How Modern Toxins Disrupt Mitochondria and Lead to Chronic Disease

Written by Dr. Joseph Mercola on October 26, 2024. Posted in Current News

Story at a glance:

• In my recent appearance on “The Jimmy Dore Show,” we discussed how mitochondrial dysfunction, caused by modern toxins, is at the root of many diseases.

• Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production has decreased by up to 75% compared to a century ago.
• I shared insights from my latest book, “Your Guide to Cellular Health: Unlocking the Science of Longevity and Joy,” including that seed oils, like soybean and corn oil, are major culprits in damaging cellular health, while natural sugars can be beneficial when used wisely.
• Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and electromagnetic fields (EMFs) from devices like cellphones and Wi-Fi routers pose significant risks to mitochondrial function, necessitating practical steps to reduce exposure.
• Powerful foundations and industry interests have shaped medical education and public health policies, often prioritizing pharmaceutical interventions over natural approaches.
• Restoring cellular health involves eliminating toxins, adopting a whole foods diet, optimizing sun exposure and addressing gut health imbalances.

In my recent appearance on “The Jimmy Dore Show,” we explored a vital yet often overlooked aspect of human well-being — cellular health and the myriad of silent toxins eroding it.

I shared insights from my latest book, “Your Guide to Cellular Health: Unlocking the Science of Longevity and Joy.”

This article reviews the most pivotal points from our extensive discussion, revealing the vital components that sustain health and the modern challenges that threaten them.

As I shared with Dore, for 15 years I struggled with a mind-bending, unexplained rash that caused me to lose sleep at night because of unrelenting itching. All the physicians I consulted, some of the best out there, had no clue how to resolve it.

This personal battle led me to a groundbreaking realization: impaired mitochondrial function is at the heart of nearly every disease. Mitochondria, the powerhouses of your cells, produce ATP — your body’s essential energy currency.

Everyone knows you can’t run a car without fuel. Similarly, your body is a vehicle that transports you around, and if you don’t have enough energy, it’s a problem.

Historically, humans produced twice the amount of ATP compared to today, but the influx of chemical toxins has drastically reduced cellular energy production, leading to a significant decline in overall health.

In my recent appearance on “The Jimmy Dore Show,” we explored a vital yet often overlooked aspect of human well-being — cellular health and the myriad of silent toxins eroding it. I shared insights from my latest book, “Your Guide to Cellular Health: Unlocking the Science of Longevity and Joy.”

This article reviews the most pivotal points from our extensive discussion, revealing the vital components that sustain health and the modern challenges that threaten them.

As I shared with Dore, for 15 years I struggled with a mind-bending, unexplained rash that caused me to lose sleep at night because of unrelenting itching. All the physicians I consulted, some of the best out there, had no clue how to resolve it.

This personal battle led me to a groundbreaking realization: impaired mitochondrial function is at the heart of nearly every disease. Mitochondria, the powerhouses of your cells, produce ATP — your body’s essential energy currency.

Everyone knows you can’t run a car without fuel.

Similarly, your body is a vehicle that transports you around, and if you don’t have enough energy, it’s a problem. Historically, humans produced twice the amount of ATP compared to today, but the influx of chemical toxins has drastically reduced cellular energy production, leading to a significant decline in overall health.

The ATP crisis: A modern epidemic

Humans are producing up to 75% less ATP today than a century ago. This decline is not just a number — it’s a reflection of our deteriorating health. The question remains: Why has ATP production plummeted?

The answer lies in the toxins that have permeated our environment over the past 150 years. The Industrial Revolution and subsequent advancements introduced chemical poisons into our lives, fundamentally disrupting our cellular machinery. Among these toxins, seed oils like soybean, corn and sunflower oil, stand out as primary culprits in harming your cellular energy.

Seed oils: The silent destroyers of health

Seed oils rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are one of the main drivers destroying your health, as excess consumption leads to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer and dementia.

These oils, often misleadingly labeled as “healthy” vegetable oils, wreak havoc on mitochondrial function. Consuming excessive amounts overloads your cells with harmful fats, crippling their ability to produce ATP.

