Mitochondrial Dysfunction
it can happen
What if I told you…..
That a lot of our modern disease states start with damage to the mitochondria (powerhouse) of our cells, how that manifests as a specific disease will vary from person to person.
Living in a “post” covid world in which viral cellular damage is being done at a more rapid pace and in many more people than ever before, and especially since covid is the gift that keeps on giving, means that doing things to care for your mitochondria is becoming more important every day. That means that this applies to you even if you don’t have cancer or long covid right now. You’ve probably heard that you don’t really need to worry about all of this as much if you are young (chronologically) and healthy for the most part, but your epigenetic age could be altered and your biological age accelerated by viral infections and well, Covid is a viral infection in which this sure seems to be occurring. Tick tock……goes your clock. But the body has a remarkable ability to heal. What you do to recover from illness and heal and sustain that healing matters.
If any of this sounds familiar to you, and it should because we’ve talked about this before, it’s because I’ve heard it takes repeating things many times to learn a thing and that if you do it while doing something enjoyable (like playing or writing or reading good writing) you will master that thing you are trying to learn even faster.
As I was researching what to do about what Covid did to my mitochondria; I heard a scientist say that I needed to fix my mitochondria. Once your mitochondria are damaged that’s a bit easier said than done, but with time (in my case) the things I was learning about fixing my virus damaged mitochondria became more and more doable; things like limiting sugar intake, shifting to a low carb diet, fasting (autophagy), and exercise. Oddly enough, Guy Tenenbaum’s video landed in my lap, the day after my dad’s cancer diagnosis. Guy just so happened to be telling his story about how he survived terminal stage 4 prostate cancer primarily by changing his diet and by fasting and by inhibiting SCOT. The mitochondrial dots were connected for me, so I shared what I had found with mom and dad. We are calling all of this a God thing because no one could have orchestrated everything that has happened to us and provided everything we needed to heal in the same way that He ultimately can.
Scott Inhibiting SCOT - by Stephanie Schaible, MT (ASCP) (substack.com)
For those of you who have long covid or cancer, I heard your gasp at my use of the word “exercise”, but hear me and Lily, the long covid dietician, on this-
The people that I have seen recover the most do not confuse pacing with inactivity. They know the only way through is building up physical resiliency, and that includes movement, no matter where the starting point is.
What I've Learned About Long COVID - by Lily Spechler (substack.com)
Did you know that dancing counts as movement, even if it’s just swaying to your favorite music or dancing in your own mind. When I was at my damaged mitochondrial worst, I sometimes pictured myself waltzing with the best of them in my favorite Jane Austen books. Yes, I've danced in my spirit, when my body and mind just couldn't dance. Thant’s right you can be…….
“dancin when circumstances drown the music out”...... ~Say I Won’t, Mercy Me
In fact, dancing may be to mitochondrial dysfunction what music and singing are to vagus nerve repair in dysautonomia.
Say I won’t…..!
We are going to expand on our previous mitochondrial concepts now because I’ve learned more along the way and because not everyone can or should be doing keto, or intermittent fasting, or doing it for prolonged periods of time. Eventually, those on keto and doing intermittent fasting are going to need to eat. The good news is that what you eat, nutrients, can act as a source of epigenetic change.
Epigenetics is the regulation of gene expression through alterations in DNA or associated factors (other than the DNA sequence). These factors control the diverse manifestations of diseases. Insights into epigenetic modification may lead to new therapies for common diseases.
The Key Role of Epigenetics in Human Disease Prevention and Mitigation | NEJM
Sometimes when our bodies are in a state or acute or chronic illness, we may even need a little more help through supplementation. For example, Mardi Crane-Godreau, PhD who is a bit of a long covid Substack mitochondrial knowledge Queen, recently shared one of her go to mitochondrial support supplements with us,
You’ve likely heard of Coenzyme Q10. You may have heard that it’s important, or not. And, you might be wondering what role it plays in the body. To my mind it’s important enough to dedicate a post to the topic.
Supplementing Coenzyme Q10 to support Mitochondria (substack.com)
The really neat thing about all of this is that there’s more, more about synergy, that is. There are supplements that work together like peas and carrots go together in the frozen vegetable section, or like tomatoes and carrots love to be planted by each other. Paid subscribers will have access to my synergistic findings at the end of this newsletter along with some hot takes on other dietary ways to reduce inflammation and support your mitochondria as well as a bit about the Covid diabetes link.
Have you nourished your mitochondria today?
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As always-
**Leaving Death in the Dust is a newsletter and is not a replacement for professional, regulated, medical, healthcare. This is informational and educational. Some of us in this community may have worked in the healthcare system, but we are not your medical provider and whatever you find here is not the establishment of a professional medical relationship or medical advice. **That is an MT behind my name not an MD.
Best Wishes,
Steph
BONUS CONTENT
Interesting Stories- Lowering inflammation in autoimmune conditions.
Carnivore for the win??????
