Mitochondrial Health: The Ultimate Guide to Unlocking Longevity

The pursuit of longevity has long fascinated humanity, with countless studies and innovations aimed at the possibility of extending our years. However, the secret to living a longer, healthier life might lie within the tiny powerhouses of our cells—mitochondria. In this comprehensive guide, we explore the critical role mitochondria play in energy production, metabolic health, and cellular regeneration.

We'll delve into how maintaining mitochondrial health can unlock the potential for a greater lifespan and better health-span, and offer practical strategies to optimize these essential cellular engines for improved longevity.

What is Longevity?

Everyone has a finite amount of time, but the amount of time each person gets is quite variable. There are many metrics people utilize to measure having a good life, and one of the most important is living a long and healthy life where you can enjoy it to its fullest.

Increasing human lifespan has been at the center of research and scientific discovery for hundreds of years. Modern medicine's development has drastically increased the average lifespan in industrialized nations. U.S. Census data shows that from 1960 to 2015, the average life expectancy increased by nearly 10 years.

Human longevity is sometimes an ambiguous term, that is made up of two key metrics, lifespan and healthspan. Lifespan being the numbers of years one lives and healthspan being the number of years spent healthy and able to engage with the world and loved ones in a meaningful and rewarding way.

Scientists have been trying to understand the driving forces of ageing for decades and have narrowed down twelve hallmarks of ageing that are typical of an aging body. These hallmarks can be impacted by genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors, and most are impacted by mitochondrial function.

How Mitochondrial Health Can Improve Longevity

Energy Production

Mitochondria are bean-shaped organelles that are found inside almost every cell type in our body. At the site of many life-sustaining biochemical reactions, these tiny power plants combine the food we eat with the oxygen we breathe into the fuel our cells need to work - and we need to live. But in creating cellular reactions and generating energy, mitochondria produce free radicals as a by-product.

While mitochondria are responsible for producing free radicals, they also use antioxidants as their own built in defense mechanism to protect themselves and the wider cell from oxidative stress. As you age, antioxidant levels can decrease making your cells much more vulnerable to oxidative stress caused by free radical damage – which can speed up the body’s aging process.

While they work to produce their own antioxidants to protect cells from oxidative stress, mitochondria play a role in activating apoptosis in cells to support the regeneration of new cells. Also known as programmed cell death, apoptosis is the name for a type of cellular death that happens when cells are cleared from your body in a way that avoids damaging your tissues. This type of cell death is caused by biochemical processes within your body in combination with changes to your cell structure. Apoptosis isn’t a bad thing – it helps your body to continue running as it should.

Metabolic Efficiency

As the producers of the body’s energy currency (ATP), mitochondria play a key role in metabolic health and energy metabolism. The body requires enough energy in the form of macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins and fats) that it breaks down to drive chemical reactions and support electrical systems that keep us alive. The rate that energy is released from these nutrients by chemical processes is known as metabolic rate. While you can’t necessarily ‘speed up’ your metabolism/metabolic rate, you can rev up your cellular engines and help the body more effectively convert food into fuel and unlock more energy as a result.

The process of ATP production makes up a significant proportion of your basal or standard metabolic rate, which is simply the amount of energy you burn to keep your body’s systems functioning as normal. Efficient mitochondrial function supports the breakdown of nutrients and the regulation of energy balance. High numbers of healthy mitochondria may contribute to a more efficient metabolism.

Factors that Affect Longevity

DNA mutations and shortening

DNA is essentially the instruction manual of how to make each individual cell. When cells divide they need to copy the genetic code and ensure the new cell gets the same set of instructions. Unfortunately, the mechanism by which the cell replicates DNA results in an incremental shortening of the DNA with each round of cell division.

Throughout your life, cells within your body replicate trillions of times. Each replication results in what’s essentially a page being torn out of the DNA instruction manual, which can eventually lead to age-related ailments. To fight back against DNA shortening, cells have a special enzyme known as telomerase, which essentially adds blank pages to the ends of the instruction manual that is DNA. These blank page regions of DNA known as telomeres can effectively prolong the number of cell divisions that are possible but over time telomeres shorten as telomerase becomes less effective.

