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(*indicates CoQ10 and glutathione content too)

Support  for 'Mitochondrial (Energy) Dysfunction

TOP MITOCHONDRIAL SUPPORTING FOODS:

The following short video by Dr Eric Berg highlights essential information for mitochondria support.

  1. Avocados

  2. Cacau/Cocoa/Chocolate (PQQ, Polyphenols)

  3. Red Meat (Polyphenols, L-Carnitine, Carnosine)

  4. Goat’s Cheese (Polyphenols)

  5. Cod Liver/Cod Liver Oil(EPA, DHA, CoEnzyme Q10)

  6. Spirulina(Phycocyanin)

  7. Coconut oil

  8. Seaweed (samphire, Nori, Wakame dulse etc)

  9. Spinach* (contains both Glutathione & CoQ10)

  10. Pomegranates

  11. Oily fish. This can include tinned (not in oil of any kind and kiln smoked) e.g.

    1. Wild salmon 

      1. This is one of the MOST energy (mitochondrial) supporting foods you can choose

    2. Sardines, Mackerel, Trout, and Herring all support mitochondrial (energy) production and heart function as they contain Coenzyme Q10 

    3. Kippers 

    4. Anchovies

  12. Asparagus*

  13. Broccoli*

  14. Nuts and nut butters (NOT PEANUTS OR PEANUT BUTTER OR SOYA NUTS OR SPREADS!)

  15. Seeds (sesame is high in CoQ10 so supports mitochondrial energy production)

  16. Meat: especially the following:

    1. Organ meats: Heart, liver and kidney

    2. Some muscle meats: Pork, beef and chicken

      1. All support mitochondrial (energy) production and heart function as they contain Coenzyme Q10)

  17. Butternut squash*

  18. Brussels sprouts*

  19. Carrots*

  20. Peppers*

  21. Cauliflower* (also contains CoQ10) 

  22. Squash*

  23. Melon*

  24. Oranges and strawberries (also contain CoQ10)

  25. Lentils (high in CoQ10 so supports mitochondrial energy production)

  26. Blueberries

 

Helpful Supplements

  • Mito Cell PQQ - 60 caps - £68.99

​

Glutathione Foods List

(*indicates mitochondrial support too)

  1. Spinach*

  2. Broccoli*

  3. Asparagus

  4. Butternut squash

  5. Cabbage

  6. Brussels sprouts

  7. Carrots

  8. Peppers

  9. Cauliflower

  10. Squash 

  11. Melon 

  12. Artichokes

 

Lifestyle, Environment and Foods that REDUCE Mitochondrial Function!

Putting the good foods in is unfortunately not enough!  There are SO many areas that significantly knock the socks off your internal cellular ‘battery power’ and not only drain and deplete your energy reserves but reduce your capacity to ‘recharge!

 

FOOD:

Foods that are known to be inflammatory:

 

Trans fats: 

  • Lead to brain inflammation 

  • Cause immune over-reactivity

  • Are linked to depression

  • Are correlated with liver damage

  • Build up inside the mitochondrial wall, compromising energy production and mitochondrial function.

Common food products containing trans fats include:

  • Processed baked goods

  • Takeout fried foods, and fried at home in soy, canola, palm, vegetable or cooking oils and sprays

  • Non-dairy creamers 

  • Potato chips and crisps

  • Margarine - abundant in restaurant foods.

 

Cow’s Dairy:

  • Even in people who are not lactose intolerant or likely experiencing inflammation from dairy and the sugars and proteins found in dairy.

Common food products containing Cow’s dairy include:

  • Mainly milk and cheese

 

Wheat and Gluten:

  • Gluten allergy (Celiac disease) and gluten sensitivity are different.

    • Most people are sensitive to wheat and gluten foods to some degree

  • Gluten causes a protein called zonulin to be released which causes leaky gut.

  • Leaky gut causes inflammation in the gut which then causes brain inflammation.

Common food products containing wheat and gluten include:

  • Wheat breads and confectionary

  • Spelt

  • Oats

  • Barley 

  • Rye

 

Vegetable Oils and Oxidized Fats:

  • Frying (especially frying meat) with vegetable oils is one of the most toxic dietary exposures for your body. 

  • They contain greater amounts of Omega 6 Fatty Acids in relation to Omega 3’s, which results in higher inflammation and oxidative stress to the cells.

