CHRONIC ILLNESS AND MITOCHONDRIA

Chronic Illness and Mitochondrial Damage

Ever wonder why after being exposed to an illness, flu vaccine, severe allergic reaction, bug sting, major life stressor, or environmental toxin; that your condition seems to worsen? This happens to be a common problem for chronic sufferers. But why?

To find out, lets start with ‘What are Mitochondria’ and you’ll understand the importance of them regarding our health.

Every living thing is made up of cells. Cells are the smallest thing that can reproduce themselves. When we look into cells there are tiny compartments within each cell that are called ‘Organelles’ which perform different functions so the cells (and us) can live.

One of those organelles is called Mitochondria and they are found in the cells of every complex organ.

Mitochondria has been dubbed as the power house of the cell because they turn sugars, fats and proteins that we eat, into chemical energy that our bodies need to sustain us. (this is why nutrition is so important for healing)

The role of mitochondria helps with DNA maintenance, stress response, produce energy for the cell (called ATP), and regulates cell metabolism. They produce 90% of the chemical energy the cells need to live. Interruption or corruption of the process can cause systemic affects that include immune function, cell development, and growth, amongst others.

So if there isn’t any energy (like nutrition to feed it) or to much damage to them, the cells can not live. To produce the energy mitochondria also requires oxygen. Cut the oxygen off (like during a stroke or heart attack for example), it causes cell damage to those mitochondria in those organs. Restore oxygen and it can get overwhelmed and produce a heavy dose of “free radicals” which can also cause additional damage to the cells.

So its easy to see when mitochondria gets damaged or goes wrong, it opens the door to illness, worsening symptoms, and serious disease.

What affects Mitochondria

Drugs (including pharmaceuticals), pollutants, allergens, certain genetic differences, dead virus vaccinations (like the flu shot), diet, exercise, age, and chemical overload & non-chemical stressors, oxidative stress; can all affect mitochondria and the toxicity from those stressors can cause the mitochondrial damage.

In recent times, we have seen a rapid increase in reported toxic effects of drugs, pollutants, chemical and non chemical stressors on Mitochondria. It appears there’s a steep rise in chronic illness (which in turn affects mast cells) in the population; and receiving a definitive diagnosis is getting harder and harder because it mimics so many other illnesses.

The human body is a delicate eco-system. (I usually use the fish tank analogy) When you put something in the tank it changes its chemical compounds and can be beneficial or harmful to the delicate ecosystem. You can wind up with cloudy water, increased fungi, illness to the fish in the tank; or a healthy tank because you’re feeding it the appropriate vitamins/minerals it needs, and eliminating toxins to restore its healthy balance.

The human body works in pretty much the same way. So when you have stresses to the body such as:

Heavy metals, and amalgam fillings
Environmental toxins
Bug stings
Pesticides,
chemicals,
plastics (including synthetic clothing),
cigarette smoke,
glyphosate,
fluoridated/unfiltered water
fluoride in toothpaste
Viruses (alive or dead)
bacteria, fungi, parasites,
dental cavitations,
mycotoxins,
Lyme, and co-infections
Sibo and dysbiosis (lipopolysaccharides)
Prescription Medications
Blood Sugar dysregulation (either high or low)
Over/under eating
Food Intolerances and sensitivities
Blue light, EMFs, and dirty Electricity
Unresolved Psychological Stress and Trauma
Vaccinations due to heavy metals in them. (we need to adapt to safer methods/formulas)

When the immune system is repeatedly attacked by “a foreign invader” like the items listed above; the immune system repeatedly mounts an inflammatory response. It leads to chronic inflammation problem in the body that can amount to autoimmune disorders and neuroimmune system disorders – These items cause stress on the body, mast cell activation and mitochondrial stress and damage.

There are usually four stages to the cell damage

1st Stage:

Stage 1 is something we all face all the time. When we get sick with something like the flu (for example), we basically just rest. Fighting the flu virus is the ONLY thing the body has to do because we are resting and not using up any additional ‘resources’ in order for the body to fight the virus. Once the flu is gone, you’re up and about and back to normal.

The danger (flu) was eliminated. The anti-inflammatory and regenerative pathways are activated and reduce the cell danger to the mitochondria. So in stage 1, there was nothing else to do but eliminate the threat, and all that was needed was rest.

2nd Stage:

Stage 2 is a little different…The cells were not designed to handle continuous stressors/toxins etc. When that happens the body starts prioritizing. Think of it as a self-preservation measure. We all do it naturally to protect ourselves from certain stressors or dangers; our bodies naturally do the exact same thing.