DNA mutations are another unavoidable cellular process that occurs as a result of aging. DNA mutations occur when a mistake is made within the genetic code, or bases are damaged by external factors. DNA mutations can be thought of as misprints and if that misprint happens to be in an important region of DNA, it can cause severe genetic disorders and other diseases.

Our mitochondria are particularly sensitive to DNA damage. Mitochondria have their own DNA separate from the DNA of the wider cell. Mitochondrial DNA is more vulnerable to damage as it is only single-stranded and circular. It does not have the protective architecture that our nuclear DNA does, nor does it condense itself into chromosomes. Its lack of structure and proximity to the electron transport chain makes it susceptible to damage from free radicals made during ATP production.

While it is next to impossible to avoid all DNA mutations, there are things you can do to limit the amount of damage that is sustained to DNA. Living a healthy lifestyle can help reduce internal stressors that can increase the likely hood of DNA mutation. Additionally, limiting your exposure to radiation such as UV radiation coming from the sun can also help to reduce the likelihood of DNA mutations in skin cells

Reduced Efficiency

Another unfortunate consequence of aging is that the efficiency of cells slowly begins to decline. This is quite noticeable in the event you sustain a simple injury. As a child, you were likely able to quickly bounce back and recover, but as an older adult, these injuries can take much longer to fully heal.

When you think about it, it makes sense that cells start to lose their efficiency as they are constantly working 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This immensely long amount of runtime is bound to catch up at some point. There are a number of proposed reasons why cells experience reduced efficiency, and one of them has to do with the natural decline in mitochondrial efficiency that happens as we get older.

Lifestyle interventions

Diet

Blue zones are areas of the globe that are home to people who live the longest. There are five blue zones located around the world, including areas in Italy, Japan, California, Greece and Costa Rica. Researchers have identified what's so special about these communities, and one crucial factor is the quality of their diet.

Most blue zone residents have access to locally sourced, organically raised fruits and vegetables so they eat seasonally, and follow a largely plant-based diet. Their recipes are passed down through generations and the food they prepare is naturally less processed than what you might find on supermarket shelves. Foods rich in fiber like beans and legumes, nuts, seeds, and leafy greens are abundant – while meat and dairy products are eaten in moderation. It is also common, in at least Okinawa, to practice ‘hara hachi bu’ which is a reminder to eat until you are 80% full. This helps to prevent over-eating and may modestly restrict caloric intake.

Exercise

Strength training

Mitochondrial health is now recognized as one of the most important factors for longevity, and exercise has been shown to protect mitochondria in many ways. Weight training, or resistance training is essential when it comes to preserving muscle mass, slowing down the aging process, longevity – and so much more.

The more muscle mass we have, the less vulnerable we are to the health changes associated with aging. After the age of around 30-35 years old, our muscle power slowly declines in a linear fashion but after the age of 65 (age 70 for men), muscle deterioration speeds up.

How strength training can help:

• Strength training increases mitochondria biogenesis, it increases the amount of mitochondria within muscle tissue and it enhances the ability of mitochondria to produce ATP (energy).

• Studies show that elderly with higher muscle mass and better mobility are less likely to experience falls.

• One study revealed that just 8 weeks of whole-body resistance training (3 training days per week) improved body composition, reduced inflammation and improved both lipid and glycemic profiles in women over the age of 68.

But if strength training isn’t your thing, there is plenty of research highlighting the longevity benefits of increasing “natural movement” (aka making movement part of your everyday life). This means taking the stairs instead of the escalator, walking instead of driving where you can, and enjoying hobbies like gardening are all incredible ways to increase your natural movement – and there’s plenty of research to back up these claims.

Aerobic exercise: Zone 2 training

Aerobic exercise includes any physical activity that increases your heart rate and breathing. With this type of exercise, large muscle groups require oxygen to sustain movement over a long period of time. Aerobic simply means “with oxygen”, and muscles use that oxygen to generate energy the body needs to keep going. Aerobic exercises can range from walking, running or bike riding – but the key thing here is that these forms of exercise are all steady-state activities.

Aerobic exercise is often referred to as Zone 2 training because the heart reaches around 60-75% of your max heart rate – a low to moderate level of cardiovascular exertion. Exercising at this lower intensity has been shown to increase mitochondrial function by training mitochondria to produce energy efficiently by utilizing fatty acids, rather than glucose. This metabolic flexibility is extremely beneficial for our health, and it’s a sign that mitochondria are functioning optimally. Zone 2 training has also been shown to support longevity by increasing VO2 max and clearing out old, declining mitochondria via mitophagy.

