Mitochondrial Dysfunction

To begin, Mitochondria are tiny structures located within nearly all cells of the body. They are the parts of the cell that are primarily responsible for creating energy. They do this by generating adenosine triphosphate (ATP), a “fuel” driving all of the body’s functions. Moreover, mitochondria are described as the “powerhouse” of the cell.

Several thousand mitochondria are in nearly every cell in the body. Further, their job is to process oxygen and convert substances from the foods we eat into energy. Not only this,  almost 90% of the energy our body needs is generated by them Cells of the brain and muscles require a lot of energy, so they have a particularly high density of mitochondria to support them. As a result, when mitochondria aren’t working well, they show signs of poor function.

When mitochondria are not functioning well, a wide variety of symptoms can emerge, namely:

• Developmental delay or regression
• Language impairment
• Social impairment
• Intellectual disability
• Neuropsychiatric symptoms (ADHD, anxiety, OCD, depression)
• Seizures
• Headaches
• Hearing impairment
• Weakness
• Fatigue
• Gastrointestinal symptoms
• Endocrine disturbance, etc.

What is Mitochondrial Dysfunction?

Mitochondrial dysfunction occurs when the mitochondria don’t work as well as they should due to another disease or condition. The mitochondria in the cells are responsible for creating 90% of the energy. Not only when mitochondria malfunction, organs start to fail , people get sick and die but also can lead to secondary mitochondrial dysfunction. Moreover, more research suggests that mitochondrial dysfunction may be important in many different health conditions namely:

• Autism
• Bipolar disorder
• Schizophrenia
• Depression
• Diabetes
• Parkinson’s disease
• Asthma
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Alzheimer’s disease
• A variety of gastrointestinal disorders, etc.

Mitochondrial dysfunction is the root cause of many diseases. These include rare genetic disorders in children, some forms of heart disease, and many cases of Parkinson’s disease. The research on mitochondria has started already in the late 19th century. However, unsolved issues concerning their composition, function, and relevance to health and disease are still there.

What you can do?

Physicians may recommend several steps for supporting mitochondrial function. These include:

• Firstly it is Limiting periods of fasting, increasing meal frequency, and improving hydration.
• Secondly, it is by avoiding mitochondrial toxins like Valproic acid, certain cholesterol-lowering medications, aminoglycoside antibiotics, acetaminophen, metformin, beta-blockers, etc.
• Thirdly Avoid physiologic stressors (e.g., illness, dehydration, fever, temperature extremes, surgery, anesthesia, prolonged fasting, or starvation).
• Fourthly it is by providing supportive care during physiologic stress (e.g., hydration, nutrition, L-carnitine, CoQ10, Vitamin C & E, L-arginine).
• Finally, it can be done through Consistent, moderate exercise

Regency Healthcare is equipped with highly sophisticated facilities and technology to deal with the diseases above mentioned. Visit today or book an appointment.