by CatheDotCom
Inside every cell in your body are small organelles called
mitochondria. Though they’re small in size, they’re essential for
existence. That’s because these tiny powerhouses are responsible for
converting carbohydrates, proteins and fats from the food you eat into
ATP, the universal energy source that fuels the movement of your muscles
and cellular activities.
Obviously you want these “energy powerhouses” to stay healthy.
Dysfunctional mitochondria have been linked with a number of chronic
diseases of aging including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s
disease and Alzheimer’s disease. When mitochondria aren’t functioning
properly, it reduces the amount of energy they can produce. Your brain
may be particularly susceptible to mitochondria dysfunction since its
energy demands are so high. It’s speculated that a number of
neurological diseases could be linked to unhealthy mitochondria – and
mitochondrial dysfunction may play a role in aging.
Mitochondrial Health: They Become Less Healthy with Age
Unfortunately, mitochondria become less functional with age. Over
time they become damaged by exposure to free radicals and the number of
healthy ones decrease in number. To make matters worse, when they become
damaged, they produce more free radicals, setting up a vicious cycle.
That spells trouble for everything from your energy level and endurance
to your metabolism as the ability of cells to produce energy declines.
Keeping Mitochondria Healthy
Want to keep your mitochondria healthy? Exercise! One way your body
adapts to aerobic exercise is by an increase in the number of
mitochondria within cells, a process called mitochondrial biogenesis. In
fact, one study showed that three months of moderate to intense aerobic
exercise increased the number of mitochondria in thigh muscles by 50%.
This adaptation makes sense since your body needs more mitochondria to
produce ATP to fuel exercise.
There’s also some evidence that calorie restriction and fasting
stimulates the growth of new mitochondria. What these all have in common
is they’re states of energy depletion. When cells are deprived of
energy they adapt by increasing the number of energy-producing
mitochondria. This may be why some studies show that calorie restriction
prolongs life, at least in animals.
Another way exercise helps to keep mitochondria healthy is by
protecting them against free radical damage, the kind that eventually
causes them to malfunction or die off completely. Research in animals
shows that aerobic exercise reduces the quantity of free radicals
mitochondria are exposed to. So aerobic exercise is helpful in two ways –
it increases the production of new mitochondria within cells and
reduces the amount of oxidative stress and free radical damage that
existing ones are exposed to.
How Diet Affects Mitochondrial Health
There’s some evidence that resveratrol, an antioxidant in red wine,
grapes, peanuts, cranberries and blueberries, protects mitochondria
against oxidative damage and helps to keep them healthy. This holds true
in animals but it’s not clear whether it does in humans. An
antioxidant-rich diet from whole foods, especially fruits and
vegetables, may also help to shield mitochondria against damage. In
addition, there’s some evidence that antioxidants like coenzyme Q10 and
alpha-lipoic acid help to prevent oxidative stress that damages
mitochondria and causes them to malfunction.
Keeping Your Mitochondria Healthy: The Bottom Line?
At this point, there’s not enough evidence that supplements like
resveratrol, coenzyme Q10 and alpha-lipoic acid preserve mitochondrial
function in humans. Until research reveals more, the best way to
maximize mitochondrial health is to do aerobic exercise.
Moderate-intensity aerobic exercise stimulates mitochondrial biogenesis
and protects existing mitochondria against oxidative stress – but doing
it for long periods of time increases cortisol levels. Shorter periods
of high-intensity aerobic exercise also appear to be effective.
In terms of diet, choose more antioxidant-rich foods. Cut back on
grilled meat and meat cooked to high temperatures using dry heat.
Heating protein-rich foods to high temperatures without moisture causes
advanced-glycation end products (AGEs) to form. These have been linked
with mitochondrial damage.
When you cook meat, use moist heat and marinate it with an acidic
marinade to reduce the amount of AGEs that are produced. Add more raw
foods to your diet. Doing this will help to protect cells from damage
while reducing stress to the mitochondria inside that make the energy
you need to stay healthy and free of disease.
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