Mitochondria Produce Energy (ATP)

You’ve heard this since middle school science class.  Mitochondria are often referred to as the “powehouse” of the cell.  I am not sure if this is really an accurate description but the reason it is called this is because the mitochondria, a small component within a cell, is where oxygen and nutrients (including glucose, fatty acids or amino acids and other vitamins and minerals) engage in a series of transactions where electrons are transferred to produce ATP, or energy.  This is why mitochondria matter.  You want them working optimally so that you can easily produce ATP so that you can have enough energy to do what you want to do in life.  However, sometimes it is not that easy to have optimal mitochondria function.  

Oxidative Stress

As I mentioned, mitochondria produce ATP through a series of electron transfers.  As a part of normal functioning of the mitochondria, it is common for the process to “lose” an electron here or there and when this happens, what is called reactive oxygen species, or free radicals, which are pro-oxidant, are created, which can lead to cellular and sometimes systemic damage.  The body also has the capability to produce antioxidants on its own to counter the effects of the reactive oxygen species to maintain balance.  However, there are many reasons why this balance gets disrupted which is one of the reasons why we encourage exogenous consumption of antioxidants: to help the body quell any reactive oxygen species from mitochondrial function, or from other insults to the body like infections, toxin exposure or other sources of inflammation.  This imbalance is called oxidative stress and oxidative stress can damage cells, cell membranes and cause inflammation overall.  

Mitochondrial Dysfunction 

This imbalance could lead to mitochondrial dysfunction and a diminished capacity to produce ATP which can cause further production of reactive oxygen species → it can be a vicious cycle.  If less ATP is produced, then the body may not have enough energy to ensure proper gut function, immune system balance, detoxification processes in the liver and hormone balance and function.  The result could be fatigue, motor function impairment and cognitive issues.  This is why we focus much attention in the nutrition space to be sure that we are consuming antioxidants in order to keep oxidative stress in balance and mitochondria functioning optimally.

Food Sources of Antioxidants

From a food-first approach some food sources of antioxidants are: 

• Citrus fruits
• Vegetables, like broccoli, cabbage, Brussel spouts and kale
• Flavonoids (grapes, berries, apples)
• Dark chocolate (yes!)
• Onions and garlic
• Green tea

There are also other nutrition, supplement and lifestyle strategies that can address mitochondrial function, and, no surprise, they consist of generally healthy habits that also can benefit other aspects of your health.  I’ll go into more detail on these in an upcoming post.  Stay tuned!  

In the meantime, if I can help you with nutrition and lifestyle strategies to improve and optimize your health (and your mitochondria), please reach out.