Tired? Optimize your mitochondria for more energy

Summary

Dr. Robin Lewis discusses the importance of mitochondria for overall health, particularly in relation to heart disease. He emphasizes the role of B vitamins, CoQ10, and key minerals like iron, zinc, manganese, and magnesium in supporting mitochondrial function. The video also covers lifestyle factors such as Zone 2 training, cold water therapy, and saunas to enhance mitochondrial health, potentially slowing the aging process and improving energy levels and heart function.

Takeaways

• 💡 Mitochondria are the 'powerhouses' of our cells, crucial for energy production and especially important for the heart, which has a high energy demand.
• 👨‍⚕️ Dr. Robin Lewis, a naturopathic physician, discusses the importance of mitochondria in heart disease and overall health optimization.
• 🔢 The heart has an average of 5,000 mitochondria per cell, significantly more than the average cell's 1,000-2,500, reflecting its high energy needs.
• 🥗 Nutrition plays a key role in mitochondrial health, with deficiencies in certain vitamins and minerals potentially leading to sub-optimal mitochondrial function.
• 🍇 B vitamins, particularly B1 and B6, are essential for the Krebs cycle, a critical energy-producing process, and deficiencies can lead to fatigue and poor recovery.
• 💊 CoQ10 is vital for the electron transport chain, a late step in energy production, and is often depleted by statin medications, leading to energy deficits and fatigue.
• 🌿 Minerals like iron, zinc, manganese, and magnesium are essential for mitochondrial function, and deficiencies can affect energy production and overall health.
• 🏋️‍♂️ Exercise, specifically Zone 2 training, can improve mitochondrial health by creating a high demand for energy that stimulates mitochondrial growth and adaptation.
• 🧊 Both saunas and cold water therapy induce temperature stress that prompts the body to adapt by improving mitochondrial function, potentially enhancing longevity and overall health.
• 🧘‍♀️ Lifestyle factors, in addition to nutrition, can significantly impact mitochondrial health, with practices like sauna use and cold water therapy showing benefits.
• 📚 The script suggests that optimizing mitochondrial health through diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes can lead to increased energy, improved heart function, and better overall health.

Q & A

What is Dr. Robin Lewis' profession and where does he practice?

Dr. Robin Lewis is a naturopathic physician who practices in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

What is the main topic of Dr. Lewis' discussion in the transcript?

The main topic of Dr. Lewis' discussion is the importance of mitochondria for heart health and overall health optimization.

Why are mitochondria often referred to as the 'PowerHouse' of the cell?

Mitochondria are called the 'PowerHouse' of the cell because they produce energy for every single cell in the body.

How does the number of mitochondria in heart cells compare to other cells in the body?

Heart cells have on average 5,000 mitochondria per cell, which is significantly higher than the average of 1,000 to 2,500 mitochondria per cell found elsewhere in the body.

What role do B vitamins play in mitochondrial function?

B vitamins are essential at different stages of the energy-producing cycles within mitochondria. Deficiencies in certain B vitamins, such as B1 and B6, can lead to sub-optimal mitochondrial function and are associated with heart failure.

Why are CoQ10 and statin medications mentioned in the context of mitochondrial health?

CoQ10 is a key component of the electron transport chain in mitochondria, crucial for energy production. Statin medications, commonly prescribed for high cholesterol, can deplete CoQ10 levels, potentially affecting mitochondrial function and energy production.

What is the significance of minerals like iron, zinc, manganese, and magnesium for mitochondrial health?

These minerals are important for various reactions within the mitochondria. Deficiencies in these minerals can lead to mitochondrial dysfunction, affecting energy production and overall health.

What is Zone 2 training and how does it benefit mitochondrial health?

Zone 2 training is a type of cardio exercise performed at about 70-80% of maximal heart rate. It is beneficial for mitochondrial health because it pushes the mitochondria to increase in number and function without causing oxygen deprivation.

How do saunas and cold water therapy affect mitochondrial health?

Saunas and cold water therapy create temperature stress on the body, which triggers an adaptive response, leading to increased mitochondrial function and health.

What is the connection between mitochondrial health and the aging process?

Mitochondrial decline is one of the main theories for why individuals age at different rates. Optimizing mitochondrial health with substances like Resveratrol and NAD can potentially slow down the aging process.

What are some dietary sources of B vitamins and CoQ10 mentioned in the transcript?

B vitamins can be found in fruits, vegetables, meat, and legumes, while CoQ10 is found in meats, nuts, and vegetables. These foods are important for maintaining optimal mitochondrial function.

