MitoQ on The Balancing Act: A must-watch conversation about aging well

We’re thrilled to share that MitoQ CEO Mahara Inglis and Chief Science Officer Dr. Siobhan Mitchell will be featured on the nationally televised show The Balancing Act on December 10th, 2025. A powerful platform hosted by Montel Williams and Olga Villaverde, dedicated to empowering viewers with health, wellness, and lifestyle insights. 

In this special segment, Mahara and Dr. Mitchell dive deep into the science of mitochondrial health, explaining how aging begins at the cellular level and how MitoQ’s pioneering antioxidant technology is helping people around the world take control of their aging journey. From the development of the world’s first mitochondrially targeted antioxidant to real-life stories of improved energy, clarity, and resilience, this interview is packed with inspiration and science-led solutions. 

Whether you're an athlete, a busy parent, or simply someone who wants to feel better for longer, this conversation is for you. 

Watch the full interview or read the transcript below to discover how healthy aging truly starts inside your cells. 

Full transcript

Olga Villaverde: 

Healthy aging starts inside your cells. 

Montel Williams: 

That's right. And today, mitochondrial and cellular health is becoming one of the most talked about ways to help control your aging journey, something that MitoQ has been pioneering for over 25 years. 

Olga Villaverde: 

That's right. And here to talk about how to stay energized, focused, and resilient for longer are MitoQ CEO Mahara Inglis and Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Siobhan Mitchell. 

Montel Williams: 

Thank you both for being here today. 

Mahara Inglis: 

Thank you. 

Dr Siobhan Mitchell: 

Thank you. 

Montel Williams: 

Thanks for making this long trek. You came all the way from New Zealand, right? 

Mahara Inglis: 

That's right. 

Montel Williams: 

My goodness. We love having you here. Come on now. 

Mahara Inglis: 

It's a pleasure to be here. 

Montel Williams: 

Make sure you talk about us when you get back. 

Olga Villaverde: 

Great to have you. Doctor, when it comes to aging, Montel knows how I feel about it, I want to age gracefully and it gets harder with time. Let's be honest. 

Montel Williams: 

We all do. 

Olga Villaverde: 

Thank you so much, sir. But I wanted to say that I want it more than you. So let's talk about those powerhouse of our cells, the mitochondria. Why is it so important in the aging process? 

Dr Siobhan Mitchell: 

Okay, so the main thing to remember is that mitochondria are the root cause of our aging. And to explain why, we all know that the mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell and they make all the energy for our bodies and that's great, but at the same time they're making that energy, they're also making this pollution called free radicals. And these free radicals can damage our DNA, our proteins. 

So if you want to delay aging, the best target is your mitochondria. We're having a lot of stresses in our life, like low exercise, poor diet, not enough sleep. And so this is all problematic in terms of our overall health. So even though we're living longer and we've gotten about eight more years since the 1960s in our lifespan, we're not living healthier. We're living those final decades with more age-related diseases. And so there is something you can do about it. And that's target your mitochondria. 

Montel Williams: 

Well, since the 1990s, MitoQ has made New Zealand's most significant contributions to things like cellular longevity science. How did it all get started? 

Mahara Inglis: 

So MitoQ really did pioneer this entire area of research and innovation when it developed the world's first mitochondrially targeted antioxidants. So back in the '90s, scientists knew that the free radicals of this pollution was coming out of mitochondria, was damaging the cells, and it was creating aging process in these health conditions. But knowing and solving are two very, very different things. In stepped two world-leading scientists, Professor Mike Murphy and Professor Robin Smith. And they developed MitoQ or mitoquinol mesylate, which is uniquely designed to get inside the mitochondria to combat that free radical damage right at the root source. So was this innovation that's led to MitoQ becoming one of the most clinically studied longevity ingredients. So we've got 26 clinical trials and dozens more in the pipeline. We have customers in over 100 countries around the world, throughout the United States. And this ranges from an Olympic athlete who just wants to perform at the very top of their discipline to a busy mom who just wants to stay healthy for her family. 

Olga Villaverde: 

And you said it best, so MitoQ, and this is it right here, and it's the first targeted mitochondria antioxidant. How does it work? 