Safe alternatives include coconut oil, ghee and beef tallow. Eating out poses a significant challenge for those striving to avoid seed oils like canola and soybean oil.

One practical tip when you dine at a restaurant is to inform the server that you have a severe allergy to seed oils. Show them evidence of the dangers, and ensure the kitchen adheres to your requirements.

Most restaurants are unaware of the extent of seed oil contamination. By educating them and insisting on pure fats, you protect your health while raising awareness. The prevalence of adulterated oils, even in the case of products like extra virgin olive oil, makes vigilance essential.

Additionally, cooking your own meals at home or choosing restaurants that use healthier frying fats, such as beef tallow, will significantly reduce your exposure to harmful PUFAs.

The truth about sugar: A cellular fuel

Contrary to popular belief, not all sugars are detrimental. Sugar, when used wisely, restores your energy. The key lies in understanding the type of sugar and its role in your metabolism.

Real sugar — specifically glucose, also known as dextrose — is the ultimate fuel for your mitochondria. Unlike high-fructose corn syrup, which is harmful, glucose is essential for efficient energy production.

However, moderation is crucial. If you consume too much sugar, it disrupts insulin and hormonal balance. For individuals suffering from severe mitochondrial poisoning, however, glucose is a lifesaver, providing the necessary energy to sustain vital bodily functions.

This nuanced understanding of sugar’s role challenges the conventional narrative that all carbohydrates are harmful.

Your gut microbiome: Balancing good and bad bacteria

Your gut health plays a pivotal role in cellular energy and overall well-being. I explained the importance of colonocytes — cells lining your colon that rely on short-chain fatty acids like butyrate, propionate and acetate, produced by beneficial bacteria.

When mitochondrial function is impaired, these colonocytes begin to die, allowing oxygen to seep back into your gut.

This shift creates an environment where pathogenic, oxygen-tolerant bacteria thrive, producing endotoxins that further damage mitochondria. This creates a vicious cycle I call the “black hole of death.”

To break free from this cycle, it’s essential to restore the balance of gut bacteria. Unfortunately, many people are unaware of the state of their microbiome, as beneficial bacteria are often overshadowed by their pathogenic counterparts.

Advanced testing, though expensive, provides insights into the state of your gut health, but practical dietary adjustments are equally important.

Until an intervention targets the factors harming your colonocytes and restores optimal oxygen levels, the population of beneficial, oxygen-intolerant microbes cannot be reestablished in your gut.

This mitochondrial-gut microbiome communication is necessary for health. However, when oxygen-tolerant pathogenic bacteria dominate, they outcompete the beneficial, oxygen-intolerant bacteria, preventing the production of essential metabolites needed for vitality.

Removing excess oxygen from your colon is key because, without it, even the best lifestyle practices — such as exercise, adequate sleep proper nutrition and the use of supplements — will not result in significant improvement.

Simply introducing probiotics is insufficient for replenishing oxygen-intolerant microbes, as most commercially available probiotics are often non-viable.

While these probiotics offer postbiotic benefits, they do not function as true “seeds” to rebuild the appropriate microbial community. Just as a seed cannot grow in a desert, the environment within your colon must be conducive for these beneficial microbes to flourish.

Therefore, avoiding mitochondrial poisons, including seed oils and EDCs, is essential to create the right conditions for restoring a healthy, oxygen-intolerant microbial population in your gut.

The hidden dangers of plastics and endocrine disruptors

Beyond dietary choices, environmental toxins like plastics pose a significant threat to cellular health. Plastics produce EDCs that stimulate estrogen receptors.

These chemicals are pervasive, found in everyday items like water bottles and food wraps, and are linked to various health issues, including breast cancer. EDCs disrupt hormonal balance, leading to widespread health problems. These chemicals primarily operate by activating estrogen receptors within your cells.

This activation leads to an increased influx of calcium ions into your cells. Excessive intracellular calcium dramatically elevates the levels of superoxide and nitric oxide.

These reactive molecules swiftly combine to form peroxynitrite, an extremely potent oxidant stressor. The formation of peroxynitrite induces severe oxidative stress, resulting in significant cellular damage. In addition, when combined with natural estrogen, exposure to EDCs leads to estrogen overload and initiates a series of harmful events.