Outlines

00:00

💓 Importance of Mitochondria in Heart Health

Dr. Robin Lewis introduces the concept of mitochondria as the 'powerhouse' of the cells, emphasizing their role in energy production. He highlights the significance of mitochondria in the heart due to its high energy demands and mentions that the heart has a higher concentration of mitochondria compared to other cells. The paragraph also touches on the broader importance of mitochondria for overall health optimization, including its relevance to brain, nervous system, and muscle health.

05:00

🥗 Nutritional Support for Mitochondrial Function

The second paragraph delves into the nutritional aspects crucial for mitochondrial health, focusing on the importance of B vitamins, particularly B1 and B6, which are essential for the Krebs cycle—a series of chemical reactions that produce energy. Dr. Lewis discusses common deficiencies that can affect mitochondrial function and lead to symptoms like fatigue and poor recovery. He also addresses the impact of certain medications, such as statins, on nutrient levels like CoQ10, which is vital for the electron transport chain, a key step in energy production.

10:01

🚫 Overcoming Nutrient Deficiencies for Optimal Mitochondrial Health

This paragraph discusses the role of minerals in mitochondrial function, identifying iron, zinc, manganese, and magnesium as key minerals that are often deficient in individuals with mitochondrial dysfunction. Dr. Lewis explains the bi-directional relationship between these minerals and mitochondrial health, noting how deficiencies can lead to fatigue and other symptoms. He also touches on the impact of depleted soils and certain medications on nutrient levels, suggesting supplementation or dietary changes as potential solutions.

15:02

🏋️‍♂️ Exercise and Lifestyle for Mitochondrial Health

The final paragraph explores the impact of exercise and lifestyle choices on mitochondrial health. Dr. Lewis introduces Zone 2 training, a type of cardiovascular exercise that is particularly beneficial for mitochondrial health by promoting the use of fat, protein, and carbohydrates as fuel. He also discusses the benefits of saunas and cold water therapy, which create temperature stress that can enhance mitochondrial function through the body's adaptive response. The paragraph concludes with a reminder of the potential for these practices to improve energy levels, overall health, and heart function.

Keywords

💡Mitochondria

Mitochondria are often referred to as the 'powerhouses' of the cell because they generate most of the cell's supply of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is used as a source of chemical energy. In the context of the video, they are crucial for the heart, which is an energy-demanding organ, and are highlighted as a key focus for health optimization and disease prevention.

💡Heart Disease

Heart disease refers to conditions that affect the heart's ability to function properly. The video discusses the high statistical likelihood of individuals encountering heart disease and how optimizing mitochondrial health can potentially mitigate this risk, emphasizing the importance of the heart's reliance on mitochondria for energy.

💡Nutritional Support

Nutritional support refers to the provision of essential nutrients required for the body to function optimally. The video script discusses how certain nutrients, particularly B vitamins, CoQ10, and minerals, are critical for mitochondrial function and overall health, with deficiencies potentially leading to sub-optimal energy production.

💡B Vitamins

B vitamins are a group of eight water-soluble vitamins that play a crucial role in cell metabolism and energy production. In the video, it is mentioned that B vitamins, especially B1 and B6, are heavily involved in the Krebs cycle, a series of chemical reactions that produce energy within mitochondria, and their deficiency can lead to heart failure and fatigue.

💡CoQ10

Coenzyme Q10, or CoQ10, is a substance similar to a vitamin that the body uses to produce energy in the mitochondria and functions as an antioxidant. The script notes that CoQ10 is particularly important for the electron transport chain, a critical step in energy production, and that certain medications like statins can deplete CoQ10 levels, affecting energy production and potentially leading to fatigue.

💡Minerals

Minerals are inorganic substances required in small quantities for various bodily functions, including energy production. The video script identifies iron, zinc, manganese, and magnesium as key minerals for mitochondrial function, noting that deficiencies can affect the production of heme and overall energy levels, contributing to fatigue and other symptoms.

💡Zone 2 Training

Zone 2 training refers to a type of cardiovascular exercise performed at a moderate intensity, typically around 70-80% of an individual's maximum heart rate. The video explains that this type of training is beneficial for mitochondrial health as it pushes the mitochondria to adapt and increase in number, improving overall energy production and heart function.

💡Cold Water Therapy

Cold water therapy involves exposing the body to cold water or cold temperatures and has been shown to have various health benefits. The video script suggests that cold water therapy can stimulate the body's response, leading to an increase in mitochondrial health and function, as part of the body's adaptation to environmental stress.

