mitochondrial dysfunction

Gene Linked to Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Obesity

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Summary: Researchers made a breakthrough in understanding obesity’s impact on mitochondria, as detailed in a recent study.

They discovered that a high-fat diet causes fat cell mitochondria in mice to fragment into smaller, less efficient units, a process controlled by a single gene. By deleting this gene, the mice were protected from weight gain despite consuming the same high-fat diet.

This study offers new insights into the metabolic dysfunctions in obesity, paving the way for potential targeted therapies.

Key Facts:

  1. The study revealed that a high-fat diet leads to the fragmentation of mitochondria in fat cells, reducing their ability to burn fat.
  2. A single gene, associated with the molecule RaIA, was found to be responsible for this mitochondrial fragmentation and metabolic disruption in obesity.
  3. By removing this gene, researchers successfully protected mice from obesity induced by a high-fat diet, suggesting a new therapeutic target for obesity treatment in humans.

Source: UCSD

The number of people with obesity has nearly tripled since 1975, resulting in a worldwide epidemic. While lifestyle factors like diet and exercise play a role in the development and progression of obesity, scientists have come to understand that obesity is also associated with intrinsic metabolic abnormalities.

Now, researchers from the University of California San Diego School of Medicine have shed new light on how obesity affects our mitochondria, the all-important energy-producing structures of our cells.

This shows DNA.
How these metabolic abnormalities start is among the biggest mysteries surrounding obesity.

In a study published January 29, 2023 in Nature Metabolism, the researchers found that when mice were fed a high-fat diet, mitochondria within their fat cells broke apart into smaller mitochondria with reduced capacity for burning fat. Further, they discovered that this process is controlled by a single gene. By deleting this gene from the mice, they were able to protect them from excess weight gain, even when they ate the same high-fat diet as other mice.

“Caloric overload from overeating can lead to weight gain and also triggers a metabolic cascade that reduces energy burning, making obesity even worse,” said Alan Saltiel, PhD, professor in the Department of Medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine. “The gene we identified is a critical part of that transition from healthy weight to obesity.”

Obesity, which affects more than 40% of adults in the United States, occurs when the body accumulates too much fat, which is primarily stored in adipose tissue. Adipose tissue normally provides important mechanical benefits by cushioning vital organs and providing insulation. It also has important metabolic functions, such as releasing hormones and other cellular signaling molecules that instruct other tissues to burn or store energy.

In the case of caloric imbalances like obesity, the ability of fat cells to burn energy starts to fail, which is one reason why it can be difficult for people with obesity to lose weight. How these metabolic abnormalities start is among the biggest mysteries surrounding obesity.

To answer this question, the researchers fed mice a high-fat diet and measured the impact of this diet on their fat cells’ mitochondria, structures within cells that help burn fat. They discovered an unusual phenomenon. After consuming a high-fat diet, mitochondria in parts of the mice’s adipose tissue underwent fragmentation, splitting into many smaller, ineffective mitochondria that burned less fat.

In addition to discovering this metabolic effect, they also discovered that it is driven by the activity of single molecule, called RaIA. RaIA has many functions, including helping break down mitochondria when they malfunction. The new research suggests that when this molecule is overactive, it interferes with the normal functioning of mitochondria, triggering the metabolic issues associated with obesity.

“In essence, chronic activation of RaIA appears to play a critical role in suppressing energy expenditure in obese adipose tissue,” said Saltiel. “By understanding this mechanism, we’re one step closer to developing targeted therapies that could address weight gain and associated metabolic dysfunctions by increasing fat burning.”

By deleting the gene associated with RaIA, the researchers were able to protect the mice against diet-induced weight gain. Delving deeper into the biochemistry at play, the researchers found that some of the proteins affected by RaIA in mice are analogous to human proteins that are associated with obesity and insulin resistance, suggesting that similar mechanisms may be driving human obesity.