For example: Ever gotten heart burn and/or stress so bad that your body shut itself down because it ‘thought’ it was having a heart attack? The body prioritized itself and sent itself into ‘preservation mode’ so it can prioritize and address the problem one thing at a time. The body has the amazing capacity to heal itself.

However, when the body starts to prioritize because of constant bombardments of chemicals, toxins, sensitivities, virus, etc… it starts making metabolic changes.

When it starts making these changes, and as stated earlier, it mimics MANY diagnosis. Some of the metabolic changes are:

Mast cell issues
Methylation issues (B12/folate/SAM)
Histamine Intolerance
Pyrroles (kryptopyrroluria) (stress disorder, mood changer)
Adrenal issues (High cortisol)
Dysbiosis (microbial imbalance)
Gout (uric acid imbalance)

This particular stage is where we find ourselves feeling all the symptoms but can not get a clear diagnosis and we do not fit into the definition of a particular disorder. WHO (ie, the medical bible of diagnosis’s and the criteria to be diagnosed)

Often times we require medication like mast cell stabilizers, need to support methylation, balance mood, and balance body acidity back to healthy level of alkaline in order to support restoring our bodies back to homeostasis (proper balance in the body). That’s when most of us are addressing the symptoms but haven’t found the root cause of the disorder.

3rd Stage:

This is when the mitochondria become damaged due to prolonged and chronic stress to the body. The nutritional resources become depleted because they lost their ability to adapt.

This where you usually notice you’ve made improvements and gotten most of your quality of life back but then something happens and it seems to worsen the overall symptoms.

Here’s an example of stage 3. Have you heard of the Spoon Theory? Each day you have certain amount of spoons. Each spoon is like a dose of energy. Lets say (for the sake of the example) you get 5 spoons a day. If you use 3 of them, you’re fatigued but can recover. However if you use all 5 or more…. you use up all your ‘energy spoons’ in one day and you don’t have any spoons (or energy) for several days.

However the spoon theory is predicated on the fact that you get the same number every day to use up – for many of us that number varies from day to day and sometimes we may feel like we didn’t get even one. So if we TRY to do anything we’re in a negative deficit.

The easiest way to tell if you’re in stage 3 is when you’ve done very little (like only took a shower and that was it) but your body acts like it ran a marathon and you’re down for days.

4th Stage:

This happens when you become ‘stuck’ and can not reverse the symptoms after you’ve addressed all the toxins and detoxed.

Of course this also depends on genetics, age (children most susceptible), genotype (prolonged exposure that damaged DNA), and the number/severity/and type of toxins you’ve been exposed too.

This is where you may notice you made all this progress… then were exposed to a certain toxin and it took you right back down and you seem stuck and cant get back to where you were before the exposure/illness/toxin/stressor.

There IS testing available to determine the cell damage stage you’re in, however if you’re thinking of using more drugs to treat it – you may want to try a natural approach first as adding more drugs to the system can further complicate things.

SO HOW DO WE FIX IT NATURALLY

We NEED to restore our bodies to their ‘natural healthy balance’ (or homeostasis). You may realize many of these steps are the same steps used by mast cell patients and patients with methylation issues seeing they all go hand in hand.

Step 1: REDUCE THE TOXINS/ DETOX

First and foremost its about reducing the threats/stresses to our body. Until we eliminate or reduce the threats/stresses to our body it CANNOT restore itself back to homeostasis. Until we do that, we will accrue additional damage to the mitochondria.

However, for some reason when comes to treatments options, this step is the most overlooked option and the most important one to take. Many mast cell patients are already familiar with this particular step.

This step requires will power and determination to accomplish, but once you do, it can make a pretty significant difference. Especially if caught early. Its important to find out what is stressing (chemicals, products, foods etc) the body and what treatment protocols will also prevent further stress on the body. Try to go as natural as possible, as this is the best option. The reason for this is because many medications are scientifically proven to damage mitochondria. Here is a list of medications known to specifically cause mitochondrial damage. http://www.mitoaction.org/files/Mito%20Toxins_0.pdf

This is probably the most likely reason why many mast cell patients are so sensitive or intolerant to many medications and/or supplements. Each persons body has its own unique biochemistry (like the fish tank) and getting the right ones for you body’s ecosystem is important. The wrong drugs/supplements can cause severe oxidative stress and can be very painful.

