Health’s Canary in the Coal Mine

“The mitochondria are the canary in the coal mine of human health. When they fail, disease is inevitable.” Dr Douglas C. Wallace

So if mitochondria are so crucial to our health, what are they, what do they do and what can you do to optimise their function?

Mitochondria are membrane-bound cell organelles that generate most of the chemical energy needed to power the cell’s biochemical reactions. In simple words they are the engines inside your cells that create the energy for all your functions.

Many poor lifestyle choices impact mitochondria function and the energy they produce. Medical science tells us they include things like alcohol and medications like statin and anti-inflammatory drugs but disrupted circadian rhythms are beginning to be shown as a major culprit. 

Too much artificial light at night (ALAN) from modern screens (TV’s, computers, laptops and phones) but let’s not leave out the lights in our homes we have on after dark also. Pair this with a devoid of sunlight and you build the perfect storm for mitochondrial dysfunction.

When it comes to health, healing requires energy and if your mitochondrial function is impaired, your ability to make the energy required to heal and maintain health is lost.

Being outdoors as the sun rises each morning is the first and most important step into restoring and optimising mitochondrial health. Follow this with appropriate amounts of outdoors time throughout the day (yes you do need some UV light from the sun) powers up your mitochondria do do their job of producing the energy you require to not just get through your day but thrive.

We are what we repeat and nature didn’t make mistakes so if we are living an overly indoors, high technology driven lifestyle day after day, night after night, you can eventually except a decline in mitochondrial health and your quality of life. As Dr Doug Wallace stated, your mitochondria are the canary’s in the coal mine of health.

See you in the sunrise!