High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

Studies show that HIIT is another effective way to boost mitochondrial function. One study consisted of “young” volunteers (men and women between the ages of 18-30) and “old” volunteers (men and women between the ages of 65-80) who were instructed to perform either strength training, cardio based high intensity interval training, or a combination of the two.

The study found that while strength training provided effective results when it came to building muscle mass, but the high intensity interval training showed the greatest benefits at a cellular level. It was revealed that the younger training groups experienced a 49% increase in mitochondrial capacity, and the older subjects saw a 69% increase.

Sleep

Mitochondria are our key regulators of our circadian rhythm. While they create the chemical energy that keeps our cells functioning, they also help to regulate our alertness and prime us for sleep through the sleep/wake cycle.

Mitochondria play a critical role in regulating sleep by influencing hormone production and energy metabolism throughout the day. In the morning, mitochondria are the site for cortisol biosynthesis and release. This stress hormone helps wake us up and prepares the body for daily activities by increasing alertness and energy production. As the day progresses, adenosine, a byproduct of ATP metabolism, accumulates in the brain. This build-up of adenosine contributes to increasing sleep pressure, making us feel tired as the day goes on.

In the evening when there’s less light exposure, mitochondria synthesize melatonin, a hormone that induces sleepiness and signals to the body that it's time to rest. Melatonin not only helps us fall asleep but also protects the mitochondria from oxidative stress, ensuring cellular health during rest.

During sleep, adenosine is gradually converted back into ATP, replenishing the energy stores depleted during the day. Additionally, the pituitary gland releases growth factors that aid in cellular repair and regeneration, processes that are vital for maintaining mitochondrial function and overall health. This intricate connection between mitochondria, hormone synthesis, and energy metabolism shows the importance of these organelles in regulating sleep and ensuring proper recovery during rest.Your body goes through a detailed chain reaction process while you sleep.

This process begins with your mitochondria. For your body to grow and repair itself while you sleep, your mitochondria need to be producing ATP: a compound within your cells that helps to give your body energy. ATP controls the function of your anterior pituitary gland: the ‘master gland’ that lives at the base of your brain. When you sleep, this gland releases growth hormones that help your body grow and repair itself. Multiple studies have concluded that a lack of sleep and/or abnormal sleep patterns can negatively affect mitochondrial DNA – which could then affect your body’s growth and repair process. In addition to helping your body repair itself during sleep, your mitochondria also influence your body’s sleep/wake cycle.

Environmental Factors

We now know that when the levels of antioxidants in the body are not high enough to counteract the damaging effect of free radicals, the body can enter a state of oxidative stress. But how do free radicals accumulate?

There are many lifestyle, stress and environmental factors that contribute to the excess production of free radicals – promoting the formation of oxidative stress. From toxins and air pollution in the environment to cigarette smoke, sun exposure and alcohol intake. These exposures can increase free radical production which can damage cellular structures, DNA, and proteins.

Stress

The hormonal cascade set off by your HPA-axis in response to stress impacts your body as a whole - and your small but mighty cells are also affected. The ‘fight or flight’ response increases the demands of your body, which puts more pressure on mitochondria to generate more energy. Along with an increase in energy production, the mitochondria play an important role in cortisol biosynthesis, the chief stress hormone in the body. If you’re constantly in a state of ‘fight or flight’, your mitochondria can struggle to meet these increased demands.On top of the stress you may be perceiving externally, there’s also the invisible stress load that your cells face daily – also known as free radicals. Much like an exhaust from a car engine, free radicals are produced by your mitochondria as a by-product of generating energy for you to function. While they aren’t all bad, the accumulation of free radicals can cause cells to become damaged. Spikes in free radical production can occur through environmental factors, as well as poor diet, smoking, and intense physical activity.

Mental health

Mitochondria aren't just vital for energy production, they’re also involved in many different pathways that influence mood and mental health more directly. They play a crucial role in the regulation of neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, the production of hormones like cortisol, estrogen and testosterone – and they are also central to the body’s stress response.

