Mitochron®

The human body does not produce the energy it needs to perform its many functions in just one special organ; instead, it produces energy inside almost every single one of its roughly 70 billion cells. The mitochondria are our cells’ «power plants», and are the key elements in regard to the generation of our body’s life force. These mini cellular power plants are also essential in the production of certain blood components and vital hormones such as estrogen and testosterone, as well as in the metabolism of brain neurotransmitters and breaking down fat molecules in food. The mitochondria are often less numerous, smaller and less efficient in people whose health is compromised.

A correlation between the number, size and performance of cellular mitochondria and the constant exhaustion millions of young people and adults experience today has not been definitively explored, but is probable. Feelings of fatigue and weakness may be caused by a lack of sleep, poor nutrition and physical and mental overload, as well as by medical treatments and procedures.

According to investigations carried out by the British Royal College of Psychiatrists, one in five adults sometimes feels burned out, and one in ten feels completely exhausted. Women tend to be affected more often than men. Burnout, a term coined in 1974 to describe a syndrome that often occurred in caretakers, has slowly become a buzz word in our society – and one that’s not limited to one’s working life. This phenomenon involves an exhaustion of human vitality in general.

Burnout often develops in four phases: success, greater willingness to prove oneself, neglect of one’s own needs and being hard on oneself. At the end of this vicious cycle, the ability of the psyche and the body to perform ultimately fails. Taking in energy-rich molecules, along with amino acids, enzymes and vitamins, at the right time of day increases the performance potential of the mitochondria and supports healthy functioning. Supporting the processes that occur inside each cell can mitigate the negative effects of lack of energy in any form.

The main task of the mitochondria is to produce energy through chemical reactions in which fatty acids and glucose are converted into a usable and transportable form of energy called ATP. The raw material needed to produce ATP is gleaned from one’s diet or from the breakdown of available tissue, such as stored fats. For this to work, the food you eat must first be broken down into simpler molecules like carbohydrates, proteins and fat prior to being processed.

The oxygen in the air we breathe causes these molecules to oxidize within the cells while the mitochondria provide energy in the form of ATP molecules. These highly reactive processes are repeated extremely rapidly. The total amount of ATP produced in a day often exceeds a person’s body weight. During abnormal conditions such as fever, disease, stroke or other stress loads, more oxygen is often used before it can be utilized for the production of ATP. As a result, free radicals are produced in greater quantities, which is why a lack of energy is usually accompanied by more oxidative stress. Once a mitochondrion is no longer fully functional, the affected cell is more susceptible to multiple stress loads, resulting in a feeling of tiredness or burnout. The feeling of burnout affects the performance of various organs, especially the brain.