When you hear the words Alzheimer's disease, what do you think of? The truth is, the picture most of us have of the disease is incomplete. Alzheimer's disease doesn't start when someone starts to lose their memory. It actually starts years – sometimes decades – earlier. The Rethinking Alzheimer's Disease Podcast is an engaging, narrative-style podcast miniseries for those curious or motivated to learn about Alzheimer’s disease. Perhaps you have a family member with Alzheimer’s disease, or ca ...
…
continue reading
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Mitochondria Matter: The Story of Aging
Manage episode 520331950 series 2422056
Content provided by Terry Simpson. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Terry Simpson or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.
The Mitochondria Problem: Why These Tiny Powerhouses Shape How We Age
Many people suddenly talk about mitochondria. You hear them in political speeches, on podcasts, and across social media. RFK Jr said he can “see” kids with weak mitochondria just by watching them walk through an airport. Others claim special diets or powders can “fix” aging by supercharging these organelles.
However, most of that chatter misses the actual science.
This post breaks down what mitochondria do, why they matter for aging, and how you can keep them healthy. No hype. No detox teas. Just biology you can use.
What Are Mitochondria?
Every cell in your body contains tiny structures called mitochondria. They act like miniature cells living inside your larger cells. Each mitochondrion even has its own DNA.
Mitochondria divide independently from your regular cells.
They manage your energy, converting glucose to ATP
Finally, mitochondria keep your organs working.
You inherit all your mitochondria from your mother, which is why scientists use mitochondrial DNA to trace ancestry.
How Did We Get Mitochondria? (A Very Old Story)
About 1.5 billion years ago, a simple cell swallowed a bacterium and refused to digest it. Instead, they formed a partnership.
The bacterium supplied energy.
The host cell provided safety.
That partnership became the mitochondrion. Every person alive today runs on that ancient deal.
What Do Mitochondria Do All Day?
Mitochondria take glucose from your food and convert it into ATP — the energy your body uses to move, think, heal, and grow. This process runs every second of your life.
You cannot swallow ATP and get more energy. ATP supplements don’t work. Only your mitochondria make the usable fuel your body needs.
Why Young Mitochondria Work So Well
Young mitochondria act like teenagers. They run fast, bounce back quickly, and handle stress with ease. Cells constantly recycle old mitochondria through a process called mitophagy. This system works beautifully in childhood.
Fresh mitochondria power:
- strong muscles
- sharp thinking
- fast recovery
- healthy metabolism
When mitophagy runs smoothly, you feel energetic and resilient.
What Happens When Mitochondria Age
Aging slows everything down. Mitochondria begin to leak more “exhaust,” build up mutations, and lose efficiency. Damaged ones don’t get removed as well, because mitophagy weakens with age.
Unfortunately, mitochondria do something worse than slow down:
They fuse with healthy mitochondria.
Imagine pouring spoiled milk into a fresh gallon. The whole jug goes bad. Aging mitochondria do the same thing inside your cells. They spread dysfunction to the healthy ones.
How Aging Mitochondria Cause Trouble
As mitochondria fail, they change how cells function. They send distress signals back to the nucleus that alter gene expression. These messages push cells toward inflammation, stress, and survival pathways that your body normally keeps quiet.
Even more concerning, changes in mitochondrial shape — too much splitting (fission) and not enough merging (fusion) — appear in both aging and cancer. These shifts support tumor growth, help cancer cells spread, and make some treatments less effective.
Aging mitochondria increase the risk of:
- brain fog
- muscle fatigue
- slower recovery
- heart strain
- metabolic slowdown
- cancer-friendly environments
Mitochondria sit at the center of how we age.
Why “Mitochondrial Booster” Supplements Miss the Mark
Plenty of supplements promise to “repair” mitochondria. Many sound exciting:
- NAD boosters
- Urolithin A
- peptides
- antioxidant stacks
However, evidence in actual humans remains limited.
NAD boosters don’t show meaningful anti-aging benefits.
Urolithin A can help with muscle endurance, but doesn’t reverse aging.
Antioxidant megadoses may even interfere with exercise benefits.
People want a miracle switch. We don’t have one.
What Does Improve Mitochondrial Health
Good news: the basics still win. And they outperform supplements every time.
1. Resistance Training
Your muscles grow new mitochondria in response to lifting weights or doing body-weight exercises.
2. Zone 2 Exercise
This “comfortably challenging” aerobic zone trains your body to use oxygen better. You can talk, but you can’t sing.
3. Sleep
Your body repairs mitochondrial damage at night. Poor sleep means poor repair.
