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If you aspire to feel energetic and have more mental clarity, the answer may lie within your own microscopic cells. Your mitochondria may be tiny, but they are powerhouses. With some lifestyle amendments, you may help them function better and keep them multiplying.
Mitochondria are literally the powerhouse of a cell, producing about 90 percent of the energy a cell needs to survive, according to Healthline, using oxygen to make their energy. If cells are old or broken, the mitochondria decide which cells should be cleared away, according to Medical News Today. As most illnesses are the result of mitochondrial dysfunction, it is important to keep them working well.
Here are five methods to help you improve your mitochondrial health and feel healthy, energized, and rejuvenated.
Eat an anti-inflammatory diet
Go for healthy food. Eating empty-calorie foods may lead to damaged mitochondria, according to Organic Authority. This includes avoiding foods with refined sugar, dairy, gluten, or hydrogenated fat, and oil. These unhealthy foods cause the mitochondria to produce free radicals.
Instead, opt for eating mostly plant-based foods with small amounts of wild-caught or grass-fed animal protein. Intermittent fasting is another food-based approach to improving mitochondrial health.
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Sleep at least seven hours a night
If you get less than seven hours of sleep at night, you may experience a decrease in mitochondria. In a review in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, researchers gathered studies on people with sleep disorders. When they found that they all had mitochondrial disease, they understood that sleep disorders are a sign of mitochondrial dysfunction.
It is so important to ensure that you get sufficient sleep. Try to go to bed at the same time each night and fall asleep in a dark room, suggests Organic Authority.
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Exercise every day
Exercising may be the most important way to improve mitochondrial health, according to a study in The Journal of Physiology. This is especially important for the aging population.
When you exercise, you trigger mitochondrial biogenesis. As exercise prompts more energy from muscle cells, the mitochondria are triggered to divide and thus multiply. Exercise need not be a formal workout; go for a walk, climb some stairs, or clean the house!
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Take your vitamins
In addition to eating a healthy diet, there are supplements that may help promote mitochondrial function and reduce oxidative stress. Alpha Lipoic Acid, CoQ10, fish or krill oil, magnesium, B vitamins, L carnitine, PQQ, and glutathione are recommended by Designs for Health Australia.
To protect cells from mitochondrial dysfunction, which may lead to age-related brain disorders, take Nicotinamide Riboside (NAD+).
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Soak up sun and splash in cold
Nature has a solution for everything, including increasing the production of mitochondria. This is as simple as going outside and feeling the sun on your skin in sensible amounts.
Another tip is to expose your skin to quick bursts of cold. When you are in the shower, turn on the cold water for 20 to 30 seconds. Or, go for a swim in a cold lake. Exposing the body to cold promotes mitochondrial biogenesis, according to a study published in the Journal of Exercise Nutrition & Biochemistry.
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