How Mitochondrial Dysfunction Contributes To Aging? (And What To Do About It)

Do you have any idea how closely linked your mitochondria is to your biological aging?

Mitochondria are the “powerhouses of your cells” [1], the part of every cell that generates the ATP energy that is needed for cellular function. They also are crucial for the cellular signaling that allows cells to communicate with others around them, and they even play a role in apotosis, aka “cellular death”.

But it turns out that dysfunction in your mitochondria speeds up the aging process and contributes to a host of diseases. The key to stopping aging, therefore, is to ensure healthy, efficient mitochondrial function!

Sounds simple, right?

There’s a bit you need to know about mitochondrial dysfunction and its role in aging, and that’s what we’ll explore below.

By the time you reach the end of this blog post, you’ll have a much clearer understanding of why it’s so crucial to maintain good mitochondrial health, and how to stave off biological aging by preventing mitochondrial dysfunction.

The Link Between Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Biological Aging

One study put best: “aging in model organisms is accompanied by a decline in mitochondrial function and that this decline might in turn contribute to the observed age-dependent decline in organ function”. [2]

Declining mitochondrial function can lead to a greater predisposition to age-related diseases, and can lead to a gradual (or rapid) decrease in organ function (which also contributes to disease). Not only hat, but it can also lead to mitochondrial mutations, which tend to increase as we age.

Basically, it’s a vicious cycle where dysfunction in the mitochondria leads to aging, which in turn causes more dysfunction.

But it’s not just diseases that result from mitochondrial dysfunction!

According to the data, mitochondrial dysfunction can lead to significant problems, including:

• Respiratory capacity decreases and recovery time slows down

• Muscle loss accelerates and muscle strength decreases

• Stem cell production declines

• Cellular senescence increases

• Chronic inflammation due to biological aging (“inflammaging”) increases

Put together, all of these things lead to what we humans know as “aging”.

Think about it: you’re unable to exercise to the capacity you once did, because your muscles are weaker, recovery time is slower, and your respiratory capacity is decreased. You fatigue more easily during your exercise and can’t train as hard. Over time, this decreased demand on your cardiovascular and muscular system leads to decreased strength and reduced cardiovascular capacity.

Then there’s the addition of chronic inflammation and cellular senescence, which accelerates the deterioration of your body. On top of it, your stem cells are no longer being produced in sufficient quantities to encourage sufficient cellular growth.

All of this combines to cause aging and the deterioration of your internal functions and organs—all because of the dysfunction that grows more and more prevalent in mitochondria as you age.

Take Action Now: How to Curb Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Slow Aging

The good news is that you can effectively combat and prevent mitochondrial dysfunction. There are plenty of steps you can take to ensure your mitochondria continue functioning efficiently so you don’t age biologically even while you’re aging chronologically.

Step 1: Exercise More

As the study above made clear, exercise is one of the best ways to reduce mitochondrial dysfunction, as well as prevent the negative side effects of aging—i.e., muscle wasting, sarcopenia, and declining cardiac function.

The best form of exercise to stave off biological aging is and always will be resistance training. Lifting weights, doing bodyweight training, or doing any form of resistance training pushes your body to produce more ATP energy and create new muscle tissue. This will help maintain efficient mitochondrial function (given its role in ATP production) and prevent muscle wasting or muscle mass loss common with age.

High-impact cardiovascular activity—such as running, jump training, sprinting, or playing sports—can also be excellent for maintaining healthy energy output and staving off mitochondrial dysfunction. High-impact exercise also pushes your body to produce more bone and joint tissue, which in turn makes your skeletomuscular system more resilient.

However, at the end of the day, what matters is that you get at least some form of exercise—the more the merrier! Getting more vigorous activity than the recommended minimum (150 minutes per week) is crucial for staving off age-related physical decline and regulating your metabolism so your body continues functioning efficiently well into your later years.

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Step 2: Decrease Toxin Exposure

According to one study [3], “because of the huge metabolic activity of the mitochondria, they are especially susceptible” to toxins.

