Mitochondrial Health Supplements : Benefits For Our Wellbeing

Mitochondrial health is a massive influencing factor on our overall wellbeing and mitochondrial health supplements or mitochondrial health supporting nutraceuticals are becoming more popular.

The central mitochondrial function is in energy production for the body. They make the energy molecule called ATP in a series of reactions. ATP is a store of energy and supports the continued function of all the cells within the organs of your body. Mitochondria are therefore very important for our wellness.

Mitochondria have had a really big influence on the evolution of life on Earth. As an ancestral organelle of our cells their influence on our wellness is more important. You can find mitochondria in animals, plants and fungi. They provide the energy for the functioning of all the lifeforms in these groups of living organisms.

Mitochondria have their own unique DNA and were once another organism entirely. You read that right. Our mitochondria were once another organism and have streamlined with our cells to play a supporting role in our wellness. They are thought to have developed from a bacteria. This may sound frightening but without our mitochondria we would not exist.

Here the benefits of health supportive mitochondrial supplements will be considered and also why mitochondria are so important for our overall wellbeing.

How Mitochondrial Health Supports Our Wellbeing

Mitochondria once functioned completely independently of our cells but require a supply of vital nutrients to support their optimal health and survival. They were most likely a very small bacteria which showed biochemical resilience and refused to be digested by an ancestral cell.

This sort of behaviour is not uncommon in lifeforms. There are many species which have or could retain other organisms. Another unusual fact about our mitochondrial is that they are inherited.

Our mitochondria have their own DNA which requires the same antioxidant support as the rest of the cells in our body. They generate an incredible amount of energy which requires antioxidant and nutritional support because of free radical production. Free radicals or oxidative molecules are not health supportive and can cause very harmful damage including cancers.

Mitochondrial Energy And Our Wellbeing

Mitochondria generate ATP regularly per day. Current research shows our bodies may use around 50kg of ATP a day at bed rest and a normal active person could use around 120kg of ATP a day. On a water weight basis current estimates show that you most likely only have about 8 or 9 grams of ATP in the body at any one time. There could also be up to thousands of mitochondria per cell and they feature in pretty much every cell within the body. This gives you an idea of the sheer scale of their functioning in the body.

The health of our mitochondrial membranes are particularly important because this is where most of the energy reactions are occurring. Mitochondrial membranes have the same phospholipid membrane form as regular cells. They can generate energy from both fatty acids and sugars to support cellular activities. The generated ATP within mitochondria support protein synthesis and DNA replication in our cells. ATP generation from within our mitochondria support healthy nervous system and brain functioning too. ATP also ensures that our muscles can move.

As you can see our mitochondria have the potential to influence various aspects of our health from the offset. Mitochondrial supercharging nutrients and antioxidants could possibly help to support more optimal overall wellbeing.

Mitochondrial Autophagy And Our Health

Another core part of the day to day life of our mitochondria is a process known as mitochondrial autophagy. This is pretty much a rendering or natural modification process to promote the survival of healthy mitochondria against one that are basically defunct. Mitochondria can become overloaded with oxidative stress or age significantly and then not function properly.

In mitochondrial autophagy whole parts of the mitochondria can change. This is a healthy process that also supports our overall wellbeing. The process can be supported and influenced by our diet and lifestyle.

Some mitochondria can actually fuse together too and they divide like normal cells. Healthy levels of mitochondrial autophagy are an essential pathway in the prevention of cancer development.

Mitochondrial abnormalities could cause heart issues in newborns and severe developmental disorders. Mitochondrial health is heavily implicated in optimal heart health. Heart cell mitochondrial oxygen intake is much higher than in liver cells because of how energetically demanding the continual transport of blood is. Liver mitochondria break down ammonia and assist with healthy body detoxification. This again shows how influential mitochondrial health is for our overall wellness.

Alzheimer’s patients also suffer from mitochondrial abnormalities such as excessive mitochondrial oxidative stress or higher levels of mitochondrial fragmentation. Abnormal relations between mitochondrial fission and fusion could be huge contributing factor to neurodegenerative disease such as Huntington’s disease. Mitochondrial health and brain health seem to be very closely related.

If large amounts of mitochondria die off your overall wellbeing or working efficiency could suffer and this is another important reason to support mitochondrial health via our diet or supplements.

Researched Effects Of Mitochondrial Health Supporting Supplements

Some of the earliest studies with mitochondrial health supporting supplements show they may influence aspects of our health. Some of these include nicotinamide riboside, whey protein, polyunsaturated fatty acid and hydrogen rich water.

Research with mitochondrial health supplements supports the possibility of improved mitochondrial antioxidant capacity, volume and mitochondrial protein production with mitochondrial supplements. Considering the widespread implications of changes to our mitochondrial health these supplements could also support our overall wellbeing.

