Between TikTok wellness creators and AI tools like ChatGPT, there’s no shortage of advice on what vitamins and nutrients you should take. However, going down that rabbit hole can be expensive and risky.
Spending money on supplements you don’t need is the best-case outcome. The worst case is overconsuming certain nutrients, which can cause harm.
Fat-soluble vitamins such as A, D, E, and K accumulate in your body and become toxic at high doses. Too much iron damages organs. Excess calcium contributes to kidney stones and cardiovascular problems.
The idea that more is better when it comes to vitamins and supplements is dangerous, and the internet is bad at communicating that. The right way to determine what your body needs is an assessment by a specialist who knows your blood work, health history, lifestyle, and goals.
Dr. Amit Kapoor, a longevity medicine specialist at ARA Integrative and Functional Medicine in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, identifies what your body is missing and creates a nutrition and supplement plan to fit your needs.
If you want to optimize your health at a cellular level, that’s where to start. Here, we cover how mitochondria boost energy and longevity, and which vitamins and nutrients help.
Mitochondria are the structures in cells responsible for producing energy. Every time your heart beats, your brain fires a thought, or your muscles contract, mitochondria make it possible.
Mitochondria also play a role in regulating inflammation, controlling cell death, and managing your body’s response to stress. When they function well, your body has the energy and resilience to operate at its best.
When mitochondrial function declines, it results in fatigue, cognitive decline, slower recovery, and a higher risk of chronic disease. Decline happens naturally with age and is accelerated by poor diet, chronic stress, sedentary behavior, and environmental toxins.
Supporting mitochondrial function through nutrition is one of the most well-researched areas in longevity science, and the evidence for several specific nutrients is strong.
Low CoQ10 levels are associated with fatigue, muscle weakness, and reduced cellular energy output. Supplementing with CoQ10, particularly in its more bioavailable form, ubiquinol, has been shown to support mitochondrial energy production and reduce oxidative stress in cells.
The appropriate dose varies, depending on your age, health status, and medications — one of many reasons this isn’t something to self-prescribe based on a TikTok recommendation.
NAD can’t be taken directly as a supplement, but its precursors, NMN and NR, convert into NAD in the body. Both have attracted significant research interest in recent years, and early studies show promising results for energy, cellular repair, and metabolic health.
The evidence, while encouraging, is still developing. Getting a baseline assessment of your NAD-related markers before investing in these supplements is crucial.
Despite how fundamental it is, magnesium is one of the most common nutritional deficiencies in adults. Poor soil quality means that even a diet rich in vegetables and whole grains often doesn’t provide adequate amounts. Chronic stress depletes magnesium further.
Symptoms of deficiency include fatigue, muscle cramps, poor sleep, and difficulty concentrating, which overlap with the symptoms of mitochondrial dysfunction.
Several forms of magnesium are available as supplements, and they’re not interchangeable.
Magnesium glycinate is well absorbed and gentle on the digestive system. Magnesium oxide, the most widely available form, is poorly absorbed and largely ineffective. Knowing which form you need and in what dose requires more than a quick internet search.
B vitamins are water-soluble, which means that your body doesn’t store them and that you must replenish them regularly through diet or supplementation.
While B vitamin toxicity is less of a concern than with fat-soluble vitamins, taking high-dose B vitamin supplements without knowing your baseline levels can still cause problems. High-dose B6, for example, causes nerve damage when taken in excess over time.
Omega-3 fatty acids support mitochondrial function by maintaining the integrity of the mitochondrial membrane, which affects how efficiently energy is produced. They also reduce systemic inflammation, a main driver of mitochondrial dysfunction and accelerated aging.
Fatty fish, flaxseeds, and walnuts are good dietary sources, but many people don’t consume enough through diet alone.
The nutrients that support mitochondrial function and longevity are well-researched, but getting the right ones in the right amounts isn’t something the internet can tell you.
ARA Integrative and Functional Medicine is the right place to figure out what you actually need. Schedule a consultation online or call our Philadelphia-area office at 610-358-3300 today.
