Now that the influence of energy produced by the mitochondria in cells has been proven to be paramount to overall cell vitality, ARE THERE WAYS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF THESE CELLULAR POWER PACKS?
YES! There are two known ways to increase the number of mitochondria in cells. First, vigorous exercise, and second, calorie restriction. ref Both of these ways are quite extreme and not really practical or desirable for most people.
Ten years ago a newly discovered nutrient was given "vitamin" status even though it is not exactly a true vitamin. The nutrient, Pyrroloquinoline quinoine, is involved in the Biogenesis of mitochondria. In animal studies, it exhibits a 30% or greater increase in the number of mitochondria in cells. If this also happens in human, this is very huge to combat the effects of aging and for the prevention of many degenerative diseases.
More on this soon. Possible precaution: Since PQQ aids the growth of bacteria, and may not discriminate between good and bad bacteria, it may be prudent to only take when healthy with no signs of a bacterial infection. This is still very young research.
OF INTEREST: There are recent articles mentioning that QUERCETIN (with green tea extract) also activates biogenesis of mitochondria. What is missing is that this effect is in conjunction with extreme bouts of exercise. Quercetin does reduce inflammation resulting from exercise, but the increase in mitochondria is only very small. ref ref Plus, resveratrol gets in on this biogenesis as well. ref Here is why this biogenesis of mitochondria is so vital to health. ref
The reference above is partially copied below in case link is lost in future:
Exp Gerontol. 2008 Sep;43(9):813-9. doi: 10.1016/j.exger.2008.06.014. Epub 2008 Jul 9.
López-Lluch G1, Irusta PM, Navas P, de Cabo R.
"Aging is associated with an overall loss of function at the level of the whole organism that has origins in cellular deterioration. Most cellular components, including mitochondria, require continuous recycling and regeneration throughout the lifespan. Mitochondria are particularly susceptive to damage over time as they are the major bioenergetic machinery and source of oxidative stress in cells. Effective control of mitochondrial biogenesis and turnover, therefore, becomes critical for the maintenance of energy production, the prevention of endogenous oxidative stress and the promotion of healthy aging." ... "Dysfunction of either biogenesis or fission/fusion of mitochondria is associated with diseases of the neuromuscular system and aging, and a greater understanding of the regulation of these processes should help us to ultimately control the aging process."