Supplements containing essential mitochondrial nutrients such as B vitamins, selenium, coenzyme Q10, carnitine, vitamin C, taurine, alpha lipoic acid and alpha tocopherol could all influence mitochondrial function. Considering the widespread implications of the mitochondria in our overall health these nutrients could all support our overall wellness as supplements.

Supplemental selenium for example could contribute to mitochondrial biogenesis and carnitine may assist with healthy mitochondrial energy production from fatty acids. Carnitine helps to load fatty acids into muscle mitochondria. Some studies show that carnitine increases midarm muscle growth and may reduce muscle weakness. Carnitine may also be a neuroprotective compound which protects mitochondria and the body from oxidative stress. Carnitine is thought to be very effective in supporting mitochondrial health.

Creatine is a store of cellular energy which may also improve levels of ATP within the body to support neuromuscular and mitochondrial functioning. Supplemental taurine may also support healthy levels of mitochondrial respiration and energy production. Ergothioneine is a diet derived amino acid which research shows could be used as a supplement to support mitochondrial function and exercise performance.

Research has also shown that combinations of some mitochondrial health supporting supplements could reduce muscle weakness and neurological symptoms associated with mitochondrial disorders.

Supplemental Antioxidants And Mitochondrial Health

Supplemental antioxidants may reduce oxidative stress to mitochondria and improve overall mitochondrial health. Through supporting healthy energy production with less harmful radicals these supplements could support our overall health via fatigue reduction and improved muscle functioning.

One effective body antioxidant is known as alpha lipoic acid. This antioxidant compound has been shown to recover a serious clinical issue involving mitochondrial related muscle activity in one individual when taken as a supplement. One clinical study also supports alpha lipoic acid supplementation for reducing oxidative stress in patients with mitochondrial disorders.

Coenzyme Q10 or ubiquinone is very important for mitochondrial health and CoQ10 supplements may improve ATP production. This compound is also classed as an antioxidant and may protect the health of mitochondrial membranes. According to research supplemental CoQ10 may support sufferers of metabolic syndrome and neurological diseases. These illnesses are often associated with disturbances in mitochondrial functioning. Coenzyme Q10 may improve brain and muscle mitochondrial bioenergetics. Research suggests that CoQ10 could also reduce risk of heart failures via involvement in mitochondrial health.

MitoQ Supplements And Mitochondrial Health

An innovative supplemental antioxidant which is thought to contribute to mitochondrial health is MitoQ. This compound is part of a new generation of modern mitochondrial supplements. MitoQ is specifically targeted to the mitochondria where this antioxidant could support mitochondrial lifespan and healthy energy production. Concentrations of synthetic MitoQ are thought to be able to build up massively within the mitochondria.

Research results suggest this compound may prevent accumulations of lipid radicals which could influence extent of liver damages in some diseases. Other studies show that MitoQ may reduce reactive oxygen species production and support of healthy mitochondrial membranes for ATP production. There is reason to believe that this could support the wellbeing of people who suffer from recurring lung infections.

Other studies show MitoQ could prevent superoxide radical formation and protect neurons from oxidative stress. This may have an effect of reducing factors linked with age related brain issues which result from mitochondrial malfunctions and help nerve cell growth in the brain. MitoQ may recover cognitive and memory functions. This compound may also support more optimal heart health in relation to improved mitochondrial health.

Research shows there are many mitochondrial supercharging nutrients and antioxidants that could possibly help to support more optimal overall wellbeing.

Summary

Our mitochondria are influential on our wellbeing. Regular consumption of mitochondrial health supporting supplements could support our wellness.

Mitochondria once functioned completely independently and they have their own DNA. They require a supply of nutrients to support their optimal health and survival.

A large energy producing activity means that mitochondria need regular support from antioxidants and energy supportive nutrients. We require energy for muscular movement and nervous system functioning. Our mitochondria go through regular autophagy or mitochondrial rendering to remove malfunctioning mitochondria or mitochondrial parts. This is an important function in cancer prevention. Mitochondrial wellness is linked to Alzheimer’s and heart health.

Some example mitochondrial health supportive supplements include selenium, coenzyme Q10, alpha lipoic acid, carnitine and MitoQ.

Selenium may support mitochondrial biogenesis and carnitine could also be effective in promoting mitochondrial health via support of healthy energy production. CoQ10 or coenzyme Q10 could improve ATP production and protect mitochondrial membrane health.

Combinations of these and other mitochondrial health supporting supplements could reduce muscle weaknesses and brain cell issues which are associated with mitochondrial disorders.

One modern and innovative mitochondrial health supplement is MitoQ. This strong antioxidant loads into mitochondria in large concentrations and may protect cognitive functioning and memory.

The research on mitochondrial supplements suggests that there are various nutritional supplements which could support mitochondrial health and overall wellness.

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