💡Saunas

Saunas are a form of passive heat therapy that creates a temperature stress on the body, leading to increased levels of hormones like adrenaline, endorphins, and growth hormone. The video mentions that saunas can improve mitochondrial function by demanding an adaptation in response to the heat, similar to the effects of exercise.

💡Health Optimization

Health optimization is the process of maximizing one's health and well-being through various means, including nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle changes. The video's theme revolves around health optimization by focusing on mitochondrial health as a means to improve overall energy, heart function, and potentially slow the aging process.

Highlights

Dr. Robin Lewis discusses the importance of mitochondria, often referred to as the 'PowerHouse' of the cell, in producing energy for the body.

Heart disease is statistically common, and the heart's high energy demands make mitochondria particularly crucial for its function.

The average heart cell contains around 5,000 mitochondria, significantly more than the 1,000-2,500 found in other body cells.

Mitochondrial health is not only vital for the heart but also for overall health optimization.

B vitamins, especially B1 and B6, are essential for the Krebs cycle, a critical energy-producing process within mitochondria.

Deficiencies in B vitamins can lead to fatigue and poor recovery, common in heart failure patients.

CoQ10 plays a key role in the electron transport chain, a vital step in energy production within mitochondria.

Statin medications, commonly prescribed for high cholesterol, can deplete CoQ10 levels.

Minerals such as iron, zinc, manganese, and magnesium are crucial for mitochondrial function and can be depleted by certain medications.

Iron's role in heme production within mitochondria is critical for oxygen transport in the blood.

Soil deficiencies in minerals can contribute to inadequate nutrient intake, even with a healthy diet.

L-Carnitine, Resveratrol, and NAD are other nutrients being studied for their role in mitochondrial health and longevity.

Zone 2 training, a type of cardio exercise, is particularly beneficial for mitochondrial health by promoting adaptation and growth.

Saunas and cold water therapy create temperature stress that can improve mitochondrial function through the body's adaptive response.

Adaptation to temperature stress through saunas and cold water therapy can enhance mitochondrial health within a week.

Dr. Lewis emphasizes the importance of a holistic approach to mitochondrial health, including nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle habits.

The transcript provides a starting point for understanding and improving mitochondrial health, with potential impacts on energy, health, and heart function.

