Mitochondria are the powerhouses of every cell in every form of life. Mitochondria produce ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate), the energy a life form operates with. This energy is electrical by nature. It is what makes up the electromagnetic energy field, the aura.
I like to think of ATP as the essence of spirit (your God/dess particles). The less ATP you have, the less energy you have and the more prone you are to disease, including herpes breakouts. Scientists believe the mitochondria were, at one time, independent bacterial cells because they have their own DNA.
Mitochondrial Dysfunction is when your body's cells no longer work properly to convert nutrients into energy, which causes cognitive problems, fatigue, muscle and skeletal pain, poor digestion, hormonal imbalances, problems sleeping, and other symptoms, such as immune problems and premature aging. Without healthy mitochondria, you'll have no physiological resilience.
Types of Mitochondrial Dysfunction
Primary Mitochondrial Dysfunction is inherited. PMD leads to symptoms in childhood. Secondary Mitochondrial Dysfunction (SMD) can evolve at any age and is considered less serious. The symptoms are apt to be different than with PMD. Many conditions can lead to SMD later in life and affect overlapping conditions.
Symptoms of Mitochondrial Dysfunction
Mitochondrial dysfunctions vary greatly and may include the following symptoms, syndromes, or diseases.
- Poor growth
- Exercise intolerance
- Low muscle tone, muscle loss, poor coordination, weakness, and pain
- Autism
- Bipolar Disorder
- Huntington's (degeneration of nerve cells in the brain)
- Learning disabilities
- Vision or hearing problems
- Breathing problems
- Increased risk for infection (poor immune response)
- Schizophrenia
- Sugar Disease (Diabetes)
- Heart, kidney, or liver disease
- Gastrointestinal issues, trouble swallowing, IBS symptoms
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Neurological problems (postherpetic neuralgia, movement disorders, seizures, migraines, strokes)
- Thyroid problems
- An interruption in the regular rhythmic beating of the heart
- Dementia and Alzheimer's (changes in the brain that lead to deposits of specific proteins that degenerate the brain)
- Parkinson's Disease (a disorder that affects the nervous system and causes tremors or stiffness of movement)
- Lactic acidosis (a buildup of lactate)
Causes of Mitochondrial Dysfunction
- Stress
- Not enough deep sleep
- A diet deficient in plant-based foods, such as green leafy vegetables, colorful fruits, and vegetables containing phytochemicals, flavonoids, and polyphenols
- Tylenol (acetaminophen) dramatically damages mitochondria every single time you take it.
- Cigarette smoke and vaping
- Toxins, such as environmental toxins, such as pesticides and herbicides, and heavy metals, such as lead, mercury, and cadmium. Environmental toxins include emotionally toxic people.
- Prescription and illegal drugs
- What is your passion (or purpose)? What gets you up out of bed and makes you want to get up and live? Whatever it is, it's tied directly to your mitochondria and cellular energy production.
The Difficulty With Getting Diagnosed
"Because mitochondrial diseases affect so many different organs and tissues of the body, and patients have so many different symptoms, mitochondrial diseases can be difficult to diagnose. No single laboratory or diagnostic test can confirm the diagnosis of a mitochondrial disease (Cleaveland Clinic)."
"Because mitochondria perform so many different functions in different tissues, there are literally hundreds of different mitochondrial diseases. […] Because of the complex interplay between the hundreds of genes and cells that must cooperate to keep our metabolic machinery running smoothly, it is a hallmark of mitochondrial diseases that identical mtDNA mutations may not produce identical diseases (The United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation)."
The Basics for Healing Your Mitochondria
Many foods that are good for your brain also help restore the mitochondria and vice versa. When you have trouble with fatigue, muscle loss, and the inability to recover from exercise quickly (and you've tried EVERYTHING and still don't feel any improvement), you may have a mitochondrial problem.
- Sleep. It's during deep sleep that the body repairs itself.
- Perform regular resistance and aerobic exercise.
- Engage in intermittent fasting to cleanse the mitochondria. Fasting triggers autophagy, a metabolic process where your body cleans up harmful proteins and toxic waste.
- A genetically appropriate diet filled with a variety of plant-based foods
Mito-Enhancing Foods
- Holy basil (raw)
- Cacao nibs
- Chia seeds
- Walnuts
- Maca powder
- Oat milk, almond milk
- Cottage cheese
- Acorn and zucchini squash, sweet potato, yam, potato
- Millet
- Apples, blueberries, banana, avocado, goji berries
- Spinach, beets, fancy mushrooms, kale, greens, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower
- Fish
- Drinking periwinkle tea or taking a Vincamine supplement may help with "sticky" blood issues (a problem after having contracted COVID-19 or receiving jabs) and improve ATP (cellular energy).
Foods that nourish the mitochondria also nourish the brain. Some of these foods are high in arginine, an amino acid (a type of protein). However, it feeds the herpes virus. Still, we need some arginine in our diet.
The Top Supportive Supplements for Boosting Mitochondrial Function
- Iron deficiency is one of the most common causes of mitochondrial dysfunction. For deficient iron levels, eating some liver once or twice a week is a simple way to boost iron levels. Or, you can take an iron supplement. Extended-release is also available if you have digestive issues. However, you should have your Iron levels tested before taking supplements. Taking too much Iron can cause health problems.
- B vitamins are essential in mitochondrial function. Folinic acid (folate) plus riboflavin (B2) reduces neurological symptoms. However, if you have the MTHFR Gene Mutation, you must take methylated B.
- Vitamin C can donate electrons (energy) and increase the efficiency of neurotransmitters.
- D3 is essential for overall cellular health and is implicated in too many functions to list here.
- Alpha lipoic acid (ALA) has a beneficial effect on brain and musculoskeletal metabolism (energy)
- EPA and DHEA
- Co-enzyme Q-10 increases exercise tolerance and muscle strength and reduces post-exercise lactate acid. In the case of MELAS (mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes in Primary Mitochondrial Dysfunction), alpha lipoic acid (ALA) is used as an antioxidant to enhance creatine uptake, Co Q-10 as an antioxidant to bypass some of the inner workings of the mitochondria, and creatine as an alternative energy source (helping out ATP). However, some studies show the cocktail has little effect on muscle strength. MELAS is an extremely rare genetic condition that begins in childhood.
- Periwinkle tea increases ATP in the body.
You don't have to have a gene mutation (MELAS or any other) to have poorly functioning mitochondria. Secondary Mitochondrial Dysfunction can happen at any age. Often, it's just a matter of giving your cells what they need (water, nutrients, light, and exercise) to perform optimally.
If you have an energy problem, the following information may be helpful. Keep in mind the following information is not condition-specific.
- Michael T. Murray, ND (DrMurray.com)
- Ari Whitten, MS
Photograph (with Gold overlay): Courtesy of Wikipedia Commons
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