi:10.3390/jcm9092836.