  • The appropriate ratio for the body of Omega 6: Omega 3s is approximately 4:1. 

  • High consumption of Vegetable Oils and Oxidized Fats(such as takeouts and store-bought confectionary and bread-type products, result in ratios of around 40 or more:1!

  • Furthermore, most of these oils are genetically modified, which is very disruptive to life forms of all kinds

Common products containing damaging Vegetable Oils and Oxidized Fats include:

  • Sunflower cooking oil

  • Cooking oil sprays (including olive oil sprays)

  • Soybean oil

  • Canola oil

  • Palm oil

  • Rapeseed oil

 

Sugar:

  • Sugar changes the brain’s chemistry, particularly dopamine.

  • Sugar makes it harder to feel the effects of dopamine and creates dopamine resistance, It involves the same brain chemistry that is involved in a drug addiction.

  • It causes high insulin and insulin resistance, which leads to inflammation. 

  • Inflammation then causes more insulin resistance.

  • The inflammation that is implicated in brain fog, forgetfulness and tiredness (fatigue/low energy) is a biological trauma that is consistent with the effects of high sugar intake.

Common food products containing wheat and gluten include:

  • The worst kinds of sugar for health are:

  • High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and agave nectar, and should be avoided entirely.

  • Fructose feeds the pathogenic bacteria in your gut 

  • Fructose causes oxidative stress. 

  • Fructose causes mitochondrial damage in muscle cells, where (along with the eyes, heart and brain)  you need TEN TIMES more mitochondria for energy production than most body cells! 

  • Fruits that are higher in fructose such as those listed below typically cause more health-related difficulties:

  • Grapes 

  • Bananas

  • Dates

  • Raisins and sultanas

  • Prunes

To a lesser degree:

  • Apples

  • Pears

  • Orange juice.

No more than 20 g of fructose is recommended. 

(FODMAP Diet may be really helpful to get out of food-induced symptoms)

 

Alcohol

  • Alcohol causes oxidative stress in your mitochondria

  • Many forms of alcohol contain high fructose corn syrup. 

  • Many forms of alcohol also contain mould toxins.

  • If you do not think that alcohol has a negative effect on your health, stop for two weeks to truly know. After that, make sure that any alcohol you consume is distilled clear alcohol from low-toxin wine vendors, preferably organic where possible.

  • Remember: Less is MORE with alcohol, so try a spritzer or shandy as opposed to a glass of wine or beer or lager

Taking vitamin C and glutathione will help support the mitochondria from the effects of alcohol consumption.

 

Environmental Toxins In Dietary Sources:

 

Mercury:

  • Mercury is one of THE most toxic heavy metals.

  • It depletes the antioxidants that your mitochondria need for handling oxidative stress.

  • It enters brain tissue and reduces IQ.

  • It is associated with mood disorders, skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis

  • If mercury (or other heavy metals) are present it becomes almost impossible to get rid of Candida Yeast overgrowth (Mould)

  • The best test for Mercury toxicity is the Mercury Tri-Test, as it is the only way to assess if your body has a toxic burden in your tissues due to an inability to appropriately excrete the mercury through kidneys, liver or hair.

The common sources of mercury: 

  • Amalgam (silver) dental fillings in your mouth at any time

If your mother had mercury fillings, science shows that you will likely be 

MORE sensitive to smaller amounts of mercury than she was!

  • Fish that eat other fish are most likely to have higher mercury content than smaller fish. 

  • Tuna (especially fresh steaks)

  • Swordfish 

  • Shark

  • Marlin

  • Mackerel.


 

Pesticides:

  • Pesticides are toxins to mitochondria.

  • Pesticides target mitochondria in the brain and nervous system tissue more than any other tissue. 

  • Even worse is that exposure has been linked to adverse effects in the neuro-development of fetuses and young children. 

  • Babies exposed to high levels of pesticides in the womb have lower IQs and tend to experience lifelong problems with learning and memory.

 

Organophosphates:

  • Organophosphates cause an increase in acetylcholine, which makes muscles contract.  This results in muscles remaining tight and tense

  • Organophosphates have direct effects on the mitochondria, actually changing the structures of the factory parts that make ATP (the actual energy molecules) while decreasing the defences against antioxidants. 

