CAN YOUR HORMONAL ISSUES BE A MITOCHONDRIAL ISSUE?
.
So many of us look at the surface layer of the problem, but does anyone ask WHY is something dysfunctional in the first place?
Your hormonal imbalances are simply a symptom of a deeper issue!
Remember, your hormones are made from cells for other cells to communicate to one another. Our metabolism is the RATE and EFFICIENCY in which these cells work off.
.
Question now is what if our cells are lagging?
This is when mitochondria come in.
Our mitochondria are our cells powerhouse providing energy to carry biochemical reactions and other cellular processes. In fact, they also are important for immune function, signal the clean up of old damaged or misbehaved cells (also known as autophagy), and maintain calcium balance (which is vital for metabolic and cell function). Mitochondria make energy for our cells from chemical energy stored in the food we eat.
.
What does this mean? Food QUALITY matters (mineral and nutrient rich soil), TYPES of food matters (bioavailable protein, mineral rich carbs, saturated fats) and our capacity to DIGEST and ABSORB food matters.
What does this look like?
-Buying organically grown food in which is minimally sprayed
-Eating according to our biology and bio individuality
-Optimizing gut health
.
Our body’s ability to run off of any energy is literally dependent on mitochondria, so our capacity to not just make hormones, but also be resilient to stress, digest food, regenerate skin, think, grow hair, age gracefully- you name it, mitochondria are at play!
.
Almost every chronic symptom issue can be linked to mitochondrial issue.
So my question to you is have you even looked at mitochondria yet in your hormone healing journey?

If our mitochondria are what help our cells make hormones then what are the signs that they are even struggling?!
🦠
That’s a good question!
A lot of things can over lap when it comes to mitochondrial or other bodily issues, so it is definitely difficult and overwhelming to go through every possible reason. However, there are some prime symptoms I would argue in reviewing prior to looking elsewhere.
.
Remember, our mitochondria are the powerhouses to our cells.🧨 Powerhouses ignite energy.
Just that in itself should provide a clue in what sort of symptoms can usually be traced to mitochondrial dysfunction. Now, I understand when people hear “energy” they just think “calories”, but this isn’t the case when it comes to mitochondria. Minerals are actually what spark enzymatic reactions within our cells to create certain processes. Beyond minerals, there are also particular antioxidants and other nutrients that help fuel mitochondria in themselves.
.
Anything that is energy inducing like hair growth, skin regeneration, muscle repair, digestion- even menstruation- all require adequate energy production.
So, some common symptoms that signal mitochondrial dysfunction can be things like:
-A low immune system because the production of different types of white blood cells, T cells and other immune cells require energy
-Slow skin healing/hair regrowth/nail growth
-Weakness/poor recovery
-Inability to repair muscle
-Chronic fatigue/sensitivity to exertion
-Hypothalamic amenorrhea
-Brainfog/headaches
-Slow heart rate to conserve energy
-Low body temperature to conserve energy rather than expend it for heat
-Poor digestion/constipation due to lack of energy to breakdown food and mobilize muscles to remove waste
-Thyroid issues such as hypothyroidism
.
This is your body showing you signs it needs HELP and it is lagging in producing energy.⚠️

NUTRIENTS FOR MITOCHONDRIAL HEALTH- THERE IS A LOT
⬇️
From water soluble vitamins, to minerals, to antioxidants, to amino acids, mitochondria require a lot of different nutrients to power it up- and with good reason! Our mitochondria literally provide life to our cells with about 1000-2500 mitochondria living inside ONE cell! It ignites 90% of our energy, helping cells communicate to one another and help convert food and oxygen into energy. It also helps repair DNA, thus supporting apoptosis, as well as upregulates detoxification, cellular hydration, and regulating calcium.
.
Nutrients like B vitamins and alpha lipoic acid are essential in the tricarboxylic acid cycle, also known as the Krebs cycle. They support mitochondrial respiration and energy production by helping the body convert food into energy. Other nutrients that take part in this are iron, copper, magnesium, manganese and glutathione.
.
Glutathione in particular helps in the defense mechanism of the mitochondria to avoid or repair oxidative due to oxidative stress which can lead to dysfunction or cell death.
.
Selenium, vitamin E, CoQ10, caffeine and melatonin boost electron transfer system function which is the inner mitochondrial membrane that accepts energy, basically synthesizing ATP.
CoQ10 specifically acts as an electron receptor.
.
Zinc is important in DNA synthesis, cell proliferation, protein synthesis and cell membrane integrity.
.
Vitamins C and E act as scavengers for free radicals, preventing mitochondrial oxidants to form and deteriorate the actual mitochondria. Vitamin E is actually the MOST important lipid soluble antioxidant in the cell’s membrane.
.
Conversely, carnitine and taurine help with fatty acid beta oxidation.
The list can go ON.
.
All this to say, our mitochondria need an array of nutrients which should only further the conversation on as to why we SHOULDN’T turn to supplementing as our first choice.
FOOD FIRST.
And if food isn’t enough, ask yourself WHY? Are you not able to eat enough? Poor food quality? Inability to digest food? Possible mitochondrial blockages?