Strategies to optimize mental health include implementing stress relief habits such as meditation, mindfulness, journaling; focusing on quality nutrition and prioritizing social connections.

Dietary and Lifestyle Interventions

Antioxidant-rich Foods

Resveratrol is a powerful antioxidant that has been well-studied for its ability to support longevity. In animals, resveratrol has been shown to extend the lifespan of different organisms – and there’s also research to suggest that it activates specific genes that support healthy aging.

Curcumin (the active compound found in turmeric) has been shown to support many factors that influence aging, from neutralizing free radicals and supporting oxidative stress to protecting our DNA.

One of the most important antioxidants for maintaining optimal cellular health is CoQ10 – but the body’s natural production of CoQ10 declines with age, and low levels of CoQ10 have been associated with the aging process. MitoQ® Mitoquinol is an advanced form of CoQ10 that accumulates inside mitochondria (at levels hundreds of times higher than standard CoQ10 supplements!). Taking MitoQ® Mitoquinol won’t stop you from aging, but it may help your cells run more efficiently if there is an oxidative imbalance, which may help to rejuvenate your cells (and your body).

Fasting

Studies suggest a positive impact of fasting on mitochondrial function. Intermittent fasting is a popular type of fasting that consists of consuming no or fewer calories for a prolonged period of time – the most common being the 16:8, wherein you would fast for 16 hours and eat within an 8 hour window. While more research is needed, some studies indicate that fasting may encourage the production of mitochondria and even repair damaged mitochondria – improving overall mitochondrial health.

Supplementation

CoQ10: Benefits of Coenzyme Q10 for mitochondrial function.

One of the key antioxidants your body produces inside the mitochondria to control free radicals is CoQ10. MitoQ® Mitoquinol is an advanced, modified form of CoQ10 that is bio-designed to be smaller and is positively charged so it can easily pass through the mitochondrial wall. Most supplements, including many regular antioxidants, have a hard time entering the mitochondria as these organelles are tightly regulated and have a double wall. However, this isn’t an issue for MitoQ® Mitoquinol and once inside your cells, MitoQ® Mitoquinol is quickly drawn into the mitochondria thanks to its positive charge.

Learn more about the science of MitoQ

NAD+

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) is a coenzyme found in every cell in the body. The part of the molecule that helps your cells turn nutrients into energy and supports crucial functions within your cells is known as NAD+. From influencing your sleep/wake cycle to supporting the health of your vital organs, NAD+ is crucial for overall health – but as we age, our levels naturally decline.

The good news is the body produces NAD+ from various precursors in the diet. Tryptophan is an NAD+ precursor found in foods like turkey, milk, eggs and salmon. While including precursors in the diet can help you reach the required NAD+ levels to support the body at a baseline level, supplementation may be required to replenish the levels required to support aging.

Stress management

Reducing your stress load is the key to helping your body in tip top shape as you age. While some stressors are out of your control, the way you take care of your body isn't. In addition to all the great things we’re encouraged to do for our health (getting enough sleep, drinking enough water, eating more plant based foods, etc.), we believe that stress starts at a cellular level – and to help the body cope with stress, we must support our hardworking cells.

• Reframe how you respond to stress: while we don’t often get to choose the stress in our lives, we can control how we respond to it. Research shows that both anxious feelings and excitability are emotions born from the same neural networks, and a recent study found that we can re-purpose our anxiousness into excitement simply by using positive language.

• Go outside: There’s no denying that fresh air, sunlight and green spaces make us feel good, and research shows that there is a positive correlation between immersing ourselves in nature or ‘greenspace’ and mental health. One study observed that those who sat in an urban park area for just five minutes experienced significant increases in positive emotions.

• Supplement your diet with magnesium: It’s known as ‘nature’s relaxation mineral’, and for good reason! Magnesium’s calming effect is thought to be connected to its ability to support serotonin and dopamine levels in the brain, while also influencing GABA, our calming neurotransmitter.

Conclusion

Maintaining mitochondrial health is going to be a key factor for promoting longevity and overall well-being. By supporting energy production, enhancing metabolic efficiency, and protecting cells from oxidative stress, healthy mitochondria can significantly influence lifespan and healthspan, potentially leading to a longer, healthier life.