What are mitochondria?
Mitochondria are tiny structures inside almost all our cells. They are essential for keeping our cells—and our whole body—healthy and working well.
What do mitochondria do in our cells?
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Create energy from the food we eat, so all our body’s activities are possible.
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Help our cells respond to stress by noticing trouble and helping the cell adapt or protect itself.
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Decide when a cell needs fixing or replacing and help control when a cell should end its life (important for growth and disease prevention).
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Balance important signals in the cell to keep everything running smoothly.
How do mitochondria communicate with the cell?
Mitochondria and cells “talk” to each other:
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The cell sends messages to mitochondria, letting them know when extra energy is needed or if there’s a problem.
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Mitochondria answer back, helping the cell adjust, heal, or, if needed, shut down unhealthy parts for overall safety.
How do mitochondria help us handle stress?
When we’re under stress (physical, emotional, or from things like pollution), mitochondria help our cells survive. They sense when things aren’t right and signal the cell to take action—repairing damage, slowing down, or starting healing processes.
Do mitochondria affect our emotions and brain health?
Yes! Our brains need lots of energy, which comes from mitochondria. If mitochondria aren’t healthy, our brain and mood can suffer—leading to tiredness, low mood, trouble thinking, or more stress.
Where do we get our mitochondria from?
We inherit all our mitochondria from our mothers—not our fathers. This means your mitochondrial health is connected to your mother, grandmother, and all the women before you.
How can the experiences of past generations affect our mitochondria today?
Our mitochondria carry more than just energy—they also carry a history of how our mothers, grandmothers, and previous generations lived. If our ancestors experienced extreme hardships such as hunger, emotional pain, violence, discrimination, or living in conditions with little freedom, these stresses could cause lasting changes in their mitochondria. Science is showing us that some of these changes can be passed down through the maternal line. In a way, our mitochondria “remember” past generational traumas, and this can influence how resilient or sensitive we are to stress, both physically and emotionally, today.
What stresses harm our mitochondria—and how do life experiences play a role?
Mitochondria are sensitive to what happens in our lives. Stressful experiences like long-term emotional or physical hardship, lack of food or nutrition, exposure to toxins, and modern problems like pollution all place a burden on mitochondria. Some effects—especially from traumatic or major life events—can impact not only us but even be passed to children and grandchildren. This means the health and strength of our mitochondria reflect both our own lives and the challenges faced by our ancestors.
Can mitochondria be restored or improved?
Yes! Our bodies have an amazing ability to heal and adapt. Cells can actually make new mitochondria—a process called “mitochondrial biogenesis”—especially when we take care of ourselves.
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In a typical healthy cell, there can be hundreds to thousands of mitochondria, depending on the cell’s job. Muscle and brain cells—cells that need lots of energy—usually have the most.
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Different people naturally have different amounts of mitochondria, depending on genetics, age, physical activity, overall stress, and even how we were nurtured as children.
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The good news: Even if our mitochondria or our ancestors’ mitochondria experienced trauma, we can help restore and build healthier ones through our choices now!
How can I support the health and number of my mitochondria? Can practices like meditation help?
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Physical activity signals to your body to make more mitochondria in muscle and brain cells.
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Nutritious food—especially colorful fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, and proteins—feeds mitochondria what they need to function and repair.
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Rest and sleep give mitochondria time to recover.
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Meditation, mindfulness, and relaxation practices have been shown to reduce stress signals in the body. Lower stress helps protect mitochondria from the damage done by chronic anxiety and tension, and may even support healing and healthy communication between your cells.
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Managing life’s toxins and pollution as best as possible further protects these vital cell managers.
Mitochondria can be challenged by the struggles of our ancestors and our own lives—but with the right care, rest, movement, and nurturing, we can help our cells create more and healthier mitochondria, restoring some of what was lost and supporting our own healing and resilience.