Toxins can damage your mitochondria in a number of ways [4], including:

• Alternation of transmembrane potential

• Changing function

• Changing organization

• Affecting movement

• Inflicting oxidative stress

• Triggering cell death

• Altering mitochondrial DNA

• Impacting metabolic-related signaling pathways

Decreasing your exposure to toxins—via food, your environment, cleaning supplies, VOCs, pesticides, and herbicides, among other things—can protect your body against mitochondrial dysfunction.

To reduce toxin exposure, try [5]:

• Use a doormat to wipe dust off your shoes, and consider removing your shoes at the door to reduce the amount of dust, dirt, and contaminants you track inside your home.

• Keep plants, shrubs, and grass inside and around your home to reduce dust levels.

• Avoid the use of pesticides and herbicides in your garden. If you can’t avoid it entirely, cover your hands with gloves to prevent the chemicals from being absorbed into your skin and wear a mask to prevent inhalation.

• Reduce, reuse, and recycle as much as possible.

• Use only as much insect repellent as you need.

• Limit your use of toxic and chemical-laden cleaning products in your home.

• Avoid aerosolized air fresheners, scented candles, and spray deodorizers, as the odors are typically chemically produced.

• Open your windows to let fresh air into your home. During the winter when you’ve got to close everything up, use an air filter to clean the air you’re breathing.

• Wash fruits and vegetables to protect against contaminants, pathogens, and toxins.

These are just a few steps you can take to prevent your exposure to the toxins that could damage your mitochondria and cause the dysfunction that contributes to biological aging.

Step 3: Feed Your Mitochondria

Your goal should be to eat antioxidant-rich foods that protect the mitochondria against oxidative stress.

These foods include any brightly colored fruits and veggies, including:

• Blueberries and blackberries

• Plums

• Dark red grapes

• Tomatoes and watermelon

• Colored bell peppers

• Carrots

• Limes and lemons

• Dark, leafy greens

• Beets

All of these foods are rich in toxin-supressing, oxidative stress-fighting antioxidants that can protect your mitochondria from damage and dysfunction.

You should also eat healthy amounts of protein to facilitate the production of the ATP energy needed for healthy mitochondrial function. Eat more beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, and other plant-based protein-rich foods in your daily diet, and make sure to pair them with nutrient-rich whole grains and healthy fats to give your body the carbohydrates and fatty acids required for proper energy balance.

Step 4: Supplement Smart

A few supplements can be highly effective at increasing mitochondrial function, including:

• Vitamin E, a potent antioxidant that protects mitochondria against oxidative stress

• NAC, or N-acetyl cysteine, which increases the production of glutathione in your cells, protecting your mitochondria from damage

• Resveratrol, which protects the mitochondria from reactive oxygen species (and the damage they cause) and increases mitochondrial production of ATP energy

• CoQ10, which protects against oxidative damage and ensures a longer mitochondria lifespan

These supplements, along with a healthy diet, regular exercise, and a toxin-free life, can do wonders to increase your mitochondrial function, protect against dysfunction, and maintain a healthy biological aging process.

Wrapping Up:

You’ve seen the effects that mitochondrial dysfunction can have on your body. The worse your mitochondrial function, the more your body begins to suffer and break down due to lack of energy, reduced cellular signaling, and increased cellular death.

Over time, mitochondrial dysfunction can contribute to a wide range of diseases, chronic inflammation, and health conditions, which will only speed up the breakdown and deterioration of your body’s cells. It’s a vicious cycle that just gets worse and worse over time.

Unless you take active measures to counteract it, that is.

Our hope is that you take the information above to heart and put the advice and solutions we shared into practice starting today. Curbing toxin damage, increasing energy production, feeding your mitochondria, and taking supplements can all work together to keep your mitochondria healthy and fully functional.

As long as your cells are working together and producing the necessary energy, all the organs and internal systems those cells make up should stay functioning smoothly and efficiently well into your old age.

Resources:
[1] www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320875

[2] www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4779179/

[3] www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4684129/

[4] bmcbioinformatics.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12859-021-04285-3

[5] www.health.ny.gov/publications/2818/

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