Every person has billions of them: mitochondria - also known as the power plants of our cells. But what role do they play in terms of longevity? And can I strengthen my mitochondria? You can find out all about this in this MoleQlar article.
What are mitochondria?
Mitochondria are cell organelles in our body that, among other things,A. Regenerate the so-called adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP serves as a universal energy carrier in our cells. This is why the mitochondria are also called the “power plants of the cells”. For this reason, cells that consume a particularly large amount of energy - such as heart, muscle or nerve cells - contain significantly more mitochondria than other cells. In a heart muscle cell, mitochondria make up about a third of the cell volume. So your heart beats because of these little power plants, so to speak. But the aging process also changes our mitochondria. Science shows that damaged mitochondria are linked to many diseases such as:b Alzheimer's, diabetes or cancer. For this reason, there are many attempts to prevent, stop or even reverse the decay process through so-called mitochondrial therapy. You'll soon find out what you can do every day to strengthen your mitochondria.
Did you know? The body's own power plants have a special feature: they have their own DNA, the so-called mtDNA (from English. mitochondrial DNA), which floats around in a ring shape inside the mitochondrion. However, independent propagation is not possible. The mitochondrial genome in humans only contains 37 genes. For comparison: the DNA in the cell nucleus contains the information for 20,000-25,000 genes. In addition, mitochondria are only passed on from mother to offspring.
What role do mitochondria play in longevity?
Mitochondria play an essential role in longevity. The so-called “Mitochondrial Dysfunction” is one of the Hallmarks of Aging. But before we go into what you can do to strengthen your mitochondria, let's briefly talk about the function of the special cell organelles themselves. This helps to understand why you should strengthen your mitochondria. As you know, energy is produced and provided in the mitochondrion. This process is called cellular respiration and takes place via the respiratory chain - an interaction of 5 protein complexes that form an electron transport chain.
Electrons (negatively charged particles) play an important role in the energy production process. At the beginning of the respiratory chain is the molecule NADH, which can donate two electrons to generate energy. This ultimately creates ATP and the “waste product” NAD+. NAD+ is nothing other than the molecule NADH, only one proton (positively charged particle) and two electrons poorer. Long story short: Energy production in our cells consists of splitting off the electrons contained in food. Energy is then released during this process. High NAD+ levels now mean that a lot of NADH is converted into ATP, so the cell is able to produce a lot of energy. That's a good sign. NAD+ subsequently activates sirtuins, a group of genes associated with longevity stand. With age, NAD+ levels decrease. This is exactly where the connection between the mitochondria, the NAD+ level and the aging process lies.
How can I strengthen my mitochondria?
There are a few ways to strengthen your mitochondria every day. We'll take a closer look at a few of them right away.
Boost your mitochondria with sport and exercise!
The most common “hack” to strengthen your mitochondria is to move more. Studies show that more physical activity strengthens the formation of mitochondria in muscle cells. This justifies, among other things,a the positive effect of sport on the body. But it's not just the power plants in the muscle cells that are strengthened through sport: Studies show that sport also increases the biogenesis of mitochondria in the brain. This could also explain possible positive effects on neurodegenerative diseases. Dementia diseases in particular are associated with mitochondrial dysfunction - and older people in particular often do not exercise enough.
Our tip: Collect at least your 10,000 steps a day to boost mitochondrial production in your body. Setting regular times for walks can help you achieve this daily goal.
The right diet is a well-known trump card!
The next tip to strengthen your mitochondria is to optimize your diet. Of course it is important to supply the body with all the important nutrients. Your mitochondria also need certain cofactors to function optimally. Key substances for mitochondrial health include:a Copper, Zinc, selenium and vitamins A, C and E. Studies also show that Coenzyme 10 can have a positive effect on our mitochondria. It is therefore important to pay attention to a balanced and varied diet. If necessary, it also makes sense to supplement certain nutrients. Make sure you are optimally supplied with all important nutrients. Taking certain nutritional supplements can also have a positive effect on your mitochondria.
The body also reacts to environmental influences such as:b Hunger states with certain internal metabolic processes. Throughout human history, it has been normal for us to sometimes have nothing to eat. Scientists have found that eating patterns such as fasting or calorie restriction can...a have a positive effect on our mitochondria. The American scientist Valter Longo provides an example of a fasting protocol with his mock fasting diet. Another, less researched option is the Sirtfood diet.
Our tip: Eat a diet with lots of fruit, vegetables, whole grain products, nuts and ideally plant-based protein sources (higher nutrient density, more fiber) and, if necessary, substitute some critical nutrients for optimal to be taken care of. You can also try out the so-called intermittent fasting from time to time.
Mitochondria boost with cold!
Studies show that Cold strengthens mitochondria. This effect is due to increased expression of PGC-1α - a key protein in mitochondrial production. Furthermore, scientific studies show that chronic exposure to cold accelerates autophagy . So in practice there could be some advantages for every longevity hacker .
Our tip: You can boost your mitochondria every day with cold showers or occasional ice baths. Further studies on this are likely to be published soon. The area cryotherapy is particularly interesting and promising.
By the way: Did you know that some people allow themselves to be frozen in order to be thawed again in the future and then revived? Sounds crazy? But it is true. You can find out more about this under the keyword Cryopreservation.
Conclusion
Our mitochondria are essential for the smooth functioning of energy metabolism in our body. We can and...a Boost through our diet, cold, sport and exercise.
