Feeling tired, experiencing brain fog, low on concentration or having low energy? These are common symptoms many of us experience on a daily basis. How do we tackle them? Most of us go & grab that sugary coffee or that energy high caffeine drink for that energy boost.
We may think these symptoms are normal in life given our busy lifestyle however feeling fatigued regularly can directly impact our health & quality of life.
What if we have got energy problems wrong? What if we are looking for energy boost at the wrong places?
Where does the energy come from ? Our body has an energy powerhouse- Mitochondria-it is a tiny structure in our cells – It is actually an organelle which used to be an ancient bacteria. Mitochondria constantly divides & regenerates itself & provides our body energy we need to live.
Now we are all discussing Mitochondria given we have been experiencing fatigues or low on energy more often than ever.
Basically, there are two roles which Mitochondria plays-
- Mitochondria Biogenesis: This means how well our mitochondria is reproducing since unlike cells inside our body which happens when our body divides cells. Mitochondria does a lot of stuff such as cell repair, DNA repair & deals with various types of stresses including oxidative stress.
- Energy Production: Mitochondria create a chemical called adenosine triphosphate(ATP) which produces around 90% of energy our body needs to function. This is a reasonable explanation of why our body has thousands of mitochondria in every cell of the body. Mitochondria is also referred to as an energy furnace.
When there is some kind of demand or our body is dealing with some kind of stress, fighting with something or our body does not have the right kind of nutrients, our mitochondria rise to the occasion when you do not have the right kind of energy- through the ratio of AMP to ATP. However for this to happen, there has to be a signaling pathway that communicates with mitochondria that our body does not have energy & tells mitochondria to make energy. For this to happen, our body needs to have enough of mitochondria & all its compartments should be functional. There is a master regulator of Mitochondria which signals it to be able to function optimally & deliver what our cells need
ATP is our energy molecule & when we use energy to do some task ATP degrades to ADP adenosine diphosphate & if our mitochondria & its signaling pathways are working optimally, ADP again rises to ATP. However when our mitochondria function is not working optimally, ADP further goes down to AMP-adenosine monophosphate. For converting AMP to ATP, our body needs to communicates properly with our mitochondria
In order to give our body energy it needs, our body needs fuel which can come from carb or fat sources. For instance, if it comes from fats- Short Chain Fatty Acids or different types of fats, they need to be transported into mitochondria before it can be processed, metabolized & oxidized.
Or if it’s carbs- glucose & glycolysis. There is a specific pathway where you break down different sugars- which can be activated with fructose or breaking down of complex carbs. We have this Kerbs or Citric Acid Cycle with the help of which our body is able to produce certain molecules that contribute to the electronic transport chain & as a result of various transformations our body gets ATP.
Every individual may need different components for this energy production to take place. These components could be L-Carnitine, COQ10, B Vitamins, Antioxidants, Iron, Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), Iron, Magnesium, Vitamin C or even probiotics. We need to decode what our body needs- we cannot take everything since it will overload our body with the components we need less of & can trigger inflammation. For instance, taking L-Carnitine when the activity of ammonia producing microbes is high may lead to release of Ammonia & directly impact our gut lining.
Some of these molecules which we should consider include:
- Antioxidants: Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Glutathione, Flavonoids, COQ10 or Polyphenols are all antioxidants that support the health of our mitochondria. They help in reducing oxidative stress & preventing damage from toxins
- Healthy fats: Fat sources such as short chain fatty acids & Omega-3 fatty acids provide the required energy our mitochondria needs.
- Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+): NAD+ is a nutrient needed for energy metabolism in the mitochondria. Research shows our NAD+ levels tend to decline with age, and upping our levels may support optimal energy and mitochondrial health.
- L-Carnitine: It is an amino acid that directly transports fats in the mitochondria, enabling your body to use them as energy.
- B-Vitamins: These vitamins provide oxygen & required energy to our cells supporting the health of our mitochondria.
We at Genefitletics can decode the activity of your microbiome & tell you through energy production score, if your mitochondria is functioning optimally & what specific molecules or components your body needs to make sure that various energy sources are transported to your mitochondria to be able to process, metabolize & oxidize them. More details here: www.genefitletics.com
References:
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24396061/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4487780/
- https://booksc.org/book/28209100/5b77a8
- https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2017.00319/full
