Energize Your Cells: The Top 3 Mitochondrial Supplements

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In today’s fast-paced world, finding effective ways to boost energy levels and combat chronic fatigue is essential. While energy drinks and endless cups of coffee may provide a short-term solution, the real key to lasting vitality lies within our cells: our mitochondria.  

Often referred to as the “powerhouses” of our cells, mitochondria generate adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the chemical energy currency that fuels every function in our body. When modern stressors such as poor diet, chronic dysbiosis, certain medications, poor sleep hygiene, chronic exposure to nnEMF, chronic exposure to blue light, or inadequate sunlight exposure compromise our mitochondrial health, our energy plummets, and our overall health deteriorates.  

The good news is that certain supplements can dramatically enhance mitochondrial function, boost energy production, and significantly improve your overall well-being. Here, we will explore three of the most effective mitochondrial support supplements for optimal health.  

1. Ubiquinol (and CoQ10): The Mitochondrial Electron Shuttle  

Ubiquinol is a highly potent form of Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), a coenzyme present in nearly all respiring eukaryotic cells, with the highest concentrations found in our heart, liver, and brain. Ubiquinol plays a crucial role in our electron transport chain within the inner mitochondrial membrane, accepting and donating electrons to facilitate energy production. Ubiquinol is the active, antioxidant form of CoQ10.  

Benefits:  

• Mitochondrial Energy Production: Ubiquinol is extensively used by our mitochondria to generate energy at a cellular level, acting as a fat-soluble electron donor.  

• Potent Antioxidant: Ubiquinol is a powerful antioxidant capable of regenerating other antioxidants like vitamins E and C.  

• Heart Health: The heart has some of the highest concentration of ubiquinol, and supplementation is vital for those with heart disease or heart failure, as it can improve the heart’s ejection fraction, relax blood vessels, and calm arrhythmias  

• Vital Bodily Support: Ubiquinol improves liver and kidney function and reduces oxidative stress within our brain. It enhances cognitive ability, alleviates brain fog, and can help reduce seizure frequency and enhance stroke recovery.  

Recommended Brand and Dosage: I suggest taking one hundred to five hundred milligrams of Jarrow Formulas ubiquinol daily with breakfast. It has a half-life of 48 hours and should be taken with meals containing fat for optimal absorption. Ubiquinol supplementation is generally safe, with few known side effects at recommended doses, though it can be stimulating if taken before bed.  

2. Pyrroloquinoline Quinone (PQQ): The Mitochondrial Biogenesis Booster  

PQQ (pyrroloquinoline quinone) is one of the most crucial supplements for enhancing mitochondrial biogenesis, the creation of new mitochondria within your cells. Although humans produce minute amounts of PQQ daily, supplementation can significantly impact mitochondrial health. PQQ is a potent antioxidant, 100 to 1,000 times more powerful than other quinone biofactors like vitamin C.  

Benefits:  

• Mitochondrial Biogenesis: PQQ directly influences the transcription of PGC-1α, the “master regulator” of mitochondrial biogenesis, leading to more and healthier mitochondria within our cells.  

• Neuroprotection and Cognitive Support: PQQ promotes nerve growth factor (NGF), protecting neurons from oxidative stress, promoting memory, attention, and boosting cognition.  

• Cardiovascular Health: PQQ protects our heart from muscle damage after a heart attack and reduces inflammation and lipid peroxidation of our heart tissue.  

• Improved Sleep, Mood, and Energy: Studies have shown that PQQ supplementation can enhance sleep quality, mood, and overall energy throughout the day.  

• Synergy with Ubiquinol: The combination of ubiquinol and PQQ is potent, as ubiquinol optimizes existing mitochondrial function, while PQQ promotes the creation of new, healthy mitochondria.   

Recommended Brand and Dosage: I recommend taking at least two capsules of Jarrow Formulas PQQ daily with breakfast. PQQ supplementation is generally safe, with few known side effects at recommended doses, though it can be stimulating if taken before bed.  

3. Magnesium: The Fundamental Mitochondrial Cofactor  

Magnesium is essential for optimal mitochondrial health and is widely considered the most overlooked mineral for improving our overall health. Magnesium plays a fundamental role in nearly every aspect of mitochondrial function. Unfortunately, most Americans are deficient in magnesium, with deficiency rates potentially as high as 80%.  

Benefits:  

• Mitochondrial Protection: Magnesium protects our mitochondria from various oxidation reactions and controls the integrity and permeability of our mitochondrial membrane, preventing mitochondrial inflammation and “leaky” mitochondria.  

• ATP Production: Magnesium is crucial for transferring and bonding phosphate groups to produce ATP within our mitochondria, directly impacting our cellular energy.  

• Metabolic Support: Magnesium deficiency can lead to fewer swollen mitochondria, hindering their health and increasing oxidative stress. The mitochondria even act as a magnesium “storage unit” for our body’s cells.  

• Wide-Ranging Health Impacts: Magnesium deficiency is linked to anxiety, fatigue, insomnia, constipation, developing or worsening heart disease, tachycardia, high blood pressure, muscle cramps, restless legs syndrome, and other issues.  

Recommended Magnesium Forms and Dosage:  

1. Magnesium glycinate: This highly bioavailable magnesium chelation is gentle on your bowels, and the extra glycine can aid sleep and relieve anxiety. The recommended dosage is 400 to 600 milligrams an hour before bed.  

2. Magnesium malate: Important for fatigue and chronic fatigue syndrome due to its role in increasing ATP levels. The malic acid also helps with bile production. Recommended dose is two hundred milligrams per fifty pounds of body weight daily with meals in divided doses.  

3.  Magnesium L-threonate: Magnesium L-threonate may significantly increase magnesium concentrations within your mitochondria of your central nervous system, including your brain, for improved cognitive function, brain fog, and anxiety relief. Recommended dosage is three to six capsules daily with food in divided doses.  

Magnesium blood levels should be tested every two to three months to ensure proper levels, especially if supplementing above six hundred milligrams daily, provided you have adequate kidney function. Ask your doctor for a magnesium RBC test every few months. You want your magnesium RBC test levels to be around 6.5 mg/dl to be optimal.  

Taking too much magnesium, a condition known as hypermagnesemia, is rare with supplemental magnesium but can occur in individuals with impaired kidney function. Intravenous magnesium poses a greater risk of overdose because it bypasses the body’s natural regulatory mechanisms. When hypermagnesemia does occur, diagnostic symptoms usually include a combination of low blood sugar and elevated serum calcium. Other commonly observed symptoms are weakness, vomiting, impaired breathing, low blood pressure (hypotension), increased blood calcium levels, arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat), lack of muscle reflexes, and bradycardia (slow heart rate). Although extremely rare, excessively high plasma magnesium levels can lead to cardiac arrest, resulting in sudden cardiac death.  

Conclusion  

Supplementing with ubiquinol, PQQ, and magnesium is essential for maximizing your body’s energy production and optimizing mitochondrial function. Ubiquinol, the active form of CoQ10, transports energy within cells, reduces inflammation, and supports heart health. PQQ (pyrroloquinoline quinone) stimulates the creation of new mitochondria and protects existing ones from oxidative stress, proving a powerful antioxidant. Magnesium is crucial for mitochondrial health, preventing oxidative damage, aiding ATP production, and maintaining mitochondrial integrity. Integrating these nutrients will enhance your energy system, making it more efficient and resilient. Take control of your energy levels and effectively support your body’s cellular processes!