Episode 232 – Mitochondria

Dr. Deb 0:01Deb, hello and welcome to another episode of Let’s Talk wellness now, the podcast where we dive deep into the topics that matter most to your health, vitality and well being. I’m your host, Dr dub, naturopathic doctor, Master, herbalist, Shaman, nurse practitioner and founder of serenity Healthcare Center. Today we’re uncovering a hidden driver of chronic conditions like multiple sclerosis and chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, mitochondrial dysfunction, and how this relates and correlates to all these diseases. These tiny power plants in your cells may be small, but their impact on your energy, brain function and overall health is enormous. When they malfunction, the ripple effects can be devastating. Throughout today’s episode, you’ll learn how mitochondrial dysfunction contributes to fatigue, cognitive decline, sugar metabolism, issues, pain and inflammation. I’ll also share some actionable steps to support mitochondrial health, including natural therapies, detox strategies and a powerful case study. Before we begin, I would like to remind you to like, subscribe and share this podcast with your friends and family. Every share helps us reach more people who need this vital information. And remember, at Serenity Healthcare Center, we specialize in uncovering the root causes and offering personalized healing solutions. Now let’s jump into today’s topic. So what is the mitochondria anyway? Well, let’s start with this analogy. Think of the mitochondria as the batteries in your phone. When your battery is fully charged, your phone works seamlessly, well most of the time, right? You can stream videos, run apps and make calls without a hitch, but as the battery drains, everything slows. The apps crash, the screen dims, and eventually the phone just shuts off. Now imagine this happening in your body. That’s what mitochondrial dysfunction feels like. These little organelles generate the energy your cells need to function, but they’re not just energy producers. They also regulate inflammation, detoxification and the repair process. Now here’s the kicker, when the mitochondria are damaged by toxins, stress, or even sometimes our genetics, they become less efficient in producing energy and more likely to release harmful byproducts called reactive oxygen species, Ros for short, this creates a cycle of damage that affects every system in your body. Now, if your mitochondria are underperforming, it’s like trying to run a marathon on a single, double A battery. It’s just not going to happen. And when this damage occurs in the nervous system, the results can be catastrophic, leading to conditions like MS, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and even neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Deb 3:15So there’s this connection between mitochondria and neurological diseases, but how does this all tie together with things like MS and fibromyalgia? Well, MS is widely known as an autoimmune condition, and what’s less talked about is how the mitochondria dysfunction amplifies the damage. Now this happens in any autoimmune disease. This is why the mitochondria are so important. Regardless if you have an autoimmune thyroid condition, you have an autoimmune disease like lupus or MS or something as severe as ALS, when the mitochondria fail, they create a toxic environment in the nerve cells and these excessive ROS produced by damaged mitochondria actually attack the myelin sheath that’s the protective covering around the nerves. Think of that as an electrical wire, and the plastic that covers the live wires underneath is your myelin. Now this leads to inflammation, which not only worsens the nerve damage, but also further weakens the mitochondrial function Dr. Deb 4:27in Ms. Mitochondria aren’t just bystanders, they’re frontline soldiers caught in the crossfire. Dr. Deb 4:36What’s more, mitochondrial dysfunction also explains some of the most frustrating MS symptoms, like chronic fatigue, when the nerve cells don’t have enough energy repairing myelin or maintaining basic functions becomes nearly impossible. It’s like trying to fix a leaky roof during a power outage. You just don’t have the resources to get the job done. You. Dr. Deb 5:00Uh. Dr. Deb 5:01Now let’s talk about symptoms that many of you or loved ones might be experiencing, chronic fatigue. It’s one of those most common complaints amongst people with mitochondrial dysfunction. This isn’t just about feeling tired. It’s about feeling like your body has run out of gas, and no matter what you do, no matter how much rest you get, you just can’t simply Dr. Deb 5:28get relief to a point where you feel like you can get through the day. Some of my clients will complain that it feels like I’m walking in a pot of quicksand or concrete because I’m just dragging throughout the day. Now you can have chronic fatigue syndrome outside of having ms, outside of having infection. Dr. Deb 5:...