Its even been proven that mast cell disorder activation can be due to antidepressants and certain types of antibiotics (flouroquinalone based). Antibiotics are notorious for destroying gut health, the good bacteria, and promoting bad bacteria and leaky gut (which leads to mast cell issues). Remember, your gut is the key to the immune system. If you’re gut isn’t happy – nothing else will be either.

Its not possible to avoid ALL toxins, but you need to detox in order to keep your health up. Do your best to stay away from the things you CAN control that you know affect you. Don’t get discouraged if you’re having difficulty doing this. This can be a tricky step, but you’ll learn which ones are triggering you via trial and error. You’re doctor can help you with this after some blood panels identifying your toxicities.

Also don’t over look emotional toxins. Emotional stressors can be just as damaging and may need detoxing/or healing - in order to restore health.

STEP 2: NUTRITION

This can be one of the hardest steps when it comes to those with many food allergies and sensitivities. Finding the right ‘safe’ foods can be tricky, but necessary. With STEP ONE in full implementation and some time to detox, this step will be easier.

The important thing to know is that if you can get rid of the toxin overload in your body you may find that you’ll be able to eat more foods, which help with proper nutrition for recovery. Each person is different with their own biochemistry – what works for one may not work for another.

Its important to stay away from food sensitivities, because it’s a stressor, so that it lessens the load/damage to the mitochondria. The best source of nutrients for feeding our mitochondria and restoring homeostasis is by eating fresh fruits and vegetables, and healthy fats. They signal molecules that regulate our bodies own anti-oxidant defenses. One way to help with the detox and get the max nutrition is via fruit and veggie smoothies. The smoothies help because they’re technically ‘pre-digested’ and its one less stressor the body has to deal with. Plus the body doesn’t have to pump out more histamine in order to digest the food.

Many others have found success in the WAHLS diet or the Dr. Furhman natural foods diet. However, if that particular diet regime doesn’t work for you - stick with fruits, veggies, healthy fats only. (no diary, gluten, sugar or inflammatory fats – as all are major promoters of inflammation.)

You need to stabilize sugar intake, increase good fats , cut the toxic fats, increase plant foods rich in phytonutrients, high fiber and prebiotics. (if tolerated) This may require to try new foods that you wouldn’t have considered ever eating before.

Example: eating with our eyes.

STEP 3: EXERCISE

This step is very important because new mitochondria can grow. This step requires what I call “The Goldilocks Effect” because it’s a fine line you have to walk. You don’t want to stress the body more and cause more damage, but at the same time exercise helps you to grow new mitochondria. Start with something simple, like just walking, or stretching, TaiChi etc, and slowly work your way up. Every little bit helps.

If you’re body gets inundated with toxins again, like outdoor allergens, virus, high stress, temperature changes, surgery etc) you will need to let your body prioritize and handle the stresses. Its best to cut back and let the body handle the priority stressor/toxin. So Rest!

STEP 4: SUPPLEMENTS

Its BEST to get autonomic response testing to be sure which ones you can handle. However, you’ll find that the same supplement recommendations are pretty much the same as for balancing Methylation, mast cells, and restoring mitochondria. You shouldn’t need anything for detoxification; but for restoring –

Gluthione
Vitamin D
Folate
Vitamin B12 (methylcobalamin)
CoQ10 (because like a mast cell patient, the body CAN NOT make it and its important to heart health)
B Complex
Trace minerals like zinc, potassium, magnesium
Certain amino acids like ALA, NAC,
Vitamin C and E (if tolerated). Vitamin C can help balance allergic responses, however many can not tolerate it.
Gut healing and Gallbladder, Liver Support: Betaine, choline, taurine, L-Glutamine

The more you can get from food and in its natural form – the better. Not all vitamins and supplements are created equally and many can be in synthetic form or have additional ingredients which can further irritate the body.

So in summary, Mitochondrial issues can cause many illnesses like autoimmune issues, chronic fatigue, fibromyalsia, mast cell issues, histamine intolerances, and chronic inflammation.

Its important to note that a lifetime of drugs is very ‘good for business’ but it’s not good for your health. Although it may be necessary for short term use; a lifetime of drug regimens can often lead to other complications and illnesses. They either stimulate, suppress, or completely hijack body systems leading to other issues down the road. They're usually good at masking the symptoms, but not stopping the actual damage taking place in your body that caused the symptoms in the first place.

So its important to heal as naturally as you can. With that said, they can be important to help you break out of a bad cycle you’re stuck in.

However, through a safe diet unique to you, slow steady exercise, and reducing stress you can reverse many of the symptoms. You CAN heal. The body has an amazing capacity for healing.

Love and Light

Happy Healing