4. Mediterranean Diet
Whole foods, plants, nuts, fish, and olive oil protect mitochondria from inflammation and stress.
5. Treating Metabolic Disease Early
High blood sugar, high LDL, and high blood pressure destroy mitochondria faster than anything else.
Why Diet Tribes Get Mitochondria Wrong
Some diet influencers insist that insulin resistance is the One True Cause of aging and that keto or carnivore diets fix it all. That was tested in high-quality metabolic ward studies.
It failed.
Low-carb diets did not outperform other diets when calories and protein were controlled. Fat loss was the same. Metabolism behaved the same. Insulin wasn’t the magic dial.
Mediterranean-style eating continues to show the strongest data for longevity.
Alcohol Ages Mitochondria Fast
Your liver breaks down alcohol by generating large amounts of oxidative stress. That stress directly damages mitochondrial DNA, mitochondrial enzymes, and mitochondrial membranes.
It also disrupts their normal fuse-and-divide rhythm, which accelerates aging inside your cells. The hangover fades, but the mitochondrial damage does not.
Bringing It All Together
Mitochondria are real, essential organelles — not a buzzword. Yet some people use the term “mitochondria” the same way Deepak Chopra uses the word “quantum": to describe everything and explain nothing.
Here’s the truth:
When mitochondria age, you age.
Driving inflammation.
Increasing cancer risk.
Slowing your metabolism.
They weaken your heart and muscles.
Finally, they cloud your thinking.
If we’re going to blame mitochondria for aging, let’s at least understand them — and learn how to keep them healthy.
Strength training, aerobic exercise, sleep, nutrition, and treating metabolic disease remain the most powerful tools we have.
Your mitochondria are trying their best.
Help them do their job.
REFERENCES
1.Somatic Mutations of Mitochondrial DNA in Aging and Cancer Progression.
Lee HC, Chang CM, Chi CW. Ageing Research Reviews. 2010;9 Suppl 1:S47-58. doi:10.1016/j.arr.2010.08.009.
2. Mitochondrial DNA Mutations in Ageing and Cancer.
Smith ALM, Whitehall JC, Greaves LC.Molecular Oncology. 2022;16(18):3276-3294. doi:10.1002/1878-0261.13291.
Smith AL, Whitehall JC, Bradshaw C, et al. Nature Cancer. 2020;1(10):976-989. doi:10.1038/s43018-020-00112-5.
4.Understanding the Impact of Mitochondrial DNA Mutations on Aging and Carcinogenesis (Review).
Kobayashi H, Imanaka S International Journal of Molecular Medicine. 2025;56(2):118. doi:10.3892/ijmm.2025.5559.
5.Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Oxidative Stress in Aging and Cancer.
Kudryavtseva AV, Krasnov GS, Dmitriev AA, et al. Oncotarget. 2016;7(29):44879-44905. doi:10.18632/oncotarget.9821.
6.Role of Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Cancer Progression.
Hsu CC, Tseng LM, Lee HC. Experimental Biology and Medicine (Maywood, N.J.). 2016;241(12):1281-95. doi:10.1177/1535370216641787.
7. Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Mitochondrial Dynamics-the Cancer Connection.
Srinivasan S, Guha M, Kashina A, Avadhani NG. Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta. Bioenergetics. 2017;1858(8):602-614. doi:10.1016/j.bbabio.2017.01.004.
8.Dysregulation of Mitochondrial Function in Cancer Cells.
Awad AMAM, Abdul Karim N. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2025;26(14):6750. doi:10.3390/ijms26146750.
Moghaddam SJ, Savai R, Salehi-Rad R, et al. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. 2024;210(5):548-571. doi:10.1164/rccm.202406-1168ST.
10. Mitochondria in Oxidative Stress, Inflammation and Aging: From Mechanisms to Therapeutic Advances.
Xu X, Pang Y, Fan X. Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy. 2025;10(1):190. doi:10.1038/s41392-025-02253-4.
138 episodes
Share
Manage episode 520331950 series 2422056
Content provided by Terry Simpson. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Terry Simpson or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.
The Mitochondria Problem: Why These Tiny Powerhouses Shape How We Age
Many people suddenly talk about mitochondria. You hear them in political speeches, on podcasts, and across social media. RFK Jr said he can “see” kids with weak mitochondria just by watching them walk through an airport. Others claim special diets or powders can “fix” aging by supercharging these organelles.
However, most of that chatter misses the actual science.
This post breaks down what mitochondria do, why they matter for aging, and how you can keep them healthy. No hype. No detox teas. Just biology you can use.
What Are Mitochondria?
