The Key to More Energy: Nourish Your Mitochondria

By David N. Ilfeld, M.D.
Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Rheumatology, Allergy & Immunology, & NSI Scientific Advisory Board Member

August 02, 2007 - Not having enough energy is a common complaint that occurs for a number of reasons including lack of sleep, poor diet and poor mood. Products containing caffeine or stimulants may give you a short-term boost, but addressing energy at a cellular level may be a better long-term solution. Your cells contain structures called mitochondria, which are tiny "power houses" that produce the energy which fuels your entire body. Mitochondrial performance may be improved with help from certain nutrients. Please read more here >>>

You may often feel tired and fatigued. This fatigue may be due to emotional problems (such as excessive worries or poor mood), sleep disorders and/or physical problems. Particularly, as people get older they tend to suffer more from fatigue. Is there something we can do to help with fatigue? 

One frequently overlooked cause of fatigue is a low or borderline-low level of vitamin B12. The best response for this is a high dosage of vitamin B12, either orally or sublingually (a small tablet under the tongue which is absorbed in the veins under the tongue). Ideally, methylcobalamin, which is the neuro-active form of vitamin B12, should be used. Taking folic acid together with vitamin B12 may be even more effective.

Poor mood is very common and is often undiagnosed and untreated. Physicians and therapists can usually help people with chronic poor mood. But many people with fatigue do not have major emotional problems, sleep disorders or a specific physical illness.

A frequent cause of non-specific fatigue, especially as we get older, is the decreased ability of cells to produce energy. Approximately 95% of energy production occurs in "power houses" called mitochondria, located inside each cell. Mitochondria have their own membranes and their own RNA and DNA (genetic material). Mitochondria produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP) which is the main chemical for storing energy; however, this process also causes the production of free radicals which damage mitochondrial function.

Is there something to try to improve mitochondrial energy production? Yes! Acetyl L-carnitine is a nutrient that helps transport long-chain fatty acids (fats) into mitochondria and increases mitochondrial energy production. Acetyl L-carnitine should not be taken alone because it increases oxidative stress from free radicals1.

Alpha lipoic acid is a powerful "universal" antioxidant which acts in fat-soluble and water-soluble areas of our bodies. Antioxidants interact with free radicals and become inactive. Alpha lipoic acid can recycle inactive antioxidants (such as vitamin C, vitamin E, coenzyme Q10 or other molecules of alpha lipoic acid) back into active antioxidants. Alpha lipoic acid also assists with the metabolism of glucose (sugar).

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley have done exciting research showing that feeding old rats a combination of acetyl L-carnitine and alpha lipoic acid can improve mitochondrial function while protecting from oxidative stress from free radicals1. Old rats fed with acetyl L-carnitine and alpha lipoic acid had more motor activity1. They also had one-third the motor activity compared to young rats1. Furthermore, old rats given acetyl L-carnitine and alpha lipoic acid had improved memory2. In these experiments, the combination of acetyl L-carnitine together with alpha lipoic acid was better than giving either acetyl L-carnitine or alpha lipoic acid. Acetyl L-carnitine should always be taken together with alpha lipoic acid.

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is needed by mitochondria for electron transfer in order to produce chemical energy (ATP). CoQ10 is another powerful antioxidant which can also protect mitochondria from free radical damage. Levels of CoQ10 in the body drop dramatically with age. The combination of CoQ10 with acetyl L-carnitine and alpha lipoic acid may be best for improving mitochondrial energy production while protecting from free radical damage.

Nutraceutical Sciences Institute® (NSI®) has a new product called Mitochondrial Energy Booster which supplies a high dose of neuro-active vitamin B12 (methylcobalamin) with folic acid; vitamin E, B-complex and magnesium (which are important for energy production); and benfotiamine (which can protect from free radicals forming advanced glycation end-products which can damage cells).
Most importantly, Mitochondrial Energy Booster contains 200 mg of CoQ10, 300 mg of alpha lipoic acid and 1,000 mg of acetyl L-carnitine. These are effective dosages which may help you to improve and protect mitochondrial energy production and may increase mental and physical energy. CoQ10 is fat-soluble; so for optimal absorption, Mitochondrial Energy Booster should be taken as two capsules twice daily with meals which include fat—preferably a healthy fat such as extra-virgin olive oil.

CoQ10 is important for cardiovascular health. It's also important for promoting neurological health. Acetyl L-carnitine also promotes cardiovascular and neurological health. Furthermore, alpha lipoic acid may help promote neurological health. These subjects have been covered extensively by Dr. Allen S. Josephs in his For Your Health newsletters. The combination of CoQ10 together with acetyl L-carnitine and alpha lipoic acid may be even more effective for promoting cardiovascular health as well as neurological health.

Mitochondrial Energy Booster also has an effective dosage 800 IU of vitamin D-3 (cholecalciferol) which is important for healthy bones, protection from abnormal cell growth, immune health as well as cardiovascular and neurological health (see the recent series of Dr. Josephs' Newsletters on vitamin D-3 and the New England Journal of Medicine review article3).

In my clinical practice, I've seen people with non-specific fatigue increase energy levels by taking effective dosages of CoQ10, alpha lipoic acid and acetyl L-carnitine together with B-complex, magnesium and other nutrients. If you have fatigue, look at the possible causes, consider getting professional care and consider taking NSI® Mitochondrial Energy Booster.

1. Hagen TM, Liu J, Lykkesfeldt J, Wehr CM, Ingersoll RT, Vinarsky V, Bartholomew JC, Ames BN. Feeding acetyl-L-carnitine and lipoic acid to old rats significantly improves metabolic function while decreasing oxidative stress. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2002 Feb 19;99(4):1870-5. 
2. Liu J, Head E, Gharib AM, Yuan W, Ingersoll RT, Hagen TM, Cotman CW, Ames BN. Memory loss in old rats is associated with brain mitochondrial decay and RNA/DNA oxidation: partial reversal by feeding acetyl-L-carnitine and/or R-alpha -lipoic acid. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2002 Feb 19;99(4):2356-61. 
3. Holick MF. Vitamin D deficiency. N Engl J Med. 2007 Jul 19;357(3):266-81.