MitoQ as seen in MiNDFOOD

This article was originally published in MiNDFOOD. In the late 1990s, a team from the University of Otago decided to study the breakdown of cell energy and its contribution to disease in the body. The team researched mitochondria, structures within cells that are responsible for their levels of energy.

The team discovered that if they simply added a positive charge to the mitochondria's own natural antioxidant, CoQ10, they could significantly boost antioxidant levels within these little powerhouses, leading to greatly improved cell health.

This positive charge is said to allow the antioxidants in MitoQ to penetrate the mitochondria hundreds of times more effectively than traditional antioxidants are able to do. The resulting discovery is available as MitoQ supplements and MitoQ skin serum, and the science behind the product features in more than 200 international research publications.

Because MitoQ began its life being tested as a drug, according to research scientist and group leader of the University of Cambridge MRC-Mitochondrial Biology Unit Dr Michael Murphy , it is more tested than almost any other supplement on the market today. According to the team, the simple message is that if you take MitoQ supplements you will age better. "You're reversing things rather than just stopping them," says Murphy.

Since its launch, the product has been gaining a cult following, with everyone from those concerned with healthy ageing to MS and diabetes sufferers, to women going through menopause spreading it through word of mouth and on review sites.