How EDCs trigger your self-attack autoimmune responses

EDCs pose a significant threat to your health, initiating a cascade of negative effects that begin at the cellular level and ripple outward to impact your entire body. This process unfolds in several interconnected stages, each building upon the last to create a perfect storm of health challenges in your system.

It all starts with your mitochondria — the powerhouses of your cells. EDCs interfere with these crucial organelles, diminishing their ability to produce the energy your cells need to function optimally. This energy deficit isn’t just a matter of you feeling tired; it has far-reaching consequences, particularly for your gut health.

Your digestive system relies on a delicate balance of beneficial bacteria, many of which thrive in an oxygen-free environment. The energy shortage caused by mitochondrial dysfunction disrupts this carefully maintained anaerobic setting in your gut.

As a result, these beneficial microorganisms struggle to survive and perform their vital functions within you.

One of the key roles of these gut bacteria is the production of short-chain fatty acids. These compounds are essential for maintaining the health and integrity of your intestinal lining. They act as a primary food source for the cells that make up this barrier and help regulate the immune responses in your gut.

However, when your gut bacteria are compromised due to the altered environment, their ability to produce these crucial fatty acids is severely impaired.

The absence of adequate short-chain fatty acids leads to a weakening of your intestinal barrier. This condition is often referred to as “leaky gut” or increased intestinal permeability.

In this state, the tight junctions between the cells lining your intestines become loose, allowing substances that should remain within your gut to pass into your bloodstream.

This is where the situation can take a particularly concerning turn for you. Among the substances that can now penetrate your weakened gut barrier are proteins that bear a striking resemblance to structures within your own body — such as those found in your joints or neurological tissues.

When these foreign yet familiar proteins enter your bloodstream, your immune system is faced with a case of mistaken identity. It perceives these proteins as threats and mounts an attack against them.

The problem is, due to the similarity between these intruding proteins and your own body tissues, your immune response doesn’t stop at neutralizing the perceived invaders.

Instead, it can turn against your own cells and tissues that share similar structures. This misdirected immune attack is the hallmark of autoimmune diseases, where your body essentially wages war against itself.

Thus, from the initial disruption of cellular energy production by EDCs, you arrive at a situation where your body’s own defense mechanisms have been tricked into causing harm to you.

This complex chain of events underscores the far-reaching and interconnected nature of your body’s systems and highlights how these seemingly small disruptions can cascade into significant health challenges for you.

The challenge lies in finding safe alternatives, as conventional plastics are laden with harmful chemicals. I’m in the process of creating bio-compatible alternatives to plastics in order to help eliminate EDC exposure and promote environmental sustainability.

EMFs: A mitochondrial poison

Another insidious threat to your cellular health today is exposure to EMFs. Unlike other toxins, EMFs permeate our environment, making them a pervasive danger that is often overlooked.

Electromagnetic frequencies describe all types of radiation, including beneficial ones like sunlight. However, the high-frequency EMFs emitted by modern devices such as cellphones, Wi-Fi routers and microwaves operate in the gigahertz range, posing significant risks to your mitochondria.

While ionizing radiation like X-rays directly damages cells by creating free radicals, EMFs cause harm through a different mechanism called non-thermal effects. These non-thermal effects disrupt cellular function without raising tissue temperatures, making the damage less visible but equally, if not more, dangerous.

EMFs interfere with mitochondria by increasing calcium ion influx into cells. Elevated calcium levels catalyze the production of harmful free radicals, leading to oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction. This process mirrors the damage caused by other mitochondrial poisons, like seed oils and EDCs, creating a vicious cycle of cellular decline.

The telecommunication industry’s deceptive practices

The telecommunications industry, much like the tobacco industry before it, has employed deceptive strategies to downplay the dangers of EMFs. They used the same playbook as the tobacco industry to greenwash their products and obfuscate the real risks.

The 1996 Telecommunications Act, for instance, effectively immunized these companies from liability, allowing them to continue disseminating harmful EMFs without accountability.

They promote the idea that non-ionizing radiation is safe because it doesn’t cause immediate thermal damage. This misleading narrative ignores the long-term, chronic effects of EMF exposure, which accumulate over time and contribute to a host of health problems, including cancer, neurological disorders and reduced cellular energy.