Transcripts

hi everyone my name is Dr Robin Lewis

I'm a naturopathic physician practicing

in Vancouver British Columbia Canada and

today I want to talk to you about

something super interesting

so statistically speaking the odds of

you or someone that you know having

heart disease is quite High our hearts

have a ton of demand put on them

especially if we exercise a ton we are

highly stressed we put a bunch of toxins

into our body things like that our heart

has to keep up with all of this now

today I'm going to be talking about

something that very much applies to

heart disease but it also applies to

just Health optimization as a whole and

that is because today I'm talking to you

about the mitochondria

so for those of you who do not know what

the mitochondria is it is called the

PowerHouse of ourselves so it is a part

of every single cell

and it produces energy so as you can

imagine it is very important for

everybody every cell inside of our body

but because our heart is such an energy

hungry organ our heart tends to feel it

the most

in fact our heart has on average 5

000 mitochondria per cell which is a ton

and to put that into context the average

cell elsewhere in the body has about a

thousand to two thousand five hundred

mitochondria per cell so our heart

really really relies on mitochondria and

this makes sense right it has to pump

blood to every inch of our entire body

now outside of the context of heart we

also have really famous doctors like Dr

Terry walls who talk about the

mitochondria Health in context of your

brain your nervous system your muscles

realistically every inch of us needs it

so today I'm going to be talking about

some of the fundamental ways we can

support our mitochondria so that we can

support our heart but also the rest of

our entire body because who couldn't use

a little bit more energy today I'm gonna

dive into some of the more lifestyle and

nutritional ways you can support your

mitochondria so we're going to start

with nutrition when it comes to

nutrition for the mitochondria you

really want to be thinking about what it

needs to produce energy so inside of the

mitochondria inside of our cells we have

all of these reactions that are

necessary in order to produce energy

that can be used to fuel the body these

reactions require are a lot of different

vitamins and minerals to work optimally

of course there are so many that it's

impossible to cover them all but I'm

going to talk about some of the more

common deficiencies that can lead to

sub-optimal mitochondrial function

okay so I'm gonna start by talking about

B vitamins

realistically most different types of B

vitamins are used at different stages

throughout these energy producing Cycles

but there are a couple that are a little

bit more prone to deficiencies in

populations where the mitochondria isn't

working very well so heart failure is a

very good example of this it is very

well documented that in heart failure

patients which essentially means that

your heart is not keeping up with the

demands so it's not able to give blood

flow and oxygen to every inch of your

body efficiently so in those people it's

very well documented that they have

mitochondrial dysfunction and oftentimes

you'll find that they're deficient in

things like B1 and B6 which are heavily

used in something called the Krebs cycle

so if you look at this diagram M the

diagram isn't really going to show you

everything that goes into this

particular energy cycle but it is

highlighting some of the B vitamins so

if you take a look at it you can really

start to notice how there's B vitamins

used at most steps in this particular

cycle and this is just one of the many

energy cycles that happen inside of the

mitochondria now outside of the context

of heart failure people might start to

experience fatigue poor recovery from

illness poor recovery from exercise

things like that when they're low in B

vitamins being tired is kind of one of

the Hallmarks of a B vitamin deficiency

now that can mean a lot of different

things

luckily in someone who eats really Whole

Food Rich diet you're usually going to

be hitting those requirements B vitamins

are found in a lot of our fruit our

vegetables meat legumes chickpeas things

like that

the issue arises when there's a higher

demand for those B vitamins so say

you're trying to recover from something

like heart failure or you are highly

highly stressed exercising a ton putting

a lot of Demand on the body and maybe

not eating a whole food diet that's when

you can really start to see the effects

of B vitamin deficiencies and obviously

the longer this goes on the more severe

those symptoms become look at your B

vitamins if they're low if you suspect

you're not getting enough through the

diet you can supplement your way out of

that or change some of the aspects of

your diet because we do not want a baby

vitamin deficiency because it will make

our mitochondria slow down these will be

limiting factors in these energy Cycles

now it's not just B vitamins that are

important for the mitochondria another

key nutrient is something called CoQ10

CoQ10 is a really important aspect of

something called the electron transport

chain which is one of the final steps to

making energy so this is a different

energy pathway that happens after the

Krebs cycle that I just talked about and

if you can see in this diagram CoQ10 is

a key part of this energy producing

pathway

interestingly enough the reason I bring

up CoQ10 specifically is because a lot

of my heart patients are on a medication

that depletes CoQ10 and so statins which

are the number one prescribed medication

for high cholesterol

will deplete your CoQ10 so in these

particular patients even if you're

getting all of the Whole Foods which is

similar to B vitamins lots of meats and

nuts and vegetables and things like that

contained CoQ10 inside of it but if

you're taking a medication that drains

your CoQ10 then you're going to be

deficient no matter how good your diet

is and so this is again another thing to

look at because if it's low it's going

to backlog these Pathways so your heart

won't get enough energy your body won't

get enough energy this is one of the

main reasons why people on those

particular medications can feel really

tired

now it's not always as simple as just

giving CoQ10 but it makes a lot of sense

why you would be tired if you're

depleting CoQ10 so this is another

really interesting nutrient that I will

often supplement people to optimize

their mitochondrial health

next up I want to talk about minerals

now first off I'd just like to say

minerals are also notoriously depleted

by certain medications so it's really

important to look at what is happening

with the medications that you're on do

they deplete certain nutrients and if

they do is that explaining some of your

side effects and these are easy things

to figure out

but more broadly there are certain

nutrients or more specifically certain

minerals that are very important for the

mitochondrial pathways

so four of the key minerals that I find

are deficient in people with

mitochondrial dysfunction are things

like iron zinc

manganese and magnesium

now these are very important for a lot

of the reactions that I've already shown

