If you want to lift your spirits, boost your mood or elevate your mind, it’s your mitochondria that need attention. Mitochondria are critical for movement and self-healing, energy, and attention, but their simple structure (closely related to prehistoric bacteria) is damaged by dietary toxicity.
Our bodies contain more than 100,000 trillion mitochondria — the marvelous miniature energy factories of our cells. Make sure those tiny powerhouses get the nutrition they really need to thrive.
Fatigue is just the first sign of compromised energy production, which typically gets worse if left unchecked (brain fog, poor concentration, short-term memory loss, irritability). Join us as we shrink down to the microscopic level to get a better understanding of this essential part of all living organisms.
What Are Mitochondria?
Mitochondria are tiny organs found in virtually all cells inside the human body. Cells have varying numbers of mitochondria, depending on their needs. Cells in the liver, muscles, and nerves need the highest number of mitochondria to produce enough energy for all their hard work.
These microscopic characters are between 0.5 and 10 micrometers small, but they play a huge role in the survival of all living things. Mitochondria’s main job in life is to produce large amounts of a molecule called adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP carries energy between cells, and all living organisms use it as a source of energy currency.
Often called the powerhouse of the body, the healthier your mitochondria, the more ATP these power plants can produce for all biological functions and your overall health and well-being. The inner membrane of mitochondria is folded into a squiggly shape called cristae. These cristae allow mitochondria to have more surface area dedicated to energy production.
The Importance of Caring for Your Mitochondria
Looking after your mitochondria is essential to maximize your energy levels. It’s also one of the best ways to look after your overall health. The more mitochondria, the more energy your body has available to run its biological processes.
Your brain, muscles, and gut are power-hungry organs, and they need lots of energy to function optimally, this is why they are impacted so much by impaired mitochondrial function. But this also means they receive some of the biggest benefits when you give your powerhouses a nice little boost! These include:
- Greater focus and concentration
- Greater feelings of wellbeing
- Increased immune function
- Increased nutrient absorption
- Stronger muscles and endurance
How to Nourish Your Mitochondria
Mitochondria are damaged by oxidative stress (this is a bit like going “rusty” — unpaired electrons on an oxygen molecule run riot and damage cells and tissues in the body).
Eat for Mitochondrial Power
Unsurprisingly, the food we eat plays a major role in the health of our mitochondria. Avoid the usual suspects: alcohol, sugar, and processed food. At the same time, increase your intake of foods from Dr. Sebi’s Nutritional Guide, such as:
- Blackberries
- Blueberries
- Oranges (preferably Seville)
- Strawberries
- Raspberries
- Plums
- Prunes
- Raisins (with seeds)
- Red grapes (with seeds)
- Cherries
- Kale
- Red bell peppers
- Onions
Mitochondria also thrive on foods rich in iron and selenium, including:
- Amaranth greens
- Dates
- Figs
- Raisins
- Prunes
- Kale
- Quinoa
- Mushrooms
- Brazil Nuts
Mitochondria love healthy fats, which give them anti-inflammatory assistance and clean-burning energy (the opposite of the ‘dirty’ energy sugar provides!). Naturally healthy fats are found in avocados, soft jelly coconuts, and olive oil (avoid cooking fat as it oxidizes, making it inflammatory; drizzle over cooked food or salads instead of cooking with it).
Exercise to Energize
Exercising and various types of workouts are known to boost mitochondria production and function. When you exercise, it sends a signal to the body that it needs more energy, and it actively encourages the cells to make more (new) mitochondria. This is called mitochondrial biogenesis.
Your body is so efficient that it only makes what it needs, and sitting on the couch simply doesn’t send any signals that more energy is needed. It may seem counterintuitive, but you need to use energy (by moving) to make more energy. This is how we adapt to increasing amounts of exercise. Training is for the muscles and mitochondria; they increase in number and efficiency when you give them more to do.
What fun ways to move would send the right signals to your body?
