Bringing Mitochondrial Care to Clinical Practice

A review by Dr. Nasha Winters, ND, FABNO

www.terrain10.com and drnasha@torus.ventures

Mitochondria in Health and Disease: The Key to Understanding Disease, Chronic Illness, Aging, and Life Itself by Ray Griffiths

Singing Dragon Publishing; https://singingdragon.com

2018; 336 pp; $45.00 (US)

“Mitochondrial Functions: The Doorway to Understanding the Body as a Whole”–not a bad Part I title as Ray Griffiths, MSc, MBANT, registered nutritionist and lecturer takes a deep dive into this historically misunderstood and under-rated organelle. As someone who has been on a 25-plus year journey exploring the nuances of the mighty mitochondria, I was thrilled to see another wonderful addition to our reference library.

Though several integrative-minded colleagues have written about and commented on this topic (Pizzorno, Mitochondria—Fundamental to Life and Health. IMJC; 2014 Apr; 13(2): 8–15, and Know, Mitochondria and the Future of Medicine, Chelsea Green Publishing, 2018), it is only in the last few years that this topic has reached more mainstream (Picard, et al. An Energetic View of Stress: Focus on Mitochondria. Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology. 2018;49:72-85). Ray Griffiths’ book is not only a “why” but a “how” to combine functional testing, diet and lifestyle interventions, and ability to articulate these concepts in a compelling and supportive way to our patients.

Derived from Greek ‘mitos’ (thread) and ‘chondros’ (granule), first noted in 1898 by microbiologist Carl Benda, these dynamic, motile, shape-shifters are highly adaptive and flexible to the needs of a cell (when working properly). When their job is complete, and they are tired out, they undergo mitophagy (removal of these retired specialized cells) to make room for mitogenesis (creation of new mitochondria)—all in an efficient, quality-controlled process that keep up with our energy needs. The raw material (aka: our food) is what enables or disables this flexibility and adaptability. It should come as no surprise, that the changes made to our modern way of growing, cultivating, and processing food, in addition to shifting to a carbohydrate-dense diet over the past 150-200 years since we began milling sugar and flour, has greatly impacted the metabolic behavior of these organelles.

With the introduction of antibiotics (directly through medical interventions and indirectly through farming, ranching and residue in ground water), these original bacteria are hypersensitive and vulnerable to the devastating impact that can alter their number and function. That, along with overfeeding, inflammation, excessive cellular calcium and iron, high blood glucose, blue light exposure (he doesn’t cover but evidence is mounting on the ill effect of screen time/technology on mitochondrial disease), lack of exercise, and chronic stress response, it is clear that our modern lifestyle is instrumental in driving disease today.

As stated in the opening of this book, modern medicine has attempted to compartmentalize disease processes, whereas understanding disease from mitochondrial function serves to thread the common theme of the ailments plaguing us today—loss of metabolic flexibility and adaptation. Ray Griffith’s book offers solutions, most of which are unique to a vitalistic, comprehensive, whole person, health-centric approach versus a reductionistic symptom-treating one.

With nearly 10 percent of our total body weight comprised of the 10 million billion mitochondria, with the two highest energy demanding organs being the brain and heart, it is no wonder the number one cause of death is heart disease and the fastest growing chronic illness in modern societies today is neurological disorders. Yet little, if any, attention is given to these energy-pumping stations as the source of illness or wellness.

Beyond energy production, which mitochondria are most known for, Ray Griffiths takes us through the history and origin (from bacterial, parasitic invaders, to allies that have co-evolved), mitochondrial dynamics (how they sustain efficiency and mobility), their ability to be a hybrid engine when presented with fats or carbohydrates, ketone metabolism, immune regulation, calcium storage and regulation, control center for apoptosis, heme production, kidney detoxification and hormone synthesis, and their need for a touch of hormesis (biphasic dose response to a toxicant) in order to improve form and function. This goes way beyond what we were taught in school.

At the end of each of these engaging chapters, Ray offers key points for practitioners, the bench to bedside practical information needed to better serve our patients and to deepen our own clinical understanding. He doesn’t stop there. He offers an overview of specific dietary interventions shown to support mitochondrial function and recommends laboratory tests and biomarkers to monitor and remove obstacles to cure and measure progress. He then dives into condition-specific processes (like diabetes, heart disease, autoimmunity, neurodegeneration, cancer, autism and more) highlighting their unique mitochondrial patterns. And finally, he offers the reader research-supported supplements, herbs and lifestyle recommendations that enhance and energize the mitochondria.

At the end of this well-written and accessible book, Ray Griffiths makes a point of celebrating the move towards personalized nutrition and precision medicine despite the slow adoption by standard of care and leaves on a hopeful and optimistic note that minding our mitochondria is where we will see the most benefit to our own health and that of those we serve.