The secondary title of the book is: The Key to Understanding Disease, Chronic Illness, Aging, and Life Itself. We have known for some time now that Mitochondrial health is the key to energy, health and aging. Why this does not receive more attention in the front-line medical system is beyond insane, especially with that we all have been dealing with in 2020-2021.
I cannot recall how I came across this book, if it was a podcast interview with the author or a recommendation from someone, but I found it very insightful and here is my quick review on it.
The author is obviously a fan of the Star Wars movies as he named the three long chapters in the book based upon “The Force”, which is actually a very good way of looking at Mitochondria, as they are the life force within each of us.
The first part of the book is very science heavy with setting up the background and understanding of Cell Biology, Cellular Respiration, the Electron Transport Chain etc. Towards the end of the first section the author discusses the now discarded theories of aging and introduces the Mitochondrial Theory of Aging which is growing and gaining more and more acceptance.
The second part of the book discusses and reviews Bioenergetics, ATP production and turnover, and most importantly, the role Mitochondria play in nearly every disease or condition you can think of. There are some very handy reference charts that I flagged, including: A) Medications Documented to Induce Mitochondrial Damage, B) Signs, Symptoms, and Diseases associated with Mitochondrial Dysfunction C) Inherited Conditions that Implicate Mitochondrial Dysfunction and D) Maternally Inherited Mitochondrial Disorders Caused by mtDNA Mutations.
The last section of the book discusses the nutritional and lifestyle factors for Mitochondrial health. And also provides the evidence for some supplement recommendations. Luckily, I already take most, but there are a few others I am considering adding to my and my wife’s stack. The author ends off by bring all the concepts introduced together in a nice conclusion.
As I have reiterated many times before in previous book reviews, I always appreciate thorough sourcing, which this book did have.
While the beginning of the book does get a little technical if it has been a while since you took a biology or chemistry class, it is not that bad, and at right around 200 pages is actually a very easy read. However, do not take the length of the book to be any indication of its depth. This book goes deep and will become a resource as I work with clients who may have various Mitochondrial conditions, and really most everyone does.
I highly recommend this book. And if you want to learn more about how to work with me, click here.
