The basis of holistic health and long life lies in mitochondrial health. According to author, speaker and doctor Mark Hyman, one of the most successful names in the field of Functional Medicine, dysfunctional mitochondria can be found at the root of every disease. So why do our mitochondria, the energy production centres of our body, suddenly stop working? Modern life, full of poor diets, inactivity, stress and environmental toxins, is dragging us towards a life where our energy levels are low, our concentration is impaired, and we experience pain. This bad course of events can only be overcome by making choices supporting mitochondrial health. In the podcast program The Doctors Pharmacy, Hyman talks about the 4 mitochondrial health constants that we need to know in order to revive our depleted energy, support our health starting from our cells and live a long life.
The 4 Immutable Foundations of Mitochondrial Health
Our mitochondria, which we inherit only from our mothers, require optimal conditions to perform this simple but vital task for which they have evolved biologically. The way to support both the quality and the number of mitochondria can be achieved by fulfilling the following 4 unchangeable conditions.
1. Nutrition
The way to have healthy mitochondria at any age is to eliminate all refined sugars and packaged and processed foods from your diet and to minimize fried foods. Increasing your polyphenol and phytochemical intake by following a diet consisting of real and unprocessed foods and eating anti-inflammatory foods also increases mitochondrial health. Hyman’s general rule is that the foods we eat should be either in their original form or in the closest versions to the original . Adding to this is eating in season, eating organic products if possible, and doing intermittent fasting on some days .
Hyman emphasizes that most of the foods we consume are depleted of micronutrients due to industrial farming practices. No matter how healthy our diet is, most of the blood value deficiencies we experience are due to the loss of richness in the soil, genetically modified seeds, and pesticides. For this reason, Hyman recommends regular blood tests and taking mono or multivitamin supplements under the supervision of a specialist, especially to prevent adverse effects on mitochondrial function . The most effective supplements that support mitochondria are listed below:
- B complex vitamins
- COQ10
- Lipoic acid
- Resveratrol
- L-carnitine
Exercise 2
When it comes to health, the reason why exercise is one of the most recommended elements is actually due to our mitochondria. During exercises where we consciously stress the body, mitochondria also start to produce more energy. Mitochondria that are stressed for a while and try to respond to the increased energy demand of the body become more durable as a result. In short, we also increase the health of our mitochondria while exercising. According to Hyman, the most ideal sports routine is hidden in combining HIIT workouts that increase the endurance of mitochondria with strength training that increases the number of mitochondria .
3. Light
Mitochondria, which are very sensitive to light, need sunlight to function effectively. Today, many of us live lives that receive little sunlight and are drowning in artificial light. This incorrect light exposure disrupts our body’s natural clock and circadian rhythm and, therefore, negatively affects mitochondrial health. As a solution to the light problem of modern life, Hyman recommends that we go outside every morning as soon as we wake up and let the sun touch our skin for 20 minutes.
4. Sleep
Sun exposure and getting enough quality sleep in relation to the circadian rhythm are also indispensable for mitochondrial health. Our mitochondria – just like our entire body – have the chance to rest, renew and repair during the deep sleep phase. Insufficient sleep causes mitochondria to lose their effectiveness due to overwork.