Mikhaila Peterson, you may have heard of her father, Jordan Peterson, healed lifelong RA with carnivore. Her mom and dad have implemented the diet as well. Her mom is a cancer survivor with a cool story as well as she was not expected to live.
Joe Rogan - Carnivore Diet Fixed Mikhaila Peterson's Arthritis (youtube.com)
Healing Elimination Diet To Help Your Gut | The Lion Diet
Cameron Fradd is the wife of podcaster Matt (Pints with Aquinas). Cameron has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome & hyper joint mobility with a history of spinal cord leaks and GI dysfunction dating back to her teen years. Her story caught my attention because I have a cousin with similar problems. She has also recently experienced relief of her symptoms while on a carnivore diet. She has shared it on her YouTube channel.
Cameron Fradd- My Carnivore experience (youtube.com)
Feeding/Nourishing Mitochondria
Persistent physical impairment is frequently encountered after critical illness. Recent data point towards mitochondrial dysfunction as an important determinant of this phenomenon. This narrative review provides a comprehensive overview of the present knowledge of mitochondrial function during and after critical illness and the role and potential therapeutic applications of specific micronutrients to restore mitochondrial function.
Adequate nutrient levels are essential for mitochondrial function as several specific micronutrients play crucial roles in energy metabolism and ATP-production. We have addressed the role of B vitamins, ascorbic acid, α-tocopherol, selenium, zinc, coenzyme Q10, caffeine, melatonin, carnitine, nitrate, lipoic acid and taurine in mitochondrial function. B vitamins and lipoic acid are essential in the tricarboxylic acid cycle, while selenium, α-tocopherol, Coenzyme Q10, caffeine, and melatonin are suggested to boost the electron transfer system function. Carnitine is essential for fatty acid beta-oxidation. Selenium is involved in mitochondrial biogenesis. Notwithstanding the documented importance of several nutritional components for optimal mitochondrial function, at present, there are no studies providing directions for optimal requirements during or after critical illness although deficiencies of these specific micronutrients involved in mitochondrial metabolism are common. Considering the interplay between these specific micronutrients, future research should pay more attention to their combined supply to provide guidance for use in clinical practice.
Additional link to more info-
Dietary Supplements for Primary Mitochondrial Disorders - Health Professional Fact Sheet (nih.gov)
CoQ10 Synergy
A landmark study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences1,2 produced by noted biochemist Bruce Ames and a team of scientists describes the powerful synergistic abilities of lipoic acid and acetyl-l-carnitine to significantly combat aging. Together, these two nutrients are shown to help combat diabetes, maintain proper cognitive function, support heart health, support energy production, protect the body from radiation and chemical toxins, and maintain immunity. And, when combined with carnosine, a powerful trio for longevity is created.
Alpha Lipoic Acid, Acetyl-L-Carnitine and Carnosine - page 1 - Life Extension
"The combined use of these two therapeutic agents could provide a synergic effect in treatment of chronic covid syndrome, increasing energy production and reducing cellular oxidative stress."
Coenzyme Q10 + alpha lipoic acid for chronic COVID syndrome - PMC (nih.gov)
It can be recommended that the use of ALA supplementation in < 800 mg/day is a good choice to control lipid peroxidation.
Effect of alpha-lipoic acid on oxidative stress parameters: A systematic review and meta-analysis - ScienceDirect
Pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) is associated with biological processes such as mitochondriogenesis, reproduction, growth, and aging. In addition, PQQ attenuates clinically relevant dysfunctions (e.g., those associated with ischemia, inflammation and lipotoxicity)…..potential health benefits, such as improved metabolic flexibility and immuno-and neuroprotection, are associated with PQQ
The Diabetes Link-
I’m not saying this is a quacking duck, but I’ve been hearing more and more stories about increases in cancer and other chronic illnesses. One story in particular caught my attention because there was no good explanation as to why someone in reasonably good health (no other previous, underlying health conditions) and high activity levels might suddenly become pre-diabetic and have elevated cholesterol levels. Someone like this and who is a metabolic, calorie burning machine, should not just suddenly be having cholesterol and blood sugar issues. I can’t help wondering if there is a Covid viral correlation in this case.
There is a possible viral correlation, and this may mean that dietary changes are in order.
SARS-CoV-2 can target and impair the body’s insulin-producing cells
From, How COVID-19 Can Lead to Diabetes
Our results revealed that 50% of analyzed plasma metabolites showed statistical differences between COVID-19 and long COVID-19 phases in patients with a more complicated evolution. One of the most dysregulated metabolites was glucose. Montefusco et al.17 reported glycemic abnormalities in recovered patients two months after the onset of disease. The hyperglycemic state has been reported to be even worse in hospitalized patients, pointing to a possible causal role of administered drug regimens, including remdesivir and corticosteroids. These drugs stimulate hepatic gluconeogenesis from amino acids released from muscles, which then inhibits glucose uptake18. Long COVID has been associated with new-onset insulin resistance which may contribute to the onset of depressive symptoms by enhancing overall neurotoxicity19.
