I advocate treating the cause of problems, not the symptoms. Treating the cause prevents problems from occurring. Dementia, stroke, and Alzheimer’s disease are unrelated. Yet, each have similar causes that can be addressed.
Oxidative stress is a major problem for any organ, especially the brain. Antioxidants provide electrons to quench the damage of free radicals and calm inflammation. It is a never-ending process. Pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) is a very powerful antioxidant that can penetrate the blood-brain-barrier and actively counter oxidative stress.
PQQ was once thought to be a vitamin. There is scientific speculation whether we can make it in our bodies. Whatever we might make is extremely small. PQQ is a cofactor molecule that helps mitochondria produce energy.
PQQ might be the most powerful antioxidant. PQQ provides electrons to fight free radicals. It attacks free radicals 4,000 times before it is used up. Compare that to vitamin C which can last up to six times before it is exhausted.
PQQ is one of the most beneficial supplements for health. PGC-1 is a gene. PQQ activates this gene and causes the growth of new mitochondria. New mitochondria means more energy. CREB (cAMP response element-binding protein) is a protein that stimulates the growth of new mitochondria and increases levels of BDNF (brain-drived neurotrophic factor). PQQ triggers CREB and BDNF.
PQQ is found in foods – fermented soybean products, green soybeans, spinach, field mustard, tofu, green tea, green peppers, parsley, and kiwi. Unless you eat a lot of these foods, supplementation might be an option.
PQQ given to laboratory animals immediately after inducing a stroke significantly reduced the amount of damage to the brain. PQQ protects neurons by preventing long-term overstimulation caused by many neurodegenerative diseases.
Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s are thought to be caused by neurotoxicity of certain toxins – mercury and oxidopamine, for example. PQQ protects against neurotoxicity. PQQ also protects against the accumulation of alpha-synuclein and beta-amyloid proteins, also thought to be a cause of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease.
If you have PQQ readily available in your brain from dietary choices and/or supplementation, you stand a better than average chance of preventing neurodegenerative diseases.
If this is all true, this would make PQQ the only true anti-aging product, because at the end of the day, damaged/weakened mitochondria are what really slows the body down.
Like many diseases, brain disease/damage has many causes. One treatment does fit all. Multiple solutions are required for prevention and correction.
In our family, Alzheimers is a very serious matter. My grandfather didn’t remember any of us the last decade of his life and so when my father started showing signs, PQQ is one of the supplements we got him started on. I somewhat feel at the mercy of the different brands to give us the quality supplement, so we switch with the different big brands available in Sprouts, Wholefoods, etc. Hoping that PQQ does what it’s billed to do. Repair mitochondria.