Anti-aging—Myth or Magic?

Anti-aging—Myth or Magic?

I remember my history. I remember Ponce De Leon who came to the Americas, and said he found the fountain of youth. He was my hero in the fifth grade, and I have not changed my perspective. As a grown up, closer to 100 than fifth grade, what hope do we have of obtaining the fountain of youth, or something similar?

This is what we know: mitochondrial dysfunction is the cause of aging. When we are young, our mitochondria functions perfectly. As we age, (we do not eat well or correctly, we are exposed to long-term toxins) our mitochondria morph into something less than perfect. This morphing is one of the key biomarkers of aging. In one study, the researchers found evidence of 50% more mitochondrial damage in the brain cells of humans over 70 compared to middle-aged individuals. We now know that all killer diseases of aging are related to this dysfunction. (Mecocci P, MacGarvey U, Kaufman AE, et al. Ann Neurol. 1993 Oct;34(4):609-16.)

What can we do about this? We now have the tools to grow fresh mitochondria! This has the potential to reverse cellular aging by activating genes that induce mitochondrial biogenesis (the spontaneous formation of new mitochondria in aging cells.

What can these new mitochondria do? They have the potential to combat diseases of the heart and brain. They provide neuroprotection. This means that there is potential for reversing cognitive impairment caused by chronic oxidative stress. (Ohwada K. Takeda H, Yamazaki M, et al. J Clin Biochem Nutr. 2008 Jan;42:29-34) We can hope that we can intercept the degeneration of Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.

In short, it appears that current research is showing that essential coenzyme therapy has been shown to induce mitochondrial biogenesis—the growth of new mitochondria in aging cells. Ponce De Leon would be proud……

(Taken from ‘Generate Fresh Mitochondria with PQQ’, LifeExtension 2011 March/April; 47-54)