you and the interesting thing is there

can be a bi-directional relationship so

iron for example heme which is a form of

iron that carries all of the oxygen in

our blood that is actually made in the

mitochondriam so if the iron isn't

working well the mitochondria is not

working well it's not producing the same

amount of iron so this relationship can

get pretty complicated

and it makes a lot of sense because not

only would you feel tired because your

mitochondria isn't working well but also

the heme inside of your blood that

delivers oxygen to your tissues is also

not being produced enough so this can

turn into a really big fatigue picture

and this is very important to optimize

and particularly vulnerable populations

like heart failure

and then the other interesting thing

about minerals aside from medications

our soils are also notoriously deficient

in minerals so I actually did a whole

video about magnesium itself and I talk

in more depth about this issue around

the quality of our soils but that can be

a big reason why even in healthy

individuals you might not be getting

enough of these minerals it's because

you could be eating all of the good

foods that are supposed to supply you

with these things but if the soil

doesn't have it neither does the plant

and also if you want to learn more about

CoQ10 which I forgot to mention earlier

I also did a whole video on CoQ10 the

different forms of CoQ10 which is also

important to know when you supplement

with these particular products so again

we got some additional resources if you

want to reference back to it but those

are like the main things that are very

easy to to start out with check out the

B vitamins check out the minerals check

out CoQ10 some other honorable mentions

would be things like L-Carnitine which

is a shuttle inside of the mitochondria

we have Resveratrol and NAD which are

very popular these days because they're

being studied a lot in longevity so just

as a quick aside one of the main

theories for why we age more rapidly

versus someone else is mitochondrial

decline so they're putting a lot of

emphasis on restoring the health of the

mitochondria so you can slow the aging

process so that's why things like

Resveratrol and NAD IVs or supplements

have become really popular as of late is

because they also are very good for your

mitochondria and if we can optimize our

mitochondria we can slow the aging

process theoretically now outside of the

context of new nutrition there are other

things that we can do to support our

mitochondrial health so if we look at

exercise for example exercise as a whole

is going to be good for your heart for

your whole body and for your

mitochondria but there is a particular

type of exercise that is especially good

for your mitochondria and that is called

Zone 2 training and I've talked about

this one a lot zone 2 training is really

the type of cardio where you're at about

70 to 80 percent of your maximal heart

rate zone 2 training is super good for

your mitochondria because it's right

before your mitochondria will switch its

metabolism so what I mean by that is

generally speaking the mitochondria can

use fat protein or carbohydrates for

fuel and when you lead into zone two

right before it switches out of zone two

you are using all three of those easily

generally speaking though the heart

prefers fat for fuel so it is usually

using about 60 to 90 percent of fat for

energy

but if the demand is high enough it can

easily switch to use carbohydrates or

protein it just tends to prefer fat

when you push past zone two then your

mitochondria is in a state of oxygen

deprivation and that will make it only

able to really use carbohydrates for

fuel and this is not as beneficial for

the mitochondria it's not its preference

so loosely speaking that's how you can

kind of think of it when you're training

in zone two you're pushing your

mitochondria to keep up with a high

demand but it's still in an optimal

state so this is where you will start to

notice increased numbers of your

mitochondria per cell so you can

actually grow more mitochondria the more

Zone 2 training that you do so it's

super beneficial in the long run to

train a couple hours of zone two every

single week so that you're really

ramping up your mitochondrial production

and improving the health of your

mitochondria while also meeting your

exercise goals the last thing that I

want to talk about is cold water therapy

and saunas so this is super fun and

interesting so saunas for example have

been pretty well studied for their

effect on the mitochondria I know

infrared saunas have gained a lot of

popularity as of late but I'm talking

about saunas as a general whole

the reason they are beneficial is

because they create a temperature stress

on the body so that extreme heat will

cause your adrenaline to raise your

endorphins to raise your growth hormone

to raise and eventually that stress will

demand an adaptation inside of the body

and that adaptation is usually seen in

increased function of mitochondria so

it's kind of similar to Zone 2 training

you're putting a demand on the body and

then your mitochondria responds to that

demand and adapts and of course much

like exercise you can take this too far

where it's not good for your

mitochondria but as long as you're doing

it responsibly the extreme heat

temperatures have actually been shown to

improve the health and the function of

your mitochondria and there's some

studies to show that this adaptation

within the mitochondria can actually

happen within a week's time so your body

is super impressive in how quickly it

can adapt to its environment and cold

water therapy is very similar it's the

intense cold that creates a response in

the body that forces a demand and

adaptation and then you will notice

increases in your mitochondria health

and function and numbers and so there's

a really good reason why things like

saunas and cold water therapy have

become really popular as of late they

work to improve the health of your

mitochondria among other things and

that's going to help improve longevity

and just the overall function of every

cell inside of your body again if you

want to learn more about cold water

therapy I have done another video on

entirely just that so you can really

deep dive into it but today I just

wanted to briefly go over all of the

different things that are very easy to

start out with when it comes to

improving your mitochondrial Health

there is no way I could talk about all

the different things that you could be

doing to optimize this but if you take

away some of these basic nutritional

fundamentals some of these exercise

habits and some of these more fun

lifestyle things that you can do you'll

be in a really good place that alone can

make massive shifts in people's energy

overall health heart function all these

great things it's just scratching the

surface of what can be done but it's a

pretty cool place to start so thank you

guys again for listening if there are

any other topics that you really want me

to dive into please let me know if you

have further questions about your

mitochondria or some of the things I

brought up please comment below and have

yourself a great week