  • Testing for these and the myriad of other highly toxic environmental chemicals, through a GPL-Tox test, is highly advisable - especially if you live in a city, work in industrial plants, and/or do not eat organic food

  • Solution: Buy organic. Buy local. Grow your own produce.

 

Fluoride:

  • Fluoride reduces thyroid hormones and thyroid function. 

  • Thyroid hormones change the shape of our mitochondria and affect their efficiency. 

  • This is how the thyroid function is the main driver of our metabolism.

  • People who drink fluoridated water are 50% more likely to experience hypothyroidism.

  • Symptoms of hypothyroidism: weight gain, fatigue, depression, constipation, poor circulation, feeling cold easily, thinning hair on head (including outer third of eyebrows, increased body and facial hair -especially in women) 

It is important to get a shower filter head as well as drinking fluoride-free water.

 

Mould:

  • Mould produces naturally occurring air-polluting toxic compounds called mycotoxins.

  • Mycotoxins are one of the most toxic substances for humans. 

  • It can be difficult to determine if there are mycotoxins in your environment as most species of mould can’t be seen with the naked eye.

  • Mycotoxins inhibit or disarm a portion of the nervous system. 

  • They also decrease blood flow to the frontal lobe of your brain. This is the area of the brain that is responsible for focus and logic.

  • Mycotoxins also cause brain inflammation by the following means:

    • They activate mast cells in the immune system that release cytokines. 

    • This triggers an inflammatory response that causes damage. 

    • They also make the blood-brain barrier leaky, leading to more inflammation.

  • Mycotoxins also block neuroplasticity in the brain. 

  • This will prevent you from being able to develop new pathways, form new habits, or make changes to your nervous system. 

  • This means you won’t be able to develop better patterns with therapy or counselling until you deal with the effects of mould.

  • Brain scans of patients with multiple sclerosis were found to be nearly indistinguishable from brain scans of patients with mould toxicity exposure. 

  • A patient with an Alzheimer’s diagnosis was later found to have unacceptably high mycotoxin levels

  • Six months after this discovery and treatment for mycotoxins, the patient no longer had an Alzheimer’s diagnosis.

  • 95% of sinus infections are related to mould. 

  • The antibiotics and steroids they typically give to treat the sinus infection are like throwing fuel on the fire of mould toxicity.

  • EMF is electromagnetic radiation released by technological devices such as wi-fi

  • routers and mobile phones. Mould produces 600 times more mycotoxins when

  • exposed to EMF radiation!

Common Sources of Mould in Food:

  •  Coffee

  •  Corn

  • Alcohol

  • Nuts (Macadamia nuts, peanuts)

  • Grain-fed animal products, especially pork and poultry

Common Sources of Mould in the environment

  • Black mould on window ledges 

  • Black mould in the grooves of kitchen bathroom or shower tiles

  • Mould on leather clothes, such as suede or leather jackets

  • Mould on handbags or shoes

Symptoms From Mould Toxins:

  • Sinus problems and infections

  • Mental and emotional symptoms

  • Brain fog/Poor memory

  • Difficulty focusing/ADD

  • Chronic fatigue

  • Depression

  • Immune deficiencies

  • Cancer

 

Pharmaceutical Medications As Mitochondrial Toxins

  • When it comes to prescription medications, the full effects are still unknown, and especially in regards to the mitochondria, not all of the effects on mitochondria are known.

  • We do know that a good percentage do cause mitochondrial dysfunction. 

  • In one study, over 500 different pharmaceutical drugs were analyzed. 

  • It was found that more than 30% of them caused mitochondrial dysfunction.

  • The following information is provided not to vilify pharmaceutical medications. but rather to generate an inquisitive conversation about understanding the risks and benefits of such medications. 

  • If the benefits of a medication outweigh the risk, it is helpful to know the systems to support in the body to minimize the damage and risks of the medication.

The following are common culprits for mitochondrial damage specifically:

  • Antibiotics

  • Anti-seizure Medications

  • Antidepressants

  • Anti-psychotics

  • Cholesterol Medications

  • Anti-inflammatory Medications

  • Heart Rhythm Medication Amiodarone

  • Antivirals

  • Cancer Medications

  • Diabetes Medications

  • Blood Pressure Medications: B-blockers

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