Boost Mitochondrial Function With 18 Therapies

Mitochondria are found in most types of human cells, and mitochondrial function leads to production of your energy currency, ATP.

Most cells contain thousands of mitochondria, while the heart and brain have some 10,000 per cell. (R)

Because of the key roles mitochondria play in energy production, enhancing mitochondrial function may be the lynchpin to recovering from general fatigue, burnout, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, mold-induced illness, and related low-energy disorders.

As you’ll learn below, recent changes to the way we eat, exercise, and even use light have challenged our mitochondria in novel, massive, and little-known ways.

Read on to learn the numerous ways you can increase mitochondrial function.

Table of Contents

Diet and Mitochondrial Function

Some dietary interventions are proven to boost mitochondrial function.

These include calorie restriction, where you reduce daily calorie intake by 40% long-term.

In animal studies, this has been shown to “stimulate the proliferation of mitochondria.” (R)

Alternatively, intermittent fasting, which involves restricting the hours of the day during which you eat or regularly having days where you don’t eat at all, has a similar effect on mitochondria. (R)

As an example of intermittent fasting, I currently fast 17 or 18 hours a day, and eat between about 12 or 1 to 6:30 or 7.

If you go this route, I recommend onboarding slowly, restricting your feeding window by no more than one hour a week. Your family and friends will thank you for not biting their heads off!

Finally, animal studies also show that restricting protein by 40% has similar benefits to calorie restriction because of the benefits of limiting intake of the amino acid methionine. (R)

Foods to Avoid

Avoid highly inflammatory foods, as well as those specifically toxic to mitochondria.

Fried food is a massive problem, with inflammatory effects that last over 24 hours.

The herbicide glyphosate is toxic to bacteria, making it rough on both your gut bacteria and your mitochondria (they originally evolved from bacteria!). Switch to organic produce and avoid conventional grains and corn to reduce exposure.

Mold-heavy foods are also toxic to mitochondria. (R) Try eating fewer foods that are aged and stored, like cheese, grains, legumes, tea, coffee, and chocolate, and see if that improves how you feel.

Mitochondrial Function and Light

Red or infrared light donate energy to the processes in mitochondria that produce ATP, your cells’ energy currency.

You can find beneficial infrared light in sunlight (you need direct exposure; windows filter infrared out), as well as bulbs that contain various near infrared and far infrared wavelengths, like this one.

If you try infrared bulbs, you’ll need to try them out at different times of day, on different parts of the body, and for varying lengths of time to see their effects.

Infrared therapy may make you feel spacey for a day, then better than usual the next. It is also possible to burn yourself with infrared if you really overdo it, and it’s best to keep the light at least 12 inches/30 cm from your body.

Blue light, which is abundant in all artificial light (other than bulbs like the one I linked above), is hard for the eyes to process and weakens the mitochondria there.

Switching to red bulbs at night and using blue light filter apps on devices like f.lux will solve this issue (and improve your sleep and circadian rhythm to boot). (R)

Stress and Mitochondrial Function

Some forms of stress (like fasting) are actually good for the mitochondria.

This is because good stress kills off weak mitochondria while strengthening the ones that are left.

Positive stressors include cold showers (you only need to switch to cold water for the last minute or so), and certain forms of exercise.

Short, intense bursts of exercise, like sprinting for 60 seconds or lifting weights continuously for 15 minutes, benefit mitochondria when performed 1-2 times a week. (R)

Supplements for Mitochondrial Function

The below supplements have been shown in studies to bolster mitochondrial function.

Alpha-Lipoic Acid (ALA)

ALA has a key role in producing energy in mitochondria (R1, R2,R3), and may protect against mitochondrial dysfunction. (R)

In animals with metabolic syndrome, ALA prevented their mitochondria from producing superoxide, (R) a free radical that can cause damage to the body and worsen chronic disease. (R)

ALA does not appear to help those with mitochondrial disease, however. (R)

Astragalus

Astragalus improves the function of mitochondria strained by low oxygen/low glucose conditions, (R1, R2) as well as those exposed to amyloid proteins. (R)

Astragalus’ antioxidant action also protects mitochondria. (R)

It also aids in the production of ATP. (R)

Rhodiola

One important compound found in rhodiola, salidroside, ameliorated chemical-induced injury to mitochondria. (R)

In another study, salidroside also increased mitochondrial mass and upregulated mitogenic factors. (R)

Jiaogulan/Gynostemma

Jiaogulan increases expression of genes associated with mitochondrial activity and triggers “beiging,” in which white fat literally becomes browner through increasing numbers of (brown-colored) mitochondria. (R)

Phosphatidylserine

In a review of therapies for cognitive dysfunction arising from mitochondrial insufficiency, phosphatidylserine was one of several nutrients identified that supported mitochondria and improved cognition in double-blind trials. (R)

Rehmannia

In human cells exposed to UV light, rehmannia lowered cellular and mitochondrial damage. (R)

Alpha GPC

In animals, Alpha GPC effectively preserved mitochondrial respiration and reduced oxidative stress under stressful conditions. (R)

Schisandra

May increase resilience due to its preservation of mitochondrial function. (R)

Lecithin

Lecithin reduced age-induced hearing loss by protecting mitochondrial function in the cells of the inner ear. It achieved this via antioxidant action, routing oxidative stress and reducing damage to DNA.