Fatigue, Depression and Brain Fog? It Could Be Your Mitochondria
While there are many things that can cause depression, fatigue and brain fog, there is one place you may not have looked. When I talk about root causes, sometimes we need to look so deep that we are looking down to the cellular level where everything begins.
You probably learned about your mitochondria in science class when in grade school and high school. But you probably didn’t realize back them how your physical and mental health is so dependent on your mitochondria.
Your mitochondria are in every cell and I think of them as the engines in the cell that keeps everything running and functioning smoothly. You need your mitochondria to combine nutrients with oxygen to make energy (ATP). Thus, if you have low energy and fatigue, you may not be producing enough ATP.
We need energy at the cellular energy for so many bodily processes. How can your brain function properly if it doesn’t have energy? How does your physical body run if it is not producing ATP?
What Disorders Are Linked to Poor Mitochondrial Function
- Alzheimer’s Disease
- Parkinson’s Disease
- MS
- ALS
- Stroke
- Fatigue, CFS
- Pain, Fibromyalgia
- Migraines
- Seizures
- Bipolar Disorder
- OCD
- Anxiety, panic disorders
- Schizophrenia
- Autism
- TBI (head injury, concussion)
- Depression
- Heart attacks
- IBS
Look at the list above again. Most of these illnesses and diseases have the brain as an effected component.
As you can see, if your mitochondria aren’t working the way they should, it could mean much more than just low energy.
For instance, your glial cells in your brain run on energy. These cells make up 90% of your brain cells. You must have ATP to tell neurons what to do. Low energy means the brain does not function properly and your neurotransmitters don’t flow optimally.
ATP is not only important for physical energy but for brain energy and brain health as well! If you have anxiety, depression, or other issues with mental health, you may need to address your mitochondrial health. Remember to look below the surface of the problem and get to the root(s) of the issue!
For instance, while you may think your issue is low serotonin, low dopamine or low GABA it may be caused by instead not enough ATP and not enough mitochondria in the cells
Stress and How It Can Cause Depression
When you are stressed, the demand for energy increases. If you don’t have enough ATP and are under a great deal of stress, you may start to notice that you are irritable, tired and depressed. This is not only because of the stress you are under but because your body doesn’t have what it needs to support you when you are under this type of stress.
When you don’t have enough energy, everything at the cellular level can start to fall apart. All cells have mitochondria. Some have more than others and this depends on the cells energy demand. For example, your brain and your heart have couple of thousand mitochondria per cell.
Stress can lead to depression. You may think you have depression because of the stressful events in your life, and while this may be true, there have been various studies that have shown that different type of stressors can decrease hippocampal neurogenesis, and this can lead to depression. If there is mitochondrial dysfunction, this can play an important role in depression. Just think of it as energy impairment in the brain caused by issues with the mitochondria.
Thus, as you can see, stress and depression can go hand in hand. The greater the stressors, the greater the risk for depression. But look at the root cause-it has an endogenous component!
Damage to Your Mitochondria
Your mitochondria are descendants of bacteria and have their own set of DNA. Free radicals, from diet and lifestyle, can damage the DNA of the mitochondria. When it gets damaged, it can reduce overall function of the mitochondria and then you may start to notice low energy and health issues.
What Damages the Mitochondria
- Antibiotics
- Statins (stops production of CoQ10 which means you generate more free radicals within the mitochondria)
- Pesticides, herbicides
- Low exercise or none
- Weight gain
- Stress! (ongoing, multiple)
How to Fix Your Mitochondria
- Eat good fats. You probably have heard a lot about the benefits of good fats by now and it is still true. Your brain is mostly fat. Consuming fats will also strengthen the cell wall of the mitochondria. What are good fats? This includes coconut oil, avocado oil, coconut, avocado, pasture raised eggs, grass fed beef, raw nuts and seeds and freshly ground nut and seed butters and wild caught fish.
- Exercise: Exercise will strengthen your mitochondria! Running, strength training, HIIT all have been shown to improve the efficiency of your existing mitochondria versus those who don’t exercise.
- Infrared Sauna: If you have access to one, incorporate this (I have one for client use). By exposing yourself to infrared light, it can increase y our ATP production in the mitochondria.
- Intermittent Fasting: Fasting activates the mitochondria and triggers autophagy. Autophagy is the process of the mitochondria removing unwanted proteins and free radicals.
- Reduce Carbs: By this I mean reducing the processed carbs in the diet, including pasta, bread and alcohol. Keep in the beans, legumes, fruit and veggies. Be mindful of the grains in the diet and stick with whole grains such as quinoa and basmati white rice. While a ketogenic diet can support mitochondrial health, going too low carb can also make depression worse and alter the gut microbiota due to a lack of prebiotic rich foods (think of these as the fuel source for your healthy gut bacteria). Instead, start your day low carb, bump it up at lunch a bit such as one half a cup of beans added to a salad, then at dinner add in vegetables but also a starchy carb such as beets, parsnip or sweet potato.
- B vitamins: Your B vitamins are essential for mitochondria function. If you are under a great deal of stress, drink alcohol on a regular basis or are taking medications, all of these can deplete your B vitamins.
