Focus on diet/nutrition, exercise/movement, sleep, managing substance use (reducing/minimizing/eliminating), stress reduction (mindfulness, meditation, yoga), and fostering relationships/purpose to improve overall health by supporting metabolism and mitochondrial function.
Before considering any supplements, prioritize foundational lifestyle changes (diet, sleep, bright light, relationships, purpose, substance avoidance), as no supplement can undo the damage of a harmful lifestyle.
Optimizing your diet is crucial for promoting metabolic health and neuroplasticity, which are inseparable for overall brain and body function.
Eliminate or significantly reduce consumption of ultra-processed foods, as they are directly linked to worse physical and mental health outcomes, including cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, and a broad range of mental disorders.
Ensure sufficient intake of B12, folate, and iron, as these are essential for proper mitochondrial function; deficiencies can lead to neuropsychiatric symptoms and metabolic problems.
If following a vegetarian or vegan diet, take appropriate B12 supplementation and measure your levels annually to prevent deficiency, which can cause neurological damage and neuropsychiatric symptoms.
Young women (ages 12-21), particularly due to menstruation, should be aware of high risk for iron deficiency, which can impair mitochondrial function, affecting brain health and potentially contributing to depression, anxiety, or eating disorders.
Individuals taking oral contraceptives or metformin should be aware that these medications can impair B12 absorption and should monitor their B12 levels.
Adequate, quality sleep is critical for optimal metabolic health and neuroplasticity, impacting overall brain and body function.
Regular physical activity, whether for muscle size or endurance, improves metabolic health and neuroplasticity by increasing the number and health of mitochondria in muscle tissue and brain.
If you are not currently exercising, begin by incorporating daily walks and aim for morning sunlight exposure, which are simple yet effective steps for improving overall health.
Reduce, minimize, or eliminate the use of harmful substances to improve metabolic health and prevent mitochondrial damage.
High doses of alcohol cause mitochondrial toxicity in liver and brain cells, leading to severe conditions like cirrhosis and metabolic disruption, so limit consumption.
While low doses of stimulants can improve brain metabolism, high doses hyper-stimulate mitochondria, leading to reactive oxygen species production, chronic mitochondrial dysfunction, and harm to human health.
Low doses of nicotine can stimulate mitochondria, but high doses may be toxic, lead to addiction, and deplete mitochondria; caution is advised, especially for young individuals.
For severe mental health conditions, consider a ketogenic diet or fasting regimen, which can dramatically shift metabolism and improve mitochondrial health, but ensure it is done under medical supervision with adequate nutrition.
Brief ketogenic interventions, intermittent fasting, or fasting-mimicking diets (e.g., 5-day cycles of 600 calories several times a year) can improve metabolic health and longevity biomarkers, but ensure adequate nutrition and medical oversight.
Creatine, a molecule foundational to mitochondrial function and energy metabolism, may improve symptoms of major depression, bipolar disorder, and cognitive impairment, particularly for individuals with low baseline levels (e.g., vegetarians/vegans).
Methylene blue, an electron acceptor and donor, may help dysfunctional mitochondria by preventing reactive oxygen species formation, but requires careful dosing and medical consultation to avoid reductive stress or serotonin syndrome.
Urolithin A supplementation has been shown to improve muscle mass and performance in elderly individuals within approximately eight weeks, offering metabolic benefits associated with slowing the aging process.
Parents should optimize their metabolic health (addressing obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome) before conception, as poor parental metabolic health significantly increases the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring.
Severe infections can cause inflammation that impairs mitochondrial function and increases the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders, emphasizing the importance of infection prevention.
If a child exhibits abrupt changes in neurodevelopment, a full medical workup is warranted, including checks for vitamin/nutrient deficiencies (e.g., central B12 deficiency) and consideration of interventions like a ketogenic diet.
If experiencing B12 deficiency or dementia-like symptoms, particularly with age, test for pernicious anemia (an autoimmune B12 deficiency) as it is a treatable form of dementia requiring B12 injections.
For severe neuropsychiatric symptoms, especially with an abrupt onset or following an inflammatory event, investigate potential central B12 deficiency (CD320 antibody) via spinal tap, as it may be treatable with immunosuppressants and high-dose B12.
Understand that metabolic unhealth is not exclusive to obesity; thin individuals can also be metabolically unhealthy due to deficiencies in essential vitamins and nutrients, impacting mitochondrial function and mental health.