Mitochondria… the key to a healthier life.
- Mark Turnbull
- Dec 17, 2020
- 1 min read
We are taught that Mitochondria are the powerhouse of our cells, but they are so much more. We assume mitochondria are like an engine, give them fuel, and they just work. Well, they are, sort of. However, like a fine race car engine, they require your attention to work in peak condition. The healthier your mitochondria are, the healthier you will be. Poorly functioning mitochondria, or “mitochondrial dysfunction” is seen in people with heart disease, dementia, Type 2 diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome, cancer, and so on. In pandemic terms… the mitochondria in your immune system will dictate how well your immune system will perform.
Mitochondrial dysfunction is also a root cause element of insulin resistance. Since nearly 50% of people have insulin resistance, this is a subject matter we need to pay attention to.
Scientists are now finding evidence of mitochondrial dysfunction nearly 5-10 years before those changes will manifest as something like Type 2 Diabetes that your doctor can find on your blood tests. When it comes to mitochondria, the issues we care about are:
The number of mitochondria you have.
The metabolic flexibility of your mitochondria- in many diseases, the mitochondria can only process glucose, and not fat. This in-flexibility leads to significant downstream effects.
Mitochondrial efficiency. How well do your mitochondria process the various substrates– glucose, fat, and lactate.
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