When the power plants struggle

Step 1: Mitochondria struggle

Welcome. Over six short parts I'll walk you around one loop, one step at a time. It's a simplified model, but it explains why a single problem in the body so often turns into several.

The loop starts in your mitochondria, the tiny power plants inside your cells. When they struggle to make energy efficiently, they can leak extra free radicals, which are unstable molecules that can damage what's around them.

That's step 1. What happens next is the rest of the series.

In your labs

A few things mitochondria need in order to work well:

Iron. It sits at the center of the machinery that makes energy. Too little can slow things down, and too much can add to the free-radical problem, so a lab number is more useful than a guess.
CoQ10. It helps carry electrons through the energy chain.
PQQ. It's a nutrient studied for its role in mitochondrial support.

The lab to look at first is ferritin and the iron panel. If you have recent labs, the lab tool lets you see where your numbers land.

Read about iron →See where your labs land →

Next, in Part 2: What happens to your body's antioxidants when the free radicals keep coming.

Educational information only — not medical advice. Lab testing and any supplementation decisions should be made with a qualified healthcare provider who knows your personal health history. Research findings vary by population, dose, form, and study quality.

Some links go to Fullscript, where I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend supplements I've either used myself or seen work in my clients' lab data. Results vary from person to person.