“The direct comparison between the fundamental biology we’ve discovered and real clinical outcomes underscores the relevance of the findings to humans and suggests we may be able to help treat or prevent obesity by targeting the RaIA pathway with new therapies,” said Saltiel.

“We’re only just beginning to understand the complex metabolism of this disease, but the future possibilities are exciting.”

Co-authors of the study include: Wenmin Xia, Preethi Veeragandham, Yu Cao Yayun Xu, Torrey Rhyne, Jiaxin Qian, Ying Jones,Chao-Wei Hung, Zichen Wang, Hiroyuki Hakozaki and Johannes Schoneberg at UC San Diego, Peng Zhao at University of Texas Health Science Center, Hui Gao and Mikael Ryden at Karolinska Institute, Christopher Liddle, Ruth Yu, Michael Downes, Ronald Evans and Jianfeng Huang at Salk Institute for Biological Studies,Martin Wabitsch at Ulm University Medical Center and Shannon Reilly at Weill Medical College of Cornell University.

Funding: This study was funded, in part, by the National Institutes of Health (Grants P30DK063491, R01DK122804, R01DK124496, R01DK125820 and R01DK128796).

Abstract

Obesity causes mitochondrial fragmentation and dysfunction in white adipocytes due to RalA activation

Mitochondrial dysfunction is a characteristic trait of human and rodent obesity, insulin resistance and fatty liver disease. Here we show that high-fat diet (HFD) feeding causes mitochondrial fragmentation in inguinal white adipocytes from male mice, leading to reduced oxidative capacity by a process dependent on the small GTPase RalA.

RalA expression and activity are increased in white adipocytes after HFD. Targeted deletion of RalA in white adipocytes prevents fragmentation of mitochondria and diminishes HFD-induced weight gain by increasing fatty acid oxidation.

Mechanistically, RalA increases fission in adipocytes by reversing the inhibitory Ser637 phosphorylation of the fission protein Drp1, leading to more mitochondrial fragmentation. Adipose tissue expression of the human homolog of Drp1, DNM1L, is positively correlated with obesity and insulin resistance.

Thus, chronic activation of RalA plays a key role in repressing energy expenditure in obese adipose tissue by shifting the balance of mitochondrial dynamics toward excessive fission, contributing to weight gain and metabolic dysfunction.

Many Diseases Might Be Caused by Mitochondrial Dysfunction, 4 Ways to Prevent.

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Mitochondria have a double-membrane structure.

The impact of mitochondria on health has received increasing attention in recent years. Mitochondria affect the quality of life and the rate of aging; hence, protecting mitochondria can prevent aging and chronic diseases, and even fight cancer.

According to a paper in the journal Molecular Basis of Disease, metabolic abnormalities are prevalent in many chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, obesity, diabetes, and even cancer, and mitochondria play a central role in energy metabolism.

Mitochondria Are the Power Plants of the Cell

Mitochondria are small organelles in the cells. They are very small, typically between 0.75 and 3 microns, and cannot be seen under a microscope unless it is stained.

The number of mitochondria in each cell varies, ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Cells with high energy demands, such as liver cells and cardiac muscle cells, tend to have more mitochondria.

Mitochondria, aptly called a “cell’s power plant” and “energy factory,” is the main site of ATP (energy currency of the cell) production. Mitochondria use oxygen to further process glucose and fatty acids from food, thereby generating ATP that powers metabolic processes. Mitochondria in cells produce 90 percent of the energy our bodies need to function, according to the Molecular Basis of Disease paper. The average cell uses 10 billion ATP per day, while a typical adult requires 3.0×1025 ATP per day.

Mitochondria have a double-membrane structure.
Mitochondria have a double-membrane structure.

Mitochondria must function stably because our bodies cannot store ATP. At any given moment, a person has about 250 grams of ATP in their cells, which equates to 4.25 watts, or the energy stored in a single AA battery, and a healthy person will generate up to 1200 watts of energy per day.

Mitochondria also control apoptosis in cells.

