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Cellular energy. It sounds modern, but it’s as old as life itself. And it’s the very foundation of good health. When we have great cellular energy levels, we think better, feel better, move better, look better and perform better. That’s because, at a very basic physical level, our cells are responsible for everything our bodies do. Healthier cells mean great vitality, mental clarity, weight management and physical performance. Bountiful cellular energy also offsets the aging process which is brought on by cell degeneration. In a manner of speaking, achieving optimum cellular energy is akin to having our own internal fountain of youth.
Our bodies contain trillions of cells. Inside each of them are huge numbers of tiny, energy-producing power plants called “mitochondria”. Mitochondria convert the food we eat and the air we breathe into “ATP”, a special type of fuel that powers our cells, and in turn, us. From blinking to thinking, walking to talking, we use ATP for almost everything we do. Healthy mitochondria produce enormous amounts of ATP and at the same time, ATP provides the enormous amounts of energy for the processes and reactions that help keep our cells healthy and vital. To give you an idea of our bodies’ ATP energy requirements, scientists estimate that a single human brain cell requires ten million ATP molecules per second to carry out its tasks.
The beauty of the metabolic process is that when our cells have the right ingredients, they can make more than enough energy for all their tasks and functions. In fact, healthy, vital cells can even make that little extra need to self-repair if they have enough stored ATP. So, before our cells go through cell division, they can repair their own DNA, thereby making sure that our next generation of cells is also healthy and full of energy.
With all this energy production however, there is a battle raging on inside our cells. This is because when mitochondria produce ATP, they also produce damaging by-products known as free radicals. Free radicals are also produced by smoking, pollution and sun exposure. Luckily our mitochondria and cells are packed with antioxidants which can neutralize free radicals before they can do too much damage. However, as we age, or when we are unwell, our antioxidant supply diminishes and the free radicals start to take their toll on the membranes, proteins and DNA in our cells. Over the years, this ongoing damage can lead to reduced cellular energy, cellular repair and organ function. This is known as “oxidative stress”, and it is responsible for the visible signs of aging and can even develop into serious health conditions.
Even though our natural antioxidant supply decreases over time, it’s good to know that we can reduce our oxidative stress levels. Eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly and avoiding toxins and environmental stresses all help in this regard, but science does have one more trick up its sleeve.
