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PQQ (Pyrroloquinoline Quinone) Supplements Review

Learn What PQQ Does and Which PQQ Supplements are Best

Latest Update
PQQ for Cognition?
Tod Cooperman, M.D.

Medically reviewed and edited by Tod Cooperman, M.D.

 
Updated June 27, 2024 ⓘ
Products tested in 2021

Summary

  • What is PQQ?

    Pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) is a reddish-brown antioxidant compound that plays a role in releasing energy in cells, although it is not a required nutrient. It is found in very small amounts in foods. Supplements, which are typically produced synthetically or by bacterial fermentation as PQQ disodium salt, provide much larger amounts (5 to 20 mg per serving). PQQ has been sold in the U.S. since 2008. (See What It Is)

  • What are the health benefits of PQQ?

    Animal studies have suggested a range of possible benefits for PQQ, but clinical studies in people have generally been extremely limited and have not shown much benefit. Studies have focused on uses for memory and cognition, energy and mood, inflammation, athletic-endurance and body composition, cholesterol-lowering, and reducing statin-related side effects. (See What It Does)

  • How do PQQ supplements compare?

    All of the PQQ supplements purchased and tested by ConsumerLab provided PQQ as the disodium salt, claiming 5 to 40 mg per serving. Some provided branded forms of PQQ, such as BioPQQ and PureQQ.

  • What did ConsumerLab find in testing PQQ supplements?

    Only five of the seven PQQ supplements selected by ConsumerLab for testing provided their listed amounts of PQQ. Two products provided less PQQ than claimed. None of the supplements were found to be contaminated with lead, cadmium, or arsenic. (See What CL Found and How Products Were Evaluated.)

  • What is the best PQQ supplement?

    Among the products that passed testing and were Approved for quality, ConsumerLab selected one as its overall Top Pick because it provided the most commonly used dose of PQQ (20 mg) and was favorably priced. A second Approved PQQ supplement was a Top Pick for lower dosage (10 mg). (See Top Picks)

  • Is PQQ safe?

    PQQ has not undergone safety testing in people, although animal studies have not indicated a safety problem. The FDA has not objected to notifications it has received from companies selling PQQ that have self-certified that their ingredients should be generally recognized as safe (GRAS). (See Concerns and Cautions)

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Pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) supplements compared in this review

View Larger Image 7622_large_DoctorsBest-PQQ-2021.png

Doctor's Best PQQ With BioPQQ

View Larger Image 7623_large_DoubleWoodSupplements-PQQ-2021.png

Double Wood Supplements PQQ

View Larger Image 7624_large_HTN-PQQ-2021.png

HTN PQQ 40 mg

View Larger Image 7625_large_JarrowFormulas-PQQ-2021.png

Jarrow Formulas PQQ 20 mg

View Larger Image 7626_large_Kal-PQQ-2021.png

Kal PQQ 5 mg

View Larger Image 7630_large_LifeExtension-CoQ10-2021.png

Life Extension CoQ10 100 mg with PQQ

View Larger Image 7627_large_Swanson-PQQ-2021.png

Swanson PQQ

View Larger Image 7628_large_Vitacost-PQQ-2021.png

Vitacost PQQ 10 mg

You must be a member to get the full test results along with ConsumerLab.com recommendations and quality ratings. You will get results for seven PQQ supplements selected by ConsumerLab.com and one other supplement that passed testing in its voluntary Quality Certification Program. In this comprehensive review, you'll discover:
 
  • Which PQQ supplements passed or failed our tests
  • ConsumerLab.com's Top Picks, representing the best quality PQQ supplements at the best price
  • The evidence for and against the promoted health benefits of PQQ, including its anti-oxidant effects, memory and cognition, energy and mood, inflammation, athletic-endurance and body composition, cholesterol-lowering, and reducing statin-related side effects.
  • Information about branded forms of PQQ, such as BioPQQ and PureQQ
  • How to buy and use PQQ supplements
  • The safety of PQQ supplements

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Additional Information
Tested through CL's Quality Certification Program prior to, or after initial posting of this Product Review.