Cells have life cycles; as they decline in function and become senescent, they enter a phase of destruction and clearance, also known as apoptosis.

Mitochondria determine which cells need to undergo apoptosis, in which case, they release a substance that activates the enzymes responsible for apoptosis, causing the cell to enter the apoptotic process.

Cancer cells can multiply and grow indefinitely because the apoptosis mechanism has failed. Apoptosis requires ATP; if the energy supply does not meet the cell’s needs, it cannot carry out the process.

Mitochondria also maintain the stability of calcium in the body and generate heat.

Mitochondria Are Susceptible to Damage and Are Associated With Various Diseases

Mitochondria are fragile. Mitochondrial function can be affected by factors such as viral infection, inflammation, certain nutrient deficiencies, chemical toxins, heavy metals, radiation, etc.

Mitochondria are also susceptible to oxidative damage from within—that is, damage caused by free radicals (also known as reactive oxygen species), a byproduct of mitochondrial metabolic processes. For example, mitochondria produce more energy when we eat, and more free radicals are generated as a result.

All of these factors will damage mitochondria or interfere with their ability to repair. When the mitochondria sense these threats, they will shut down the energy factories and alert the nucleus of the danger. At this point, mitochondrial function shifts from energy production to cellular defense.

Dr. Michael Chang, founder and attending physician of the Healed and Whole Clinic in California and the author of the book Mitochondrial Dysfunction: a Functional Medicine Approach to Diagnosis and Treatment, emphasized in an interview with The Epoch Times that the two functions of mitochondria are mutually exclusive, and they can only perform one of the two functions—once the energy-generating mechanism in the mitochondria changes or malfunctions, we are in trouble.

Cells with malfunctioning mitochondria will become starved of energy. The symptoms that people experience can vary greatly depending on the cell type.

These symptoms range from mild fatigue, sleep disturbances, decreased stamina, mood swings, and muscle and joint pain, to severe fatigue, brain fog, anxiety, depression, and heart and respiratory problems. Age-related degenerative conditions, such as hearing and vision loss and skin wrinkles, are also linked to mitochondria. Some other common diseases involving mitochondrial dysfunction include diabetes, cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative disease, aging, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, infertility, and even cancer.

According to Chang’s estimation, about 50 percent of his patients have mitochondrial dysfunction, and the symptoms of these patients are diverse. The first symptom may be fatigue, while other symptoms include hormonal imbalance, which occurs because cells lack the energy to function properly. Many people also develop brain fog, because the brain is a high-energy-consuming organ. Some people may also show symptoms of cardiac dysfunction, such as heart failure.

Ways to Prevent Mitochondrial Dysfunction

1. Try to stay away from harmful factors that damage mitochondria

This is the first thing to keep an eye on if you want to keep your mitochondria healthy. Avoid:

It should be noted that stress and negative emotions can also affect the health of mitochondria, and they should be dealt with promptly.

2. Take nutritional supplements that mitochondria need, such as coenzyme Q10

Coenzyme Q10 is a key cofactor required for the functioning of mitochondria and an important component of cellular respiration. It is also a powerful antioxidant that affects cell signaling, metabolism, and energy transport. Many clinical trials have proven that coenzyme Q10 promotes energy production and reduces fatigue.

In a Spanish study, patients with fibromyalgia were randomly divided into two groups, one of which took 300 mg of coenzyme Q10 per day for 40 days. Compared with the placebo group, the coenzyme Q10 group experienced an approximately 52 percent reduction in fibromyalgia symptoms, with the most significant reduction in pain at 52 percent, fatigue at 47 percent, and morning tiredness at 44 percent.

A meta-analysis published in August 2022 showed that coenzyme Q10 can significantly reduce fatigue. Moreover, the group that took only coenzyme Q10 demonstrated a significant fatigue-alleviating effect compared to those who also took other nutritional supplements.

