Unless you pore over scientific journals like I do, you may have missed some exciting news.
You see, a recent breakthrough study has proven you can reverse wrinkles and restore skin to a healthy, youthful appearance in only weeks…
In this study, published in Cell Death and Disease, researchers activated a mutation in mice that caused their mitochondrial DNA to decline.1
Then they flipped the switch back on. Within weeks, the wrinkled skin reversed. When the mitochondrial function of the mice returned, they regained their original appearance.
I’ve told you about your mitochondria being the tiny power plants inside your cells that turn food into energy. And how as you grow older, they start to decline — leading to diseases like heart disease, Alzheimer’s, diabetes and more.
But you may not know that this mitochondrial decline also causes skin aging and wrinkles.
I’ve been helping patients at the Sears Institute for Anti-Aging Medicine wake up their tired, aging skin by boosting mitochondrial DNA for decades. In a moment, I’ll tell you how. But first I want to explain what’s behind our skin’s aging.
In an earlier study, researchers took skin samples from 27 people aged 6 to 72 years. They only took the samples from areas of the body that never get any sun. That way, they could measure changes that just occurred because of age.
The researchers found that certain activity in the mitochondria significantly declined with age in the skin’s fibroblasts.2 Those are the cells that produce collagen and elastin.
Your skin’s whole structural support depends on collagen and elastin. They make your skin smooth and wrinkle-free.
So as mitochondria in the fibroblasts slow down, your skin’s support system becomes lax. Your skin looks tired and you start to see sags and wrinkles.
It will be years before most doctors realize the role mitochondria play in skin aging. But I help my patients regain the look of fresh young skin by boosting the energy output of the mitochondria in their skin cells and repairing DNA damage to their mitochondria.
Wake Up Tired Skin in 3 Simple Steps
Luckily, there are ways you can restore your mitochondrial DNA to prevent and repair damage to your skin. I don’t do this with Big Pharma pills, but with skin-saving nutrients. Here are three steps proven to wake up tired, aging skin:
Step 1: Use CoQ10 inside – and out. Coenzyme Q10 sparks your aging cell engines to make more energy. And it’s a potent-free radical scavenger, soaking up oxidized molecules before they cause damage. I recommend taking 50 mg of CoQ10 daily. Look for the ubiquinol form. It’s more powerful and much easier to absorb.
Your skin also needs CoQ10 applied directly to it. Without enough of this important compound, your skin cells starve and die faster than your body can replace them.
In a German experiment, a team applied CoQ10 to skin biopsies from mature adults. And something amazing happened. The mitochondria sprang into action again… and the old skin cells started acting like much younger cells.3
Once the skin cells had their energy source back, they had a new lease on life. I recommend applying a liquid CoQ10 toner to your skin once daily.
Step 2: Add in PQQ. Taking CoQ10 alone isn’t enough. You need PQQ. This coenzyme acts like the spark plug inside your cells to make new mitochondria. Then CoQ10 helps each individual mitochondria make more energy.
Researchers at the University of California at Davis fed mice a diet supplemented with PQQ, and they grew a staggering number of new mitochondria in just eight weeks.4 I recommend taking 10 mg to 20 mg a day for the best results. Most supplements have just a tiny fraction of that amount. So check the label carefully.
Step 3: Try the mitochondria supplement most haven’t heard of. When you think of skin care, you probably don’t think of a black, tar-like goo. It’s called shilajit and it comes from the Himalayan mountains of India.
Studies have shown that shilajit doubles the levels of CoQ10 available to skin tissue.5 This helps to reduce aging at a cellular level. One reason it’s so effective is its high fulvic acid levels. Fulvic acid is a powerful antioxidant. In one study, skin treated with it showed a significant reduction in wrinkles after only 21 days.6
Shilajit is available as a powder. Dissolve a pea-size portion (100 mg) in liquid and drink up to three times a day. If you have heart problems, ask your doctor before taking.
At my clinic, I’ve been working on another method to reverse skin aging with using a proven breakthrough technology.
Stay tuned.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD, CNS
References
1. Singh B, et al. “Reversing wrinkled skin and hair loss in mice by restoring mitochondrial function.” Cell Death Dis. 2018;9(7):735.
2. Bowman A and Birch-Machin MA. “Age-dependent decrease of mitochondrial complex ii activity in human skin fibroblasts.” J Investig Dermatol. 2016;136(5):912-919.
3. Baumann, L. “How to prevent photoaging?” J Invest Dermatol. 2005;125(4):xii–xiii.
4. Stites T, et al. “Pyrroloquinoline quinone modulates mitochondrial quantity and function in mice.” J. Nutr. 2006;136(2): 390-396.
5. Systemic CoQ level in animals: Part II. Unpublished study. Natreon, Inc. 2007;12.
6. Felippi CC, et al. “Safety and efficacy of antioxidants-loaded nanoparticles for an anti-aging application.” J Biomed Nanotechnol. 2012;8(2):316-321.