Published By: K.D Cameron

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Back in 2003, Dr. Derrick DeSilva was relaxing in his study one Sunday morning when he picked up a recent issue of The Washington Post and read the headline: 1st New Supplement in 55 Years! Needless to say, he was intrigued.

Dr. DeSilva is a practicing physician who has been named one of the best doctors in the New York Metro Area for 15 consecutive years. A pioneer in complementary medicine, Dr. DeSilva uses natural products in conjunction with pharmaceutical and surgical interventions to nurture and heal the whole patient. He’s also a friend of Lee Swanson, founder of Swanson Health Products, the leading US-based dietary supplement company. So when he read about this new discovery, Dr. DeSilva naturally contacted his vitamin-loving friend.

Together, Lee and Dr. DeSilva dug into the research, found a production partner, and introduced PQQ to the masses. So, what is this new vitamin, and is it even a vitamin at all?

PQQ (which stands for Pyrroloquinoline quinone) is a B-vitamin-related nutrient that Nature magazine recommended be classified as a new vitamin back in 2003. Clinical research suggests that this nutrient supports brain and mental health, nervous system health, fundamental cellular functions and more.

PQQ has not been officially classified as a vitamin, but many experts believe it fits the definition. It's been shown to play an essential role in human nutrition. PQQ is like other B-vitamins and related nutrients like folic acid and biotin—we only need small amounts, but those small amounts are profoundly important to our health and wellness.

PQQ is found throughout our food supply. Beans, potatoes, parsley, green tea and fermented foods. Interestingly, it's found in high amounts in human breast milk. In the body we find it concentrated in vital organs with high energy requirements, like the brain and the heart, and within red blood cells.

Experts have likened PQQ to CoQ10, and it’s an appropriate association. PQQ is active within cellular mitochondria, the energy center of the cell. This has major implications for brain health, nervous system health, and potentially other systems, structures and functions throughout the body. This nutrient displays antioxidant activity, neuroprotective action, and cognitive benefits. The breadth of PQQ's influence is nothing short of amazing.

Current research is focused on cognitive health because the brain is thought to be most vulnerable to the decline in mitochondrial function that comes with age. PQQ has been shown to support healthy mitochondria as well as something called nerve growth factor, which is essential for the growth and maintenance of healthy neurons and branching nerve cells.

What does this mean for our daily lives? It means PQQ may have the power to support brain function. Initial evidence of this was demonstrated in a 2009 study published in the medical journal Food Style. In this double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 71 men and women aged 45-65 consumed foods fortified with 20 mg of PQQ (as found in our new maximum potency formula), PQQ plus CoQ10, or placebo, for 12 weeks. Throughout the study, subjects participated in cognitive tests designed to measure memory, recall and cerebral function. The graph shown illustrates the results. Similar results were reported in a 2011 follow-up study in which PQQ was given directly as a supplement.

PQQ is available as a dietary supplement thanks to a special partnership between Dr. DeSilva and Swanson Health Products. Click here to learn more.