3. Adopt a ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting

Aging-related diseases and many chronic diseases, including cancer, are linked in some way to mitochondrial dysfunction.

Thomas N. Seyfried, a well-known scholar in cancer research and a professor of biology at Boston College, said in an interview with The Epoch Times that cancer is not a genetic disease, but a metabolic disease; and cancer is the result of cellular metabolism disorder. The mitochondrial metabolism of cancer cells is different from the efficient aerobic respiration used by normal cells. It does not use oxygen and produces much less ATP, while cancer cells can only obtain energy by decomposing glucose and glutamine.

Chang mentioned in his book that diabetes can be reclassified as a metabolic disorder rather than an endocrine disease. This is because the root of the problem is not insulin resistance, but mitochondrial dysfunction. When mitochondria fail to function properly, the rate of fat oxidation and energy production will drop, resulting in fat accumulation in our muscles and liver. These fats are converted to lipid peroxides that are cytotoxic, which further damage the mitochondria. Decreased mitochondrial function in beta cells also slows insulin secretion, leading to impaired glucose tolerance, hyperglycemia, and eventually Type 2 diabetes.

The ketogenic diet switches the mitochondria from burning glucose to burning ketone bodies, which produces relatively less toxic substances in the form of free radicals. Ketone bodies are a relatively cleaner fuel for mitochondria. Furthermore, cancer cells cannot metabolize ketone bodies. Therefore, the purpose of the ketogenic diet is to cut off the rations of cancer cells so that cancer can be reversed.

Intermittent fasting is good for the mitochondria. This is because, if we are constantly eating, the mitochondria have to keep burning fuel. Chang described it as like leaving the car engine running all the time and producing a lot of exhaust even though you are not traveling. Mitochondria build up damaging free radicals when they are constantly working. Intermittent fasting also keeps blood from rushing to the digestive tract to aid digestion; the gut can rest and its cells have a chance to repair themselves.

In addition, intermittent fasting can stimulate cells and mitochondria to start autophagy—like performing a spring cleaning—and form new mitochondria.

In addition to choosing unprocessed, natural, and organic foods, Chang suggested that we should relax and eat slowly with gratitude at mealtimes, as it can reduce internal stress, protect mitochondria, and help digestion.

4. High-intensity interval training is more beneficial for mitochondria

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is good for mitochondrial health
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is good for mitochondrial health.

Chang said that compared with low- and medium-intensity exercise, high-intensity interval training is relatively more beneficial to mitochondria. Besides, short bursts of high- and low-temperature stimulation, such as in saunas and cold baths, can stimulate mitochondria and boost their function.

Exercises like a long jog on a treadmill are not necessarily ideal. Chang explained that this may elevate stress hormones and also exhaust the mitochondria due to prolonged work.

The Real Dangers of Electronic Devices and EMFs

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Story at-a-glance

  • Exposure to microwave radiation from cellphones, routers, cordless phones, smart meters, baby monitors and other wireless devices causes massive mitochondrial dysfunction due to free radical damage
  • Excessive free radicals triggered by low-frequency microwave exposure from wireless technologies have been linked to cardiac arrhythmias, anxiety, depression, autism, Alzheimer’s, infertility and more
  • In addition to remediating obvious EMF exposures, strategies that may help reduce the harmful effects of EMFs include optimizing your magnesium level, eating Nrf2-boosting foods and pulsing molecular hydrogen

By Dr. Mercola

I was recently interviewed by Dave Asprey when I visited his Bulletproof lab on Vancouver Island.1 In it, I review the real dangers of electromagnetic fields (EMFs) emitted by electronic devices. I will also do a more comprehensive lecture on this topic at Asprey’s Bulletproof Conference October 13 through 15 at the Pasadena Convention Center in Pasadena, California.

Avoiding excessive EMF exposure is an important component of optimizing mitochondrial health. In fact, this is going to be the topic of my next book. Like my latest best-seller, “Fat for Fuel,” which details my metabolic mitochondrial therapy program, I want the book on EMFs to be peer-reviewed by the leading scientists and researchers in the world who understand the truth and are free of industry corruption.

