If you’ve ever watched a child closely, you’ll know they never run out of steam. But the burden of years brings all that swirling down. As bodies grow, cells responsible for the creation of energy—called mitochondria—begin to weaken. There are a number of contributors to this condition, such as prolonged exposure to allergies, air-borne infections, free radical damage and others, but one thing that impacts cell life most is poor quality food.
“The most prominent role of mitochondria is to produce energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is used as a source of energy by our cells. The simpler molecules of nutrition are sent to the mitochondria to be processed and to produce charged molecules. These molecules then get combined with oxygen and produce ATP,” explains Dr Kalpana Gupta Shekhawat, functional medicine and metabolic disease and age management consultant at SENS, an anti-ageing centre in Delhi.
But till recently, in order to ameliorate the working of existing mitochondria, nutrients such as L-carnitine, lipoic acid, and coenzyme Q10 were being used. Now researchers bring some great news. Their findings cogently show a clear relation between pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ), a redox-active o-quinone, an important nutrient involved in numerous physiological and biochemical processes in mammals, and growth of mitochondria. “PQQ is a bacterially synthesised quinine. It’s also a strong redox cofactor with multiple biological benefits, including antioxidation, anti-cancer, anti-inflammation, the modulation of mitochondrial metabolism, and neuroprotection,” shares Pooja Chhabra, neuro therapist at Aktivortho, a Delhi-based rehab centre for multiple complications.
With ageing, mitochondria of various cells undergo oxidative damage, which leads to decline in its physiologic function and that’s an important factor in the ageing process. It also gets accelerated with genetically modified food. “The condition can be treated by addressing oxidative damage, nutrient deficiencies, excessive accumulation of toxins in the cells and recommended dietary changes,” says Shekhawat. Specifically consuming a diet rich in food items such as broad bean, green soya bean, potato, sweet potato, parsley, cabbage, oolong, green tea, papaya, orange, spinach, kiwi fruit, miso, tofu, celery and green peppers works wonders. Coke, whiskey and sake are great when trying to increase PQQ levels in the body, but this advice comes with a word of caution as it’s important to take these in moderation, or they could have an adverse affect. Dr. Anjali Hooda Sangwan, an obesity, metabolic medicine and clinical nutrition consultant practising at Fortis C-DOC and at her private clinic in Faridabad, says that four tablespoons of quinoa a day is beneficial. Three ounces of fish, twice a week, could help too. Being nutritionally enlightened has never been more empowering.