Although senior citizens represent a large portion of the market for brain health supplements, students and athletes are increasingly turning to cognition-boosting supplements to get a leg up on the competition. With this in mind, Mitsubishi Gas Chemical’s BioPQQ successfully applied for registration from Informed-Sport and Informed-Choice as a supplement tested for World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)-banned ingredients.

Fueled by a rise in awareness on natural supplements and the rapid growth of the e-commerce nutraceutical industry, the brain health supplement market is experiencing impressive growth. BioPQQ is recognized for its clinically-proven brain health benefits such as boosted nerve growth factor and increased mitochondrial biogenesis.

“Most BioPQQ consumers are seniors who are concerned about longevity and memory. However, millennials and entrepreneurs are increasingly interested in brain health and improving focus,” Shoji Matsukawa, General Manager, Organic Chemicals Sales & Marketing for Mitsubishi Gas Chemical America, tells.

“Any substance that an athlete puts into their body can impact their performance as well as the outcome. There are many unsafe, poorly tested, and illegal sports products currently available on the market,” says Matsukawa. “BioPQQ has been tested many times over the years and been proven to be safe and effective.”

“Additionally, BioPQQ has been found to have energy boosting properties, so communicating BioPQQ’s benefits to athletes and younger consumers is a priority. This is why BioPQQ applied for and earned the Informed Choice and Informed Sport certification in 2018.”

Studies, including human clinical trials, have shown that taking BioPQQ daily can lead to increased vigor, less fatigue, reduced tension-anxiety and better sleep, he notes.

BioPQQ is sold globally through distributors and vitamin retailers. Studies demonstrate that BioPQQ may stimulate Nerve Growth Factor and help protect neurons from harmful oxidative stress. BioPQQ has been shown to inhibit neurotoxicity and promote “mitochondrial biogenesis” to energize cells, particularly in the brain. Its anti-oxidative effect has been demonstrated to be significantly higher than both vitamin C and vitamin E.

“In 2003, a research group in Japan suggested that this ingredient could be seen as a new vitamin. And although this is not common understanding, and maybe even controversial, it does have certain vitamin-like qualities,” Matsukawa has told.

BioPQQ is the only compound of its kind with New Dietary Ingredient (NDI) notification from the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA), another testament to the stringent quality control standards placed on every batch of the ingredient.

BioPQQ has GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe”) status in the US and appears on the EU Approved List of Novel Foods, which represents a significant opportunity for European food manufacturers to fortify products with a safe and effective brain health supplement. BioPQQ is sold as MGCPQQ in the EU.