The key is to translate the science into clear and understandable language, and offer practical recommendations on how to remediate the problem. After all, we are swimming in an invisible ocean of EMFs just about everywhere you go these days. It’s near-impossible to avoid microwave exposure completely, but there are ways to reduced it, for sure.

Your Cellphone Is a Major Source of EMF Exposure

As noted by Asprey, his studio is hard-wired, and that’s one simple way to reduce exposure from Wi-Fi. You can also shut your Wi-Fi down whenever you’re not using it, and certainly at night when you’re sleeping. When using your cellphone, use the speaker phone and hold the phone 3 feet away from you, using a selfie stick. I’ve measured the radiation and you decrease your exposure by about 90 percent this way.

When not in use, make sure your cellphone is in airplane mode and/or keep it in a Faraday bag. These are just a few quick examples of how you can protect your health while still living in modern society. I have carefully measured the radiation coming from my phone and even when it is on and not calling someone the radiation doesn’t come down to safe ranges until I am 25 feet away, which is why I keep my phone in airplane mode most of the time and only use it for emergencies or when I am traveling.

It took me awhile to figure this out. I got rid of all the wireless devices and Wi-Fi in my house, yet the EMFs were still high. Then I finally realized that it was my phone (while on) that caused it. My levels dropped below 0.01 volts/meter once I put it in airplane mode. This is a key point. For nearly everyone reading this, the majority of the radiation you’re exposed to is not coming from the outside into your home; it’s coming from the items in your home.

Nonthermal Damage

Most of the radiation we’re exposed to today is microwave radiation, which does include radiation from your microwave oven. If you still have one, I recommend replacing it with a steam convection oven, which will heat your food just as quickly but far more safely. When you turn that microwave oven on, it will expose you to very dangerous microwave radiation at levels that are far in excess of your cellphone. We’re not talking about thermal (heat) damage here. We’re talking about nonthermal damage.

I recently interviewed Martin Pall, Ph.D., who has identified and published several papers describing the molecular mechanisms of how EMFs from cellphones and wireless technologies damage plants, animals and humans.2,3,4,5 Many studies have shown that when you’re exposed to EMFs, intracellular calcium increases. Pall also discovered a number of studies showing that you can block or greatly reduce the effects of EMFs using calcium channel blockers — medication commonly prescribed to patients with heart disease.

This turns out to be a crucial point, because it’s the excess calcium in the cell and the increased calcium signaling that are responsible for a vast majority of the biological effects of EMFs.

Pall has discovered no less than 26 papers showing that EMFs work by activating voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs), which are located in the outer membrane of your cells. Once activated, they allow a tremendous influx of calcium into the cell — about 1 million calcium ions per second per VGCC.

Importantly, the cellular membrane is 7 million times more sensitive to EMFs than the charged particles inside and outside of the cells, which are what safety standards are based on. In other words, the safety standards are off by a factor of 7 million!

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A Chain Reaction of Harm

When there’s excess calcium in the cell, it increases levels of both nitric oxide (NO) and superoxide. While NO has many beneficial health effects, massively excessive NO reacts with superoxide, forming peroxynitrite, which is an extremely potent oxidant stressor.

Peroxynitrites, in turn, break down to form reactive free radicals, both reactive nitrogen species and reactive oxygen species (ROS), including hydroxyl radicals, carbonate radicals and NO2 radicals — all three of which do damage. Peroxynitrites also do damage all on their own.

So, EMFs are not “cooking” your cells. It’s not a thermal influence. Rather, the radiation activates the VGCCs in the outer cell membrane, which triggers a chain reaction of devastating events that, ultimately, decimates your mitochondrial function and causes severe cellular damage and DNA breaks. It also decimates your cell membranes and cellular proteins. In a nutshell, it dramatically accelerates the aging process.

