An important aspect of cellular health is mitochondrial health. Every cell within us has tiny energy factories called — Mitochondria. They produce energy (from oxygen and food) in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate). This is what fuels every action of ours — walking, thinking, talking, digesting, cleansing, healing, repairing, and so on. A tired and lethargic person will have less ATP being produced by the body than an energetic person. Tiredness, lethargy, and fatigue are all indicators of your bad mitochondrial health.
Not many understand that their health problems could just be stemming from mitochondrial dysfunction.
If your mitochondria is not functioning the right way, you will not only feel lethargic all day, but also put on weight, lose hair, and be prone to early ageing. This is the power of mitochondria and its health.
What destroys mitochondrial health?
Nutritional deficiencies and depriving your body of key nutrients like vitamins and minerals by following fad diets
Environmental toxins like pollution, heavy metals, BPAs, parabens,
phthalates plastics, and toxins in cosmetics)
Viruses and infections — studies have revealed Covid is known to cause some dysfunction in the mitochondria
Oxidative stress and inflammation lead to a leakage of oxygen from
the cells
Smoking, living in a polluted environment
Excessive alcohol consumption — alcohol depletes NADH (a key nutrient and mitochondrial health)
Strong medical procedures like chemo, radiation, and antibiotics
Overuse of recreational drugs
Statins, that too in the absence of CoQ10 and Selenium
Chronic sleep deprivation
Lifestyle changes to build mitochondrial health
Decrease toxins exposure. A lot of it may not be in your control, but do what you can in terms of switching to cleaner products, eating chemical-free, and fasting to cleanse your body
Keep the health of your eliminatory organs in tip-top shape. A compromised function of even one of our eliminatory organs (skin, liver, kidneys, colon, lungs) can lead to toxin overload
Limit junk foods. Opt for clean, wholesome, and real foods
Ask your doctor to prescribe CoQ10 and Selenium, if on statins
Switch from refined to cold pressed oils — refined oils are
pro-inflammatory and create an imbalance of the omega 3 and omega 6 ratio
Build lean muscle. Muscle is metabolically active tissue. Mitochondria are densely populated in lean muscle. More muscle means more mitochondria and stronger mitochondrial health
Move, but do not over-exercise if recovering from an infection, surgery, or illness; go slow
Adequate hydration — even a one per cent drop in hydration can affect cellular health remarkably, including your mitochondria
Learn to manage chronic stress — more stress equals more inflammation
Foods and supplements that help
Besides adopting the above lifestyle changes, here are some important mitochondrial nutrients and its natural sources. Please make an informed decision. The supplemental form of these is to be prescribed under expert guidance only
CoQ10 — for ATP production: Organ meat, chicken, red meat, fish, crucifers, spinach, oranges, strawberries, legumes, nuts, and seeds (pistachios)
Alpha Lipoic Acid — for energy transportation: Spinach, meats, crucifers, cooked tomatoes
Carnitine — for energy transportation: Red meat, fish, crucifers, chicken, avocados, beans, ethically sourced dairy
Resveratrol — antioxidant effect: Good quality red wine (give drinking a break if recovering), grapes, 70% & above dark chocolate, peanuts, cacao, cranberries, pistachios
N-Acetyl Cysteine — promotes glutathione production: Crucifers, meats, onions, legumes
Vitamin E — antioxidant effect: almonds, sunflower seeds, spinach peanuts, beets, bell peppers
NADH — needed for ATP production: exercise (light intensity works), yoga, walking, listening to your body, crucifers, B-vitamins, whole grains, mushrooms, fish, leafy greens
Magnesium — for mitochondrial health: dark chocolate, avocado, cacao, lady greens
(Luke Coutinho, Holistic Nutrition and Lifestyle — Integrative and Lifestyle Medicine, Founder of You Care - All about YOU by Luke Coutinho)
