Mitochondrial Dysfunction: A Common Underlying Cause of Chronic Fatigue & One of the Primary Hallmarks of Aging
Every cell in your body contains an energy factory called mitochondria. Mitochondria are essential for creating the energy your cells need to carry out critical physiological processes day after day. When your mitochondria are not working properly, you can experience chronic fatigue, stiffness, aches and pains as well as difficulty thinking clearly. Moreover, mitochondrial dysfunction increases as you age thereby increasing your risk of developing chronic illnesses such as Diabetes, Cardiovascular Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
Mitochondrial Health: Why It Matters
All of your organs, especially your brain, heart, nerves, and muscles, contain high concentrations of mitochondria in order to carry out their critical functions. These mitochondria use oxygen and the nutrients from food you eat to create the energy necessary to power your cells. Not surprisingly, what you eat, your level of physical activity, and your exposure to toxins, all impact the performance of your mitochondria and, in turn, your body.
When your mitochondria are healthy, you can think more clearly, have more energy, burn more fat, and have less aches and pains. Healthy mitochondria also help you age more slowly and maintain vibrancy longer due to the crucial role they play in maintaining immune health and regulating inflammation.
Causes of Mitochondrial Dysfunction
In the process of creating energy, mitochondria can be exposed to damaging compounds called reactive oxygen species (ROS) which have a corrosive effect on your mitochondria. Fortunately, your mitochondria are protected by antioxidants like vitamins A, C, and E as well as glutathione which act to neutralize the negative effects of ROS. In addition to antioxidants, your mitochondria have a team of enzymes which prevent these harmful compounds from doing damage.
As mentioned above, a poor diet, lack of exercise, and exposure to toxins – whether from the environment, food, medications or products you use regularly – set the stage for mitochondrial dysfunction and lead to inflammaging: inflammation and accelerated aging.
- Poor Diet: A lack of foods high in antioxidants (certain vegetables, fruits, and spices listed below) combined with the consumption of unhealthy fats (deep fried foods & processed vegetable oils), refined carbohydrates, and foods high in sugar or fructose corn syrup can wreak havoc with your mitochondria.
- Lack of Exercise: The more you use your muscles, the more mitochondria your body makes, increasing the overall metabolic capacity of your muscles. Moreover, exercise promotes the creation of a healthy population of good gut bacteria which also supports mitochondrial function.
- Poor Gut Health: An overgrowth of bad bacteria and too little good bacteria in your gut not only creates inflammation but also deprives your mitochondria of the performance enhancing substrates they need to function optimally. These substrates are called short-chain fatty acids and are produced by the good bacteria in your gut. A healthy diet – along with regular physical activity – support the production of a diverse population of healthy gut bacteria.
- Exposure to Toxins: Pesticides, heavy metals, synthetic chemicals, endocrine disruptors such as BPA, nanoparticles, and the toxic side effects of certain medications can disrupt proper the functioning of your mitochondria by inducing mitochondrial stress.
Steps You Can Take to Boost Mitochondrial Function
Improving the performance of your mitochondria and increasing your overall vitality is absolutely within your grasp. Even a few small changes to your diet and lifestyle will result in better mitochondrial function.
- Add foods high in antioxidants to your meals: Food is energy, and certain foods have the ability to boost your mitochondrial capacity. Vegetables (kale, broccoli, carrots, artichokes, spinach, beets, red cabbage, legumes), fruits (Goji berries, blueberries, raspberries, cranberries, pomegranate seeds), nuts & seeds (pecans, pumpkin seeds), wild-caught salmon, spices (curcumin, cilantro, parsley, oregano, ginger, thyme, cumin, cocoa), and green tea.
- Move more: Even if you can’t make it to the gym, you can take a walk. In fact, just walking more on a daily basis can not only improve mitochondrial function, but can also add years to your life.
- Reduce your exposure to toxins: While we can’t avoid all toxins in today’s world, we can limit our exposure and support your body’s natural ability to detoxify. An annual, supervised detoxification program using the functional medicine approach is an essential component of protecting your mitochondrial health and reducing your risk of chronic neurological disease.
- Improve your gut health: By following the first two steps listed above will put you on a path toward a healthier gut microbiome. If you suffer from digestive issues, you could benefit greatly from a gut health check by a functional medicine provider.
Ready to Boost Your Vitality and Increase Your Health Span?
Contact us today to schedule an appointment with Dr. Williams and experience the difference that the functional medicine approach can make in your health.
References
Bartman, S. et al. Mitochondrial Dysfunction: A Key Player in Brain Aging
and Diseases. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2024, 46, 1987–2026.
Clark, A, Mach, N. The Crosstalk between the Gut Microbiota and Mitochondria during Exercise. Front Physiol. 2017 May 19; 8:319.
Gottfried, S. Younger: A Breakthrough Program to Reset Your Genes, Reverse Aging, and Turn Back the Clock 10 Years. Harper Collins: New York. 2017.
Imdad, S. et al. Intertwined Relationship of Mitochondrial Metabolism, Gut
Microbiome and Exercise Potential. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23, 2679.
Javdov, S. et al. Mitochondria in Health and Diseases. Cells 2020, 9, 1177.
Jurcau, M.C. et al. Inflammaging and Brain Aging. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25, 10535.
Missiroli, S. et al. The Role of Mitochondria in Inflammation. J. Clin. Med. 2020, 9, 740.
Reddam, A. et al. Environmental Chemical Exposures and Mitochondrial Dysfunction: a Review of Recent Literature. Current Environmental Health Reports (2022) 9:631–649.
The Institute for Functional Medicine. MITO FOOD PLAN Comprehensive Guide. 2016.
Veerman, L. et al. Physical activity and life expectancy: a life-table analysis. Br J Sports Medicine. 2024 Nov 14:bjsports-2024-108125.
The contents of this blog are intended for educational purposes only. The information presented here is not a substitute for proper medical attention, diagnosis, or treatment by a qualified healthcare professional. Always seek the advice of your healthcare provider before starting or making any changes to an existing treatment plan, exercise program or dietary regimen, and before using nutritional supplements.