Common EMF-Related Health Problems

As noted by Asprey, he used to keep his cellphone in a pants pocket on his right leg. He now has 10 percent less bone density in his right femur, which he believes is related to carrying his cellphone there. Needless to say, he no longer carries his phone on his body. Now, since the biological damage is triggered by activation of your VGCCs, it stands to reason that tissues with the highest densities of VGCCs will be more prone to harm.

So, which tissues have the highest concentration of VGCC’s? Your brain, the pacemaker of your heart, your nervous system, retina and male testes. Indeed, studies dating back to the 1950s and ’60s show the nervous system is the organ that is most sensitive to EMFs. Some of these studies show massive changes in the structure of neurons, including cell death and synaptic dysfunction.

When the VGCCs are activated in the brain they release neurotransmitters and neuroendocrine hormones, and elevated VGCC activity in certain parts of the brain has been shown to produce a variety of neuropsychiatric effects. Among the most common consequences of chronic EMF exposure to the brain are: 6

Common heart problems linked to EMF exposure include:

  • Cardiac arrhythmias (associated with sudden cardiac death)
  • Atrial fibrillation / atrial flutter
  • Premature atrial contractions (PACs) and premature ventricular contractions (PVCs), also known as heart palpitations
  • Tachycardia (fast heartbeat) and brachycardia (slow heartbeat)

Many who suffer these conditions are on dangerous drugs. If you have any kind of heart or brain-related condition, you really need to take EMF exposure seriously, and take steps to remediate it. There’s simply no question about it — EMF exposure can trigger these and many other conditions. The drug is not treating the cause of the problem, and if you truly want to get well, you need to address the causes. EMFs may not be the sole contributor, but it’s a significant one that should not be overlooked.

Reproductive Effects and Cancer

EMF exposure may also increase a man’s risk for infertility if he wears his cellphones near his groin and/or uses a laptop on his lap, and a woman’s risk for breast cancer is higher if she tucks her cellphone in her bra. Studies have linked low-level electromagnetic radiation (EMR) exposure from cellphones to an 8 percent reduction in sperm motility and a 9 percent reduction in sperm viability.7,8

Wi-Fi equipped laptop computers have also been linked to decreased sperm motility and an increase in sperm DNA fragmentation after just four hours of use.9 In regard to breast cancer, the most common location for breast cancer is the upper, outer quadrant. When the cancer is located in the upper, inner quadrant, it’s more likely to be related to cellphone radiation (if you’ve been carrying your phone in your bra).

How to Lower Your Exposure

The first step to lower your exposure would be to identify the most significant sources. Your cellphone is a major source of exposure, as are cordless phones, Wi-Fi routers, Bluetooth headsets and other Bluetooth-equipped items, wireless mice, keyboards, smart thermostats, baby monitors, smart meters and the microwave in your kitchen. Ideally, address each source and determine how you can best limit their use. For example, remedial interventions could include:

Swapping a wireless baby monitor for a hardwired one
Carrying your cellphone in a bag instead of on your body, and keeping it in airplane mode and/or in a Faraday (shielded) bag or case when not on a call
Turning off your Wi-Fi at night. Even better, don’t use Wi-Fi and switch to wired Ethernet
Using your laptop on a table rather than your lap
Using your cellphone with a headset or on speaker phone, and keeping the phone as far away from your body as possible using a selfie stick. Ideally, use landlines whenever possible
Hardwiring as many devices as possible to avoid Wi-Fi fields. This includes mice, keyboards and printers. Avoid Ethernet over power (EOP), however, as this strategy increases the variability in your power lines, causing dirty electricity. You can partially remediate this with capacitors or filters, but it’s not an ideal solution. EOP is better than Wi-Fi, but not as good as running an Ethernet cable
Installing a Faraday cage (copper- and/or silver-threaded fabric) around your bed. If you live in a high-rise and have neighbors beneath you, place the Faraday fabric on the floor beneath your bed as well. This may significantly improve your sleep quality, as EMFs are known to disrupt sleep
If you have a smart meter, take steps to have it removed and replaced with an old analog meter. If your area is planning on installing them, be proactive in preventing its installation. For more information about this and guidance on how to go about preventing smart meter installation or getting it reversed, see “InPower: A Mass Action of Liability“

To identify EMF sources you might not have considered, it would be a worthwhile investment to buy a microwave meter. The Cornet ED88T10 is likely the best low cost meter out there, but their manual is terrible so you need to watch this video by Lloyd Burrell to learn how to use it.

