Mitochondria: disease and aging, what are you missing?
Like with many of the recent topics discussed in the health
space – mitochondria has gained much attention.
In medical school, we only received cursory information regarding
the origin of mitochondria and that these are the primary energy centers of our
cells producing the life sustaining ATP to provide energy for all the important
physiological processes occurring every second.
Recent evidence is clearly telling us that what underlies most
chronic diseases is a mitochondrial dysfunction. When you think about it – this
makes perfect sense! Low energy output – not enough energy to keep pace with
the metabolic demands of the body. As a result, problems arise and left long
enough – they become serious medical conditions that doctors will treat with
drugs or surgery.
But what if we could address this dysfunction as it occurs
or even prevent it from happening. Again – this would make perfect sense but
the question is – where do we start to address it.
As with many of the conversation I have regarding HEAOPS
(health optimization strategies) we must start with understanding how sever the
dysfunction actually is in order for us to then measure any improvement.
As I keep on repeating myself – what we don’t measure we don’t
manage and we can’t willy nilly give you all sorts of supplements to improve your
biology without knowing if they are the right ones and if indeed they are helping
you.
Once we have established that indeed there is a measurable
dysfunction then we can start thinking of the various approaches to address
this dysfunction. Here are some to consider:
Avoid carbohydrate loads because excess ATP is produced in
the mitochondria resulting in oxidative damage to the mitochondria.
Induce mitophagy – a process that removes old and dysfunctional
mitochondria that can contribute to overall cellular dysfunction, Urolithin A
is a molecule that supports this. Various foods have this as well as a product
called Mito pure. See resources for a link for Mito pure.
Methylene blue is known is well known to support mitochondrial
function. FDA approved for the treatment of methemoglobinemia. Clinical trials
have shown how methylene blue helps with cognitive function, memory and slows
down/stops progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Methylene blue has many other
benefits. See resource section for links or go the website link below.
Photo biomodulation with red and near infra red light has
shown to benefit function of mitochondria through the absorption of light by
the cytochrome C oxidase.
Exercise promotes mitochondrial biogenesis through a number
of other pathways, especially endurance and interval training.
PQQ supplementation leads to more mitochondria and more functional mitochondria.
Fasting, Ketogenic Diets and Fasting-Mimicking Supplements promotes
mitochondrial biogenesis by AMPK activation.
NAD+ either as a nasal spray or through IV therapy has shown
to be highly beneficial for mitochondrial function.
If you want to live longer and have a higher quality of
life: recognize that the health of your mitochondria is central and must be
addressed. Find a practitioner that understands how to tap into optimizing your
health with the many types of modalities not taught in medical school. There is a very important role to have your
doctors and hospitals help you in an emergency but it is on you to make sure
you optimize your health. That is my mission: to curate and guide any consumer
of health with the many incredible products, devices and services that will
optimize you.
Each of these recommendations is evidence based and diligent
research will find the appropriate documentation. Before instituting any type
of health optimization, obtain the consultation from your medical practitioner.
If you are a practitioner or a consumer looking for a
practitioner, follow the link below for additional references that can guide
you towards optimizing your mitochondria and potentially reversing any medical
condition.
Links
Mitopure
| Best Urolithin A (UA) supplement | Clinically Tested | Timeline Nutrition
PQQ SUPPLEMENT BY LIFE EXTENSION: https://amzn.to/3f9x8Wj
Mitochondria and the Future of Medicine: The Key to
Understanding Disease, Chronic Illness, Aging, and Life Itself: https://amzn.to/3R4Gwb5
Mitochondrial biogenesis and healthy aging: https://bit.ly/3r1aPVC
Aging and the Mitochondria: Aging
and the Mitochondria | Anti-Aging | Articles | Magazine
(totalhealthmagazine.com)
Red Light Therapy: Red Light
Therapy Company | Dr. Rademaker (drrademaker.com)
As medical practitioners we have an incredible opportunity
to enhance our influence on those that trust us the most, our clients as
patients. This requires embracing strategies not commonly taught in medical
school and partnering with the types of health practitioners that can support
the many different health optimization strategies that are available. My
personal mission is to support all types of health practitioners to re-invent
their practice and find new pathways to help their business thrive and deliver
better results in community health as we can curate and guide or clients with
the best options now available to them. For more information, contact me
through the website.
Bart Rademaker, MD