Practical steps to mitigate EMF exposure

Understanding the dangers of EMFs is only the first step; taking actionable measures to reduce exposure is crucial for safeguarding your health. Here are several strategies I recommend:

1. Limit cellphone use — Avoid keeping your cellphone close to your body, especially when sleeping. Cellphones emit high levels of EMFs and prolonged exposure significantly disrupts mitochondrial function. I personally use an EMF shield tent to create a low-radiation environment during sleep, ensuring that my mitochondria remain untainted by these frequencies.
2. Reduce Wi-Fi dependency — Turn off Wi-Fi routers when not in use, especially at night. Wi-Fi is a constant source of EMFs in many households, and minimizing its operation drastically reduces overall exposure. For essential connectivity, use wired Ethernet connections instead of wireless alternatives.
3. Create EMF-free zones — Designate certain areas of your home, such as your bedroom, as EMF-free zones. By establishing a sanctuary free from EMR, you provide your mitochondria with the environment they need to function optimally. Simple steps like using wired devices and keeping electronic gadgets out of these areas make a significant difference.
4. Use EMF shielding products — Investing in EMF shielding products, such as EMF-blocking phone cases or shielding tents, provides additional protection. These products help deflect or absorb harmful frequencies, safeguarding your cellular health. While not a complete solution, they offer a practical layer of defense against unavoidable EMF exposure.

Reclaiming health: Strategies for protection and restoration

To break free from this cycle of mitochondrial poisoning, it is imperative to adopt comprehensive strategies that eliminate exposure to harmful toxins and support mitochondrial function. Here are several actionable steps:

1. Eliminate seed oils and processed foods — As mentioned, seed oils like soybean, corn and sunflower oil are laden with PUFAs that oxidize easily, producing toxic metabolites that damage mitochondria. By removing these oils from your diet, you reduce the primary source of mitochondrial poisoning.
2. Adopt safe fats and whole foods — Incorporate saturated fats such as coconut oil, butter, ghee and beef tallow into your diet. These fats are stable and support mitochondrial function without the harmful effects of PUFAs. Additionally, focus on whole, unprocessed foods that provide essential nutrients without the added toxins found in processed products.
3. Minimize EMF exposure — Limit your exposure to EMFs by reducing the use of wireless devices and turning off Wi-Fi when not in use. Embracing EMF shielding solutions, such as EMF-blocking phone cases and creating EMF-free zones in your home, significantly reduces cellular stress and supports mitochondrial health.
4. Optimize sun exposure — Embrace sun exposure around solar noon once you have eliminated seed oils from your diet. Proper sun exposure enhances mitochondrial energy production and supports overall health. Use minimal, protective clothing to maximize benefits while preventing skin damage.
5. Restore gut health — Addressing gut microbiome imbalances is crucial for maintaining cellular energy. Focus on consuming beneficial bacteria and limiting fiber intake if pathogenic bacteria dominate your gut. Probiotic supplements and dietary adjustments help restore a healthy balance of gut flora, supporting mitochondrial function.

The power of education and advocacy

Raising awareness about the true impact of these mitochondrial poisons is essential for empowering individuals to take control of their health. Education and advocacy are crucial in countering the misinformation spread by powerful industries.

By informing the public about the real dangers of seed oils, EMFs and mask mandates, we foster a movement toward healthier living and systemic change.

On an individual level, you must take proactive steps to protect your health, even in the face of pervasive EMF exposure and misleading public health directives. Simple lifestyle changes, combined with a commitment to natural health principles, significantly enhance mitochondrial function and overall well-being.

A vision for a healthier future

Looking ahead, my mission is to continue developing solutions that protect and restore cellular health. These efforts aim to harmonize technological advancements with natural health practices, ensuring that progress does not come at the expense of our well-being.

The goal is to empower individuals with the knowledge and tools needed to maintain robust mitochondrial function and achieve lasting health.

By addressing the root causes of mitochondrial poisoning and advocating for informed holistic health practices, we can pave the way for a future of longevity and joy.

Originally published by Mercola.

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