Every cell in your body contains tiny structures called mitochondria. They act like miniature cells living inside your larger cells. Each mitochondrion even has its own DNA.
Mitochondria divide independently from your regular cells.
They manage your energy, converting glucose to ATP
Finally, mitochondria keep your organs working.
You inherit all your mitochondria from your mother, which is why scientists use mitochondrial DNA to trace ancestry.
How Did We Get Mitochondria? (A Very Old Story)
About 1.5 billion years ago, a simple cell swallowed a bacterium and refused to digest it. Instead, they formed a partnership.
The bacterium supplied energy.
The host cell provided safety.
That partnership became the mitochondrion. Every person alive today runs on that ancient deal.
What Do Mitochondria Do All Day?
Mitochondria take glucose from your food and convert it into ATP — the energy your body uses to move, think, heal, and grow. This process runs every second of your life.
You cannot swallow ATP and get more energy. ATP supplements don’t work. Only your mitochondria make the usable fuel your body needs.
Why Young Mitochondria Work So Well
Young mitochondria act like teenagers. They run fast, bounce back quickly, and handle stress with ease. Cells constantly recycle old mitochondria through a process called mitophagy. This system works beautifully in childhood.
Fresh mitochondria power:
- strong muscles
- sharp thinking
- fast recovery
- healthy metabolism
When mitophagy runs smoothly, you feel energetic and resilient.
What Happens When Mitochondria Age
Aging slows everything down. Mitochondria begin to leak more “exhaust,” build up mutations, and lose efficiency. Damaged ones don’t get removed as well, because mitophagy weakens with age.
Unfortunately, mitochondria do something worse than slow down:
They fuse with healthy mitochondria.
Imagine pouring spoiled milk into a fresh gallon. The whole jug goes bad. Aging mitochondria do the same thing inside your cells. They spread dysfunction to the healthy ones.
How Aging Mitochondria Cause Trouble
As mitochondria fail, they change how cells function. They send distress signals back to the nucleus that alter gene expression. These messages push cells toward inflammation, stress, and survival pathways that your body normally keeps quiet.
Even more concerning, changes in mitochondrial shape — too much splitting (fission) and not enough merging (fusion) — appear in both aging and cancer. These shifts support tumor growth, help cancer cells spread, and make some treatments less effective.
Aging mitochondria increase the risk of:
- brain fog
- muscle fatigue
- slower recovery
- heart strain
- metabolic slowdown
- cancer-friendly environments
Mitochondria sit at the center of how we age.
Why “Mitochondrial Booster” Supplements Miss the Mark
Plenty of supplements promise to “repair” mitochondria. Many sound exciting:
- NAD boosters
- Urolithin A
- peptides
- antioxidant stacks
However, evidence in actual humans remains limited.
NAD boosters don’t show meaningful anti-aging benefits.
Urolithin A can help with muscle endurance, but doesn’t reverse aging.
Antioxidant megadoses may even interfere with exercise benefits.
People want a miracle switch. We don’t have one.
What Does Improve Mitochondrial Health
Good news: the basics still win. And they outperform supplements every time.
1. Resistance Training
Your muscles grow new mitochondria in response to lifting weights or doing body-weight exercises.
2. Zone 2 Exercise
This “comfortably challenging” aerobic zone trains your body to use oxygen better. You can talk, but you can’t sing.
3. Sleep
Your body repairs mitochondrial damage at night. Poor sleep means poor repair.
4. Mediterranean Diet
Whole foods, plants, nuts, fish, and olive oil protect mitochondria from inflammation and stress.
5. Treating Metabolic Disease Early
High blood sugar, high LDL, and high blood pressure destroy mitochondria faster than anything else.
Why Diet Tribes Get Mitochondria Wrong
Some diet influencers insist that insulin resistance is the One True Cause of aging and that keto or carnivore diets fix it all. That was tested in high-quality metabolic ward studies.
It failed.
Low-carb diets did not outperform other diets when calories and protein were controlled. Fat loss was the same. Metabolism behaved the same. Insulin wasn’t the magic dial.
Mediterranean-style eating continues to show the strongest data for longevity.
Alcohol Ages Mitochondria Fast
Your liver breaks down alcohol by generating large amounts of oxidative stress. That stress directly damages mitochondrial DNA, mitochondrial enzymes, and mitochondrial membranes.
It also disrupts their normal fuse-and-divide rhythm, which accelerates aging inside your cells. The hangover fades, but the mitochondrial damage does not.
Bringing It All Together
Mitochondria are real, essential organelles — not a buzzword. Yet some people use the term “mitochondria” the same way Deepak Chopra uses the word “quantum": to describe everything and explain nothing.