The Cholesterol Connection-
Medical researchers have also linked SARS-CoV-2 to lingering complications in multiple organs and systems, and some recent work has found that new-onset cholesterol problems may be an under-recognized but common complication of COVID-19. “We’ve been doing research on the long-term consequences of infection, and we see a lot of patients come in with fatigue, brain fog, and the other symptoms most people associate with Long COVID,” says Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly, director of the Clinical Epidemiology Center and Chief of the Research and Development Service at the VA Saint Louis Health Care System. “But we’ve also seen people who have never had any metabolic problems develop new-onset diabetes or hyperlipidemia, and so we decided to take a scientific and systematic look at the metabolic consequences of infection.
Solutions??????
CHOLESTEROL IS NOT THE PROBLEM, unless it is- oxidized. Many physicians do not do additional testing to see if your cholesterol has an oxidized problem.
Unfortunately, doctors often prescribe medications like statins to keep cholesterol levels low. But these drugs can introduce a whole host of problems including muscle damage, brain damage, memory issues, Parkinson’s like symptoms, and muscle aches and pains. All of this has been caused by cholesterol medications, which don’t necessarily even work…..
DIABESITY: THE REAL CULPRIT The biggest cause of inflammation and heart disease is diabesity, the spectrum of pre-diabetes to type 2 diabetes that now affects 50 percent of all Americans. 90 percent of patients with diabesity are not diagnosed by their doctors. Diabesity is the reason for bad cholesterol. This causes your good cholesterol to go down, while your triglycerides rise, which increases small dangerous LDL particles and further increases inflammation and oxidative stress. And what causes diabesity? The 152 pounds of sugar and 146 pounds of flour consumed each year on average by every American.
Lifestyle modifications don’t just reduce risk factors such as high blood pressure, blood sugar, or cholesterol. Our lifestyle and environment also influence the fundamental causes and biological mechanisms leading to disease: Changes in gene expression, which modulate inflammation, oxidative stress, and metabolic dysfunction. Those are the real reasons we are sick. The good news is that by fixing the problem at its root results creates benefit for most chronic disease and it makes you feel more alive, healthy, and has no side effects.
From- The-Cholesterol-Solution_ebook_022318.pdf (drhyman.com)
******To see all of Dr. Hyman’s recommendations, I highly recommend reading his entire- ebook.
Additional recommended reading on one of the biggest causes of inflammation in the American diet-
Omega 6 PUFAs….This substance is far more damaging than the commonly feared foods. Yet is still consumed in enormous quantities around the world on a daily basis. It's a substance that even many health-conscious individuals are not even aware of. Meanwhile its consumption is linked to heart disease, obesity and even cancer…..
Many health gurus and doctors claim that the levels of omega 3 and omega 6 should stay in a healthy 1:2 ratio in the body. If you're avoiding commercial seed oils, don't use seed oils at home, avoid roasted nuts (or nuts raw nuts in excess), cook your own meals and eat a wholesome diet you may be pretty close to this ideal balance. But most people don't eat this way all the time!
Most people eat food cooked in restaurants, will pick up a packaged ready to drink laced with sunflower oil, snack on cookies or potato chips fried in vegetable oils, eat roasted nuts, and cook with sunflower oil at hot temperatures - all to reduce their cholesterol intake!
If you are like 'most' people, then chances are your Omega 3 to 6 ratio is now more like 1:15 if not higher (11).
Death by vegetable oil
So what are the consequences to human health of an n-6:n-3 ratio that is up to 25 times higher than it should be?
The short answer is that elevated n-6 intakes are associated with an increase in all inflammatory diseases – which is to say virtually all diseases. The list includes (but isn’t limited to):
cardiovascular disease
type 2 diabetes
obesity
metabolic syndrome
irritable bowel syndrome & inflammatory bowel disease
macular degeneration
rheumatoid arthritis
asthma
cancer
psychiatric disorders
autoimmune diseases
*********Polyunsaturated fats (PUFs) are greatly immunosuppressive, and anything that suppresses the immune system is likely to cause cancer.**************************
PUFA's: The Worst Thing For Your Health You Eat Everyday (alexfergus.com)
NOTE ALSO THAT
Omega-6 Is Not a Problem in Fresh, Whole Foods
Today, most consumption of PUFAs is dominated by vegetable oils from soybeans, corn, and sunflower. Before these industrial seed oils were readily available, most of our omega-6 consumption was from fresh, whole foods like nuts, seeds, and pastured meats.
Consuming heated vegetable oils has been associated with CVD risk (17), and there is a direct relationship between CVD risk and consumption of cooking oil polar compounds (18). Regular consumption of repeatedly heated vegetable oil has been shown to increase blood pressure (19), decrease nitric oxide (20), and increase total cholesterol (21).
From- An Update on Omega 6 PUFAs - what is the real problem? (chriskresser.com)
Root cause. Yes.
Good post Stephanie.