The mitochondria, perhaps better known as the powerhouses of cells, are emerging as a possible factor in the pains of aging. Some scientists are of the mind that poor mitochondrial health can lead to symptoms and diseases related to aging, like Alzheimer’s and cancer.
“The mitochondria just give up earlier than other parts of the cell because of the wear and tear that they’re subjected to,” Pinchas Cohen, dean of USC’s Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, told The New York Times. “They’re the canary in the coal mine of cellular dysfunction.”
It’s true that mitochondria produce energy from the food that we eat. But that’s actually not all that they do.
How Cell Health Impacts Aging
They also help immune functioning, create peptides that send messages between organs, and are essential for general cellular housekeeping, according to the NYT.
But as we get older, the number of mitochondria in our cells and their ability to function decline. The organelle begins producing more and more reactive oxygen species (ROS), a toxic byproduct of the energy production process.
That has an effect on our overall health.
Other researchers believe the reverse, that aging and disease actually cause the dysfunction in the mitochondria.
“The billion-dollar question in the mitochondria aging field, in my opinion, is cause and effect,” said Vamsi Mootha, a professor of systems biology at Harvard Medical School. Is the decline leading to aging, “or do you just have old tissue that’s sick, so you have sick mitochondria?”
Either way, it’s clear that taking care of the mitochondria in your cells is of utmost importance—which means taking care of your body.
Mitochondria Care
Daria Mochly-Rosen, a professor of chemical and systems biology at Stanford University and an author of The Life Machines: How Taking Care of Your Mitochondria Can Transform Your Health, told the NYT that working out has an interesting way of healing mitochondria.
“Exercise causes a little bit of use and tear of the mitochondria,” Mochly-Rosen said. “And so by exercising, you’re actually telling the whole body, OK, time to replenish your mitochondria and make them more pristine by making new parts for it.”
Sleep is crucial, too, because it’s during the seven to eight hours a night that the mitochondria get rid of parts that may have been harmed throughout the day.
According to the Institute for Functional Medicine, reducing stress and consuming enough nutrition are also beneficial. Plant-based nutrients like polyphenols help strengthen mitochondrial function, as do omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants like vitamin C and zinc, magnesium, L-carnitine, alpha-lipoic acid, the vitamin B family, and coenzyme Q10.
—Ava Levinson
This article originally appeared on Fast Company’s sister website, Inc.com.
Inc. is the voice of the American entrepreneur. We inspire, inform, and document the most fascinating people in business: the risk-takers, the innovators, and the ultra-driven go-getters that represent the most dynamic force in the American economy.