Mitochondrial function is a critical component that underlies every non-communicable chronic disease, including diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and neurodegeneration.

“Every single one of those non-communicable chronic diseases have some sort of tie to mitochondria. So whether it's a dysfunction or a deficiency in your mitochondria, another mido fact that I always tell people whether I'm at a bar or having a coffee with someone is that you inherit it directly from”

Mitochondria play a critical role in brain health by regulating neurotransmitters, hormones, gene expression, and inflammation, and their dysfunction leads to mental illness.

“Mitochondria make and they help create, regulate, and release neurotransmitters including serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, GABA. And in fact, those neurotransmitters then impact mitochondrial function.”

Structural and functional damage to mitochondria is a universal feature of cancer cells that forces them to rely on fermentation.

“it became clear to Warburg through a variety of experiments that the respiratory system was defective in these cells”

The removal of defective mitochondria through mitophagy is coupled with the biogenesis of new, healthy mitochondria.

“there's a sort of coupling between mitophagy and mitochondrial biogenesis.”

Mitochondrial health is fundamental to overall metabolic health, influencing energy production, detoxification, and stress management.

“metabolic health is mitochondrial health. So people hear the word metabolic health or that that term. What that really means is that can you make energy effectively and can you manage the stress of making energy.”

Mitophagy and general autophagy are vital cellular cleanup processes that prevent the accumulation of toxic debris and ensure efficient cell function.

“When we have this accumulation of debris in our cells, they don't work as well. They start releasing toxins that impact cells around them. So having this process of autophagy or mphagy in the case of mitochondria is really key to removing that cellular garbage so that we can keep the healthiest poss”