- Ribose: This is a natural sugar that your body stores in the mitochondria and is used to produce ATP if you do not have enough. Stress can deplete your ribose. Chronic fatigue and depression can also be a sign of low ribose.
- COQ10/Ubiquinol: If you are over 40 take the ubiquinol form of this antioxidant. COQ10 is found in every cell in your body and its found in high concentration in the mitochondria. If you do not have enough COQ10 your body cannot synthesize ATP for energy. Low CoQ10 levels can be a key factor in brain fog, ADD symptoms, dementia symptoms, depression and irritability. It is difficult to get enough COQ10 from food. For example, grass fed beef heart contains a high concentration. Bet you are not eating that every day! After 40 our bodies produce less of it. Take COQ10 supplement with a fatty meal.
- PQQ (Pyrroloquinoline quinone): This is an enzyme and antioxidant and can be found in plants and has neuroprotective properties. This enzyme is mitochondria supportive. You may see supplements now that contain COQ10 and PQQ together as an antioxidant power house blend. It can promote the growth of new mitochondria in the brain. Take 10-20 mg per day.
- Magnesium: I honestly think everyone needs to be supplementing with this mineral in one form or another because of soil depletion and the lack of high amount of leafy greens in our diet. Magnesium, while involved in many enzyme processes in the body, also plays a role in the production and transfer of ATP within the mitochondria. If you are deficient in magnesium, your brain cells may have fewer mitochondria and will not be as healthy. For brain support I prefer magnesium in the magtein form.
- Acetyl Carnitine: Carnitine is an amino acid, and this is the acetylated form of it which means it has the benefit of being able to cross the blood brain barrier. Carnitine is also required to produce ATP and deficiencies are associated with reduced mitochondrial function in the brain. It also plays a role in transporting fatty acids into the mitochondria of your brain cells. Having adequate amounts can improve mood, energy and memory and reduce depressive and autism symptoms.
- R-Lipoic Acid: This is a mitochondrial enzyme and antioxidant. It is also fat soluble. It can protect the mitochondria and create new mitochondria in the brain.
- Grounding: When you were a kid you played outside barefoot never giving it a second thought. Now we walk on concrete and pavement and wear shoes with rubber soles. We don’t have that connection to the earth anymore. When was the last time you walked on a beach, or in grass and dirt barefoot? For me, it was almost 5 months ago. The belief is that by walking on the earths natural surface, we increase cellular energy by increasing ATP production in the mitochondria. If you cannot get outside every day and walk barefoot there are now grounding mats that you can purchase. (This is one my list of next steps/things to buy on my long detox process). You can put them under your computer or down by your feet where you sit and work and place your feet on the mat.
Bottom Line: It may be difficult to know if you have mitochondrial dysfunction since there is no test for it. (there is genetic testing for mitochondrial disease which is not the same). I think with the way we live now always go-go-go, filled with stress, lack of sleep and eating a poor diet, one can benefit from addressing their health at the cellular level especially if you suffer from one of the conditions in the list in this article.
If you try adding in the suggestions in this article, I would love to hear about the results you got!
Sources
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26923778
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4981740/#!po=37.1795
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3640606/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0278584610002964
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24396061
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3883043/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17109567
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21159390
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25386668
http://humanclinicals.org/biopqq
My wife was diagnosed of Parkinson’s Disease at age 49. She had severe calf pain, muscle pain, tremors, slurred speech, frequent falls, loss of balance, difficulty in getting up from sitting position. She was put on Senemet for 6 months and then Siferol was introduced and replaced the Senemet. During this time span she was also diagnosed with dementia. She started having hallucinations, lost touch with reality. This year, our family doctor started her on Natural Herbal Gardens Parkinson’s Disease Herbal mixture, With the help of Natural Herbal Garden natural herbs we have been able to reverse her symptoms using herbs, which i feel has made the most difference. 1 month into the herbal treatment she improved dramatically. At the end of the full treatment course, the disease is totally under control. No case of dementia, hallucination, weakness, muscle pain or tremors. She turned 56 today. i am glad to get my wife back
Visit Natural Herbal Gardens website ww w.naturalherbalgardens .com She is strong again and able to go about daily activities.
My wife was diagnosed of Parkinson’s Disease at age 49. She had severe calf pain, muscle pain, tremors, slurred speech, frequent falls, loss of balance, difficulty in getting up from sitting position. She was put on Senemet for 6 months and then Siferol was introduced and replaced the Senemet. During this time span she was also diagnosed with dementia. She started having hallucinations, lost touch with reality. This year, our family doctor started her on Natural Herbal Gardens Parkinson’s Disease Herbal mixture, With the help of Natural Herbal Garden natural herbs we have been able to reverse her symptoms using herbs, which i feel has made the most difference. 1 month into the herbal treatment she improved dramatically. At the end of the full treatment course, the disease is totally under control. No case of dementia, hallucination, weakness, muscle pain or tremors. She turned 56 today. i am glad to get my wife back
Visit Natural Herbal Gardens website ww w.naturalherbalgardens .com She is strong again and able to go about daily activities.
So glad to hear that you wife is doing much better! Food is medicine.
So glad to hear that you wife is doing much better! Food is medicine.