Here’s the truth:
When mitochondria age, you age.
Driving inflammation.
Increasing cancer risk.
Slowing your metabolism.
They weaken your heart and muscles.
Finally, they cloud your thinking.
If we’re going to blame mitochondria for aging, let’s at least understand them — and learn how to keep them healthy.
Strength training, aerobic exercise, sleep, nutrition, and treating metabolic disease remain the most powerful tools we have.
Your mitochondria are trying their best.
Help them do their job.
REFERENCES
1.Somatic Mutations of Mitochondrial DNA in Aging and Cancer Progression.
Lee HC, Chang CM, Chi CW. Ageing Research Reviews. 2010;9 Suppl 1:S47-58. doi:10.1016/j.arr.2010.08.009.
2. Mitochondrial DNA Mutations in Ageing and Cancer.
Smith ALM, Whitehall JC, Greaves LC.Molecular Oncology. 2022;16(18):3276-3294. doi:10.1002/1878-0261.13291.
Smith AL, Whitehall JC, Bradshaw C, et al. Nature Cancer. 2020;1(10):976-989. doi:10.1038/s43018-020-00112-5.
4.Understanding the Impact of Mitochondrial DNA Mutations on Aging and Carcinogenesis (Review).
Kobayashi H, Imanaka S International Journal of Molecular Medicine. 2025;56(2):118. doi:10.3892/ijmm.2025.5559.
5.Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Oxidative Stress in Aging and Cancer.
Kudryavtseva AV, Krasnov GS, Dmitriev AA, et al. Oncotarget. 2016;7(29):44879-44905. doi:10.18632/oncotarget.9821.
6.Role of Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Cancer Progression.
Hsu CC, Tseng LM, Lee HC. Experimental Biology and Medicine (Maywood, N.J.). 2016;241(12):1281-95. doi:10.1177/1535370216641787.
7. Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Mitochondrial Dynamics-the Cancer Connection.
Srinivasan S, Guha M, Kashina A, Avadhani NG. Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta. Bioenergetics. 2017;1858(8):602-614. doi:10.1016/j.bbabio.2017.01.004.
8.Dysregulation of Mitochondrial Function in Cancer Cells.
Awad AMAM, Abdul Karim N. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2025;26(14):6750. doi:10.3390/ijms26146750.
Moghaddam SJ, Savai R, Salehi-Rad R, et al. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. 2024;210(5):548-571. doi:10.1164/rccm.202406-1168ST.
10. Mitochondria in Oxidative Stress, Inflammation and Aging: From Mechanisms to Therapeutic Advances.
Xu X, Pang Y, Fan X. Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy. 2025;10(1):190. doi:10.1038/s41392-025-02253-4.
138 episodes
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When you hear the words Alzheimer's disease, what do you think of? The truth is, the picture most of us have of the disease is incomplete. Alzheimer's disease doesn't start when someone starts to lose their memory. It actually starts years – sometimes decades – earlier. The Rethinking Alzheimer's Disease Podcast is an engaging, narrative-style podcast miniseries for those curious or motivated to learn about Alzheimer’s disease. Perhaps you have a family member with Alzheimer’s disease, or ca ...
…
continue reading
How many organs could you donate and remain alive? How many planet Earths could fit inside the Sun? How high is a giraffe's blood pressure? Why is the sea blue? To find out, Ask The Naked Scientists!
…
continue reading
A myriad of AI, science, and technology experts explore the real challenges and enormous opportunities facing entrepreneurs who are building the future of health. Raising Health, a podcast by a16z Bio + Health, dives deep into the heart of biotechnology and healthcare innovation. Join veteran company builders, operators, and investors Vineeta Agarwala, Julie Yoo, and Jorge Conde, along with distinguished guests like Mark Cuban, Greg Verdine, Fei-Fei Li, and Suchi Saria, as they explore the i ...
…
continue reading
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…
continue reading
Help me fill in the blanks of the practice of ED Critical Care. In this podcast, we discuss all things related to the crashing, critically ill patient in the Emergency Department. Find the show notes at emcrit.org.
…
continue reading
All In The Mind is ABC RN's weekly podcast looking into the mental universe, the mind, brain and behaviour — everything from addiction to artificial intelligence.
…
continue reading
Emergency Medicine Cases – Where the Experts Keep You in the Know. For show notes, quizzes, videos and more learning tools please visit emergencymedicinecases.com
…
continue reading
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…
continue reading
The Naked Scientists flagship science show brings you a lighthearted look at the latest scientific breakthroughs, interviews with the world's top scientists, answers to your science questions and science experiments to try at home.
…
continue reading
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continue reading
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