- Aerobic exercise like dancing or skipping
- Walking or hiking in nature
- Riding a bicycle or an indoor cycling class
- Resistance and strength training
Sunlight Exposure
Amazingly, mitochondria function much like chloroplasts in plants, they turn some of the sun's light into energy. Exposure to sunlight is also able to improve mitochondrial function, according to a January 2014 study in the Journal of Cell Science.
To enjoy safe sun exposure, touch your skin frequently. If it feels cool, you’re naturally protected. Make sure to cover up when it feels “hot to the touch.” Sunscreens are typically neurotoxic (per a May 2017 study in Toxicology Reports), so limit exposure to what feels comfortable. Wear UV clothing and avoid the sun at peak hours when possible.
Cold Water Therapy
Submerging yourself in cold water initiates mitochondrial biogenesis (the creation of new mitochondria), according to an April 2024 study in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences. As little as 20 seconds under a cold shower or dipping in a cold pool is enough to have a beneficial effect (and you can always turn the water temperature up afterward).
Detox to Defend Mitochondria
It’s all well and good to undertake the actions above for the benefit of your mitochondria. But if you don’t get rid of the toxins and heavy metals in your system that impede mitochondrial function, you’re only going to experience a limited improvement in your energy levels.
That’s why it’s important to detox heavy metals (like aluminum, arsenic, mercury, tin, and lead) and stop using or eating products that contain them. Dr. Sebi’s 21-Day Detox Package helps expel toxins, open elimination pathways, and activate your body's natural cellular cleansing processes.
Give Your Mitochondria a Boost
Recharge your cells and promote clean energy production with Dr. Sebi’s Viento. Enhance bio-electricity with hombre grande to directly boost mitochondrial energy production. Chaparral removes toxic waste and built-up heavy metals, restoring your ability to energize on the inside. Viento will make your mitochondria feel young again.
What Happens When Mitochondria Get Damaged?
When food is metabolized (oxygenated to release energy) by the mitochondria, waste products (called free radicals) are left behind. These cause oxidative stress (like acidic “rusting”) inside the cell. Acidic food creates free radicals that destroy mitochondria. Acidic foods directly inhibit our cell’s ability to make energy.
Your body always needs ATP to survive, and it only stores enough for about 7 seconds of survival! So, problems quickly arise when our mitochondria get damaged and can’t produce as much ATP.
When this happens, you can experience a range of negative symptoms, the most common of them being fatigue. Other common symptoms of deficient mitochondria are:
- Anxiety
- Brain fog
- Depression
- Inability to focus
- Mood swings
- Pain
Dysfunctional mitochondria have also been linked (per June 2020 research in Endocrine Reviews) to some of the most common lifestyle diseases of our times, such as:
- Cardiovascular disease
- Dementia (and other neurodegenerative conditions)
- Diabetes
- Gastrointestinal disorders
- Movement disorders (like Parkinson’s and tremors)
What Damages Mitochondria?
These little organs (called organelles as they are micro-sized and live inside cells) are easily damaged. And according to March 2018 research in Toxicological Sciences, these are the top culprits:
- Heavy Metals: Harmful metals such as arsenic and mercury reduce the number of folds on the mitochondria, reducing the surface area with which they can create energy. They are also toxic to cells and their mitochondria.
- Oxidative Stress: Caused by free radicals that kidnap electrons from the molecules in your cells, oxidative stress can be caused by a number of things, including alcohol, chronic stress, chemicals found in everyday products, cigarettes, mold, pesticides, plastics, processed foods, sugar, and other toxins.
- Parasites: Parasitic organisms can steal the energy produced by mitochondria to create more parasites. Scientific research has also revealed that cells infested with parasites usually have more free radicals. Free radicals can attack the walls of the mitochondria and even destroy them altogether.
Pathogens: Disease-creating pathogens (including bacteria) can interfere with mitochondria in a number of sneaky ways. They can steal energy from mitochondria for their own dastardly purposes, and they can also surround mitochondria and prevent them from clearing up damaging free radicals.