When I travel, I’ll check the room in which I’m staying to determine the best side of the bed to sleep on. I’ve found there can be a tenfold difference between one side of the bed and the other. The Trifield meter is quite popular, but it’s important to realize that Trifield meters are only good for screening for magnetic fields. Although they measure microwave radiation, they can be very inaccurate and should not be used for that purpose.

Nutritional Intervention

Nutritional intervention can also help reduce the harmful effects of EMFs. It’s not a permanent solution you can use in lieu of remediation, but it can be helpful while you’re implementing more permanent solutions. The first is magnesium, as magnesium is a natural calcium channel blocker. Many are deficient in magnesium to start with, and I believe many may benefit from as much as 1 to 2 grams of magnesium per day.

Increasing Nrf2 is also helpful. NRf2 is a biological hormetic that upregulates superoxide dismutase, catalase and all the other beneficial intercellular antioxidants. It also:

  • Lowers inflammation
  • Improves mitochondrial function
  • Stimulates mitochondrial biogenesis
  • Helps detoxify the body from xenobiotics, carbon-containing toxicants and toxic metals
  • Activates the transcription of over 500 genes in the human genome, most of which have cytoprotective functions. This includes the three genes that encode enzymes required for synthesis of reduced glutathione, which is one of the most important antioxidants produced in your body

You can activate Nrf2 by:

  • Consuming Nrf2-boosting food compounds such as sulforaphane from cruciferous vegetables, foods high in phenolic antioxidants, the long-chained omega-3 fats DHA and EPA, carotenoids (especially lycopene), sulfur compounds from allum vegetables, isothiocyanates from the cabbage group and terpenoid-rich foods
  • High-intensity exercises that activate the NO signaling pathway, such as the NO dump exercise
  • Calorie restriction (such as intermittent fasting)

The Benefits of Molecular Hydrogen

Another helpful supplement is molecular hydrogen. Tyler LeBaron’s website, molecularhydrogenfoundation.org,11 lists several hundred studies relating to hydrogen. You can also find a number of his lectures on YouTube. In summary, molecular hydrogen consists of two atoms of hydrogen, the smallest molecule in the universe, which:

  • Is a neutral molecule that can defuse across any cell membrane, instantly
  • Has no polarity
  • Is a potent, selective antioxidant

Free radicals are actually important; they do serve health functions. The problem is excess free radicals, or the wrong ones. Molecular hydrogen has been shown to target free radicals produced in response to radiation, such as peroxynitrites. Studies have shown molecular hydrogen can mitigate about 80 percent of this damage. The take home message is it can be quite valuable when flying, for example, to counteract the damage caused by gamma rays encountered at 35,000 feet.

Your body actually makes hydrogen gas, about 10 liters a day, which benefits your body. However, when you have a steady state of exposure, you don’t get the other benefits, so you want to pulse it. That’s where you get the benefit. I’ve taken molecular hydrogen tablets on my last few flights, and it worked great. There are a number of different ways to get it, but the most practical way is to take molecular hydrogen tablets.

Once you’re at about 5,000 to 10,000 feet, put the tablet in a small bottle of lukewarm water. Put the cap back on and leave it on while the tablet dissolves to prevent the gas from escaping. Once dissolved, drink it as quickly as possible. The hydrogen gas will continue working for about two hours, so if you’re on a longer flight, you may want to do a second dose halfway through.