Dr Siobhan Mitchell: 

The main thing to remember is that the mitochondria is actually very difficult to get anything into. So it's very protected. So when you think a lot of the antioxidants that people are taking from their diets and all the rest, those antioxidants aren't getting into the mitochondria where you need the most protection because of the fact of those free radicals causing all this damage to our mitochondria and our cells. And so MitoQ was designed to be small and also have a positive charge so it could get sucked into the negatively charged mitochondria. 

MitoQ penetrates the Mitochondria...

Our foundational product, MitoQ Pure, contains MitoQ® Mitoquinol, our world-first mitochondria-targeted antioxidant.

Learn more

Montel Williams: 

So understanding that it gets inside a mitochondria, but talk a little bit about the benefits that people are seeing when it comes to health and aging. 

Mahara Inglis: 

Absolutely. And so how people feel and experience MitoQ can vary quite a bit, but what we know is that regardless of what you feel, it's getting inside your cells, getting in your mitochondria making a difference. Now, talking to our customers and hearing the benefits in their lives is by far the coolest part, of my job. 

Olga Villaverde: 

Of course. 

Mahara Inglis: 

Just hearing those stories. And they report back to us two key things. Number one is they call it life-changing. And the second is they say it's the one supplement that they will not do without. In fact, we had one gentleman who was in his 70s. He says that taking MitoQ makes him feel like he's in his 50s, gives him more time to do the things he loved, like playing with his grandkids. 

Another, we have a single mom who takes MitoQ. She says that MitoQ is life-changing and amongst dealing with the work, the stress, the family, all of this sort of pressure, it's allowed her to be calmer, clearer and more present for her family. But even for me personally, so as a busy, stressful father of three with a demanding job and a hectic schedule, intense exercise, a few niggling rugby injuries from back in the day, for me it's non-negotiable. I take it every single day so that I can stay on top of my health. I can stay energized. I can deal with whatever's thrown at me, be it a toy from the kids or a problem from work, but most importantly, be healthier for my family for longer. 

Olga Villaverde: 

Can we talk about some of the misconceptions when it comes to aging? 

Dr Siobhan Mitchell: 

Yeah. So the main misconception is that people think that aging is just going to happen to you and there's nothing you can do about it. And that's blatantly untrue. There's a lot you can do. The second misconception is that aging is happening earlier than you think. So the fact is is that when you can exercise really great in your 20s, everyone's aware that in your 30s and 40s you're never going to exercise the same level again. And that's because your mitochondria.

Montel Williams: 

Well. 

Dr Siobhan Mitchell: 

Some people, at least. That's because your mitochondria are dysfunctioning. At that early age in your 20s, they're starting to dysfunction. There was a very quick study where they're looking at how when MitoQ was given to women who had gone through menopause and were showing these signs of vascular dysfunction, they tested a high dose (160mg) of Mitoquinol, and it actually brought these women back to a pre-menopausal vascular function. 

Olga Villaverde: 

Wow. 

Montel Williams: 

That's crazy. 

Olga Villaverde: 

That's amazing. I'm game because I'm that menopausal woman that's lost a little bit of mitochondria. Yeah, excuse me, those are mine. You have these. 

Montel Williams: 

Okay. These are mine. 

Olga Villaverde: 

Final thoughts. 

Mahara Inglis: 

So I'll leave you with three. So the first off is that if you want to stay healthy, if you want to age well, look after your mitochondria, look after yourselves. Second, for us, it's personal. We take it ourselves. We give it to our families. We have seen and felt firsthand the benefits it can make in our lives and our families lives. And third is just the actions that we take now keep us healthier today, but most importantly, they also keep us healthier in the long-term so that we can do more of the things that we love with the people that we love. 

Olga Villaverde: 

Fantastic. 

Montel Williams: 

Where can our viewers go to get more information and figure out how to order some? Because they're not as lucky as we are? 

Mahara Inglis: 

Come and visit our website mitoq.com, or check us out on social handles @mitoq. 

Olga Villaverde: 

Thank you so much. Appreciate your time. 

Mahara Inglis: 

Thank you. 

Olga Villaverde: 

Safe travels back to New Zealand. 

Watch the full episode on The Balancing Act

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