WHAT DAMAGES MITOCHONDRIA?
🦠
⚠️Mold/mycotoxins: Mold types like Cladosporium, Penicillium, and Aspergillus have been shown to suppress the immune system, damage and kill cells, impair both mitochondrial and nervous system function and potentially cause the body to develop autoimmunity.
Heavy metals: Things like aluminum, arsenic, mercury and others can deplete the structural membrane and function of the mitochondria by reducing the amount of energy it generates
.
🪱Parasites: They can disrupt our cell cycles, suppress our immune systems as well as take energy away from our mitochondria to replicate themselves in our cells
.
☣Pathogens: Things like viruses interfere with the calcium in our mitochondria to help itself spread. This is dangerous because a drop in calcium can impact what nutrients enter the mitochondria to help produce ATP. Conversely, calcium is used to turning ammonia into urea to be excreted out through the kidneys (and we make it as a by product of amino acid metabolism). So if we don’t regulate calcium properly and can’t neutralize toxins, they can damage the mitochondria
.
😨Stress: Over exercising, mental stress, not enough food, all of this can set the body up to using up more nutrients, depleting our stores for mitochondrial usage, and hindering processes to keep the body alive.
Nutrient deficiencies: Mitochondria need an array of nutrients, thus if not well nourished, they cannot perform as expected
.
💤Poor sleep: Has been shown to actually reduce the amount of mitochondria we produce, which can then lead to less energy production (1 cell usually contains 1000-2500 mitochondria)
.
🌐EMFs/radiation: Can penetrate a cell’s nucleus and interact with its DNA, bypassing a cell’s defense mechanisms, generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) upon entrance into the cell. ROS are not bad, but too much ROS can become toxic. It is also responsible for peroxidation of membrane phospholipids. The cell has anti-oxidative mechanisms that can alleviate the damage caused by ROS and protect the cell membrane. EMFs cause an overproduction of ROS, which impairs these defense mechanisms and creates excessive free radicals.
.
☢Toxins/Glyphosate: Has been shown to cause the mitochondria’s membrane to collapse
.
💊Medication: Many medication can suppress and deplete essential nutrients in the body which can directly starve the mitochondria. Conversely, they can also interfere with their electron transport chain and hinder the ability to make ATP.
.
❌Oxidative stress: This can come from all of these listed reasons and release free radicals that steal electrons from molecules, which then can cause the molecule to damage the DNA in our cells, and eventually have the mitochondria die.

HOW TO START HEALING MITOCHONDRIA
🦠
Our mitochondria work off of a slew of nutrients, but if you caught my last post, there are a lot of things that can actually cause mitochondrial dysfunction- particularly blockages. Energy can only be administered if there isn’t anything blocking it from being produced, thus making sure our mitochondria have the capacity to produce and release energy is imperative.
.
Things that can block energy are mycotoxins, parasites, pathogens, heavy metals, toxins, radiation, medication, and more. Keep in mind, in order for us to deliver these toxic waste products out, we need our drainage pathways to be OPEN.
.
So what are our drainage pathways? Our drainage pathways work through our emunctory organs such as our liver, kidneys, brain, lungs, gut, lymph, skin, uterus and colon. By keeping things “open”, such as our ability to have easy bowel movements, urinate, sleep, sweat, breath, move, menstruate and produce bile, we have a better chance of not adding to our body’s “stress” bucket and have unwanted compounds recirculating in our systems which can potentially block mitochondria from processing energy.
.
⚠️PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THIS KEY FACT: You must be well NOURISHED to have the liberty to detox.
I repeat, WELL NOURISHED to be able to detox.⚠️
Many people make the mistake to simply start adding binders, laxatives, go on all types of detoxes or radical protocols to remove unwanted products from the body. However, this isn’t good because they risk in ending up feeling more depleted or eradicating what they wanted to get rid of but leave themselves more susceptible to other things.
Your nourished state reflects how resilient you are, so whether you are trying to heal from mitochondrial dysfunction or not, prioritizing proper nutrition is imperative.
.
💊Useful binders to use when trying to attach unwanted pathogens/toxins and excrete them out of the body are: bentonite, zeolite, diatomaceous earth, chlorella, shilajit, and even activated charcoal.
.
Want to know how to support your drainage pathways? Click HERE.
For personalized support, book a free consult today to work with me HERE!