Lee Know - Mitochondria and the Future of Medicine: The Key to Understanding Disease, Chronic Illness, Aging, and Life Itself

PRAISE FOR MITOCHONDRIA AND THE FUTURE OF MEDICINE

The topic of mitochondria may seem dry and uninteresting to the uninitiated, but this book makes mitochondria come to life with vivid descriptions accessible even to those with no training in biology. From infertility to aging to cancer and neurological disease, Dr. Lee Know will teach you that mitochondria play a central role in much that we care about in health and disease.

STEPHANIE SENEFF , PhD, senior research scientist, MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory

In 1991, when faced with my own health challenges, mitochondria became front and center in my quest for health. Over the last two and a half decades, more and more researchers and clinicians are finding themselves interested in these little powerhouses and proclaiming themselves mitochondriacs. Dr. Lee Know does a brilliant job shedding light on this once ignored organelle and shows us how to care for our most important metabolic system.

DR. NASHA WINTERS , coauthor of The Metabolic Approach to Cancer

Mitochondria and the Future of Medicine is a tour de force of mitochondria and human health. When it comes to curing chronic disease and extending longevity, its not an understatement to say that the content of this book will be shaping the future of medicine.

ARI WHITTEN , best-selling author and creator of The Energy Blueprint

In Mitochondria and the Future of Medicine , Dr. Lee Know takes the mystery out of the evolving science surrounding mitochondria. Here, he clearly and concisely describes mitochondrial structure and function while presenting us with multiple examples of why healthy mitochondria are so crucial to our overall health. Without conjecture or overreach, Dr. Know also provides the rationale behind nutritional strategies that have great potential to improve the status of our mitochondria, a central tenet of healthy aging.

MIRIAM KALAMIAN , author of Keto for Cancer

Copyright 2018 by Lee Know.

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be transmitted or reproduced in any form by any means without permission in writing from the publisher.

Originally self published in Canada by Lee Know, ND, in 2014 as Life: The Epic Story of Our Mitochondria .

Project Manager: Patricia Stone

Developmental Editor: Makenna Goodman

Copy Editor: Deborah Heimann

Proofreader: Nanette Bendyna

Indexer: Linda Hallinger

Designer: Melissa Jacobson

Printed in the United States of America.

First printing February, 2018.

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Chelsea Green sees publishing as a tool for cultural change and ecological stewardship. We strive to align our book manufacturing practices with our editorial mission and to reduce the impact of our business enterprise in the environment. We print our books and catalogs on chlorine-free recycled paper, using vegetable-based inks whenever possible. This book might cost slightly more because it was printed on paper that contains recycled fiber, and we hope youll agree that its worth it. Chelsea Green is a member of the Green Press Initiative ( www.greenpressinitiative.org ), a nonprofit coalition of publishers, manufacturers, and authors working to protect the worlds endangered forests and conserve natural resources. Mitochondria and the Future of Medicine was printed on paper supplied by Thomson-Shore that contains 100% postconsumer recycled fiber.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Know, Lee, 1976- author.

Title: Mitochondria and the future of medicine : the key to understanding disease, chronic illness, aging, and life itself / Lee Know, ND.

Description: White River Junction, Vermont : Chelsea Green Publishing, [2018] | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2017044901| ISBN 9781603587679 (pbk.) | ISBN 9781603587686 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: MitochondriaPopular works. | Mitochondrial pathology--Popular works. | BISAC: MEDICAL / Microbiology. | SCIENCE / Life Sciences / Cytology. | MEDICAL / Holistic Medicine.

Classification: LCC QH603.M5 K56 2018 | DDC 571.6/57dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017044901

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CONTENTS

DISCLAIMER: Neither the author nor the publisher is engaged in rendering professional advice or services to the individual reader. The information in this book is for educational purposes only and not to be construed as medical advice. It is not meant to diagnose, or in any way replace, qualified medical supervision. For any medical conditions, each individual is recommended to consult with a health care provider before using any information, idea, or products discussed. Neither author nor publisher shall be liable or responsible for any loss or damage allegedly arising from any information or suggestion in this book. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information presented, neither the author nor publisher assumes any responsibility for errors.

CHAPTER ONE

The Force

The Origins and Evolution of Mitochondria in Human Physiology

Without the midi-chlorians, life could not exist, and we would have no knowledge of the Force. They continually speak to us, telling us the will of the Force. When you learn to quiet your mind, youll hear them speaking to you.

Star Wars: Episode IThe Phantom Menace , Qui-Gon Jinn to Anakin Skywalker

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, there were intelligent microscopic life forms called midi-chlorians that lived symbiotically inside the cells of all living things. When present in sufficient numbers, they allowed their symbiotic host to detect the pervasive energy field known as the Force. Midi-chlorian counts were linked to ones potential in the Force, ranging from normal human levels of 2,500 per cell to the much higher levels in a Jedi. The highest known midi-chlorian count (over 20,000 per cell) belonged to Jedi Anakin Skywalker.

Present in all life, midi-chlorians are the same on every world that supports lifein fact, midi-chlorians are necessary for life to exist. In sufficient numbers, midi-chlorians will allow their host organism to detect the Force, and this connection can be strengthened by quieting ones mind, allowing the midi-chlorians to speak to their host and communicate the will of the Force.

For many reading this book, Im sure youre thinking, What... the... has he gone completely sideways? What the heck am I talking about? Well, science fiction fansand the generation(s) who grew up in the era of Star Wars might have a better chance at guessing that midi-chlorians are a creation of George Lucas... or are they?

Midi-chlorians were first conceived by George Lucas as early as 1977. At this time, Lucas sat down with a member of his staff to dictate a number of guidelines for these works, explaining various concepts of his universe. Among them was an explanation of midi-chlorians (even though Lucas did not feel he had the time or opportunity to introduce the concept until 1999, when it was first mentioned during Star Wars: Episode IThe Phantom Menace ). Explaining why some were sensitive to the Force while others were not was an issue that he needed to addressan issue that he had left unresolved since the original film Star Wars .

Midi-chlorians in Star Wars: Episode 1The Phantom Menace are part of a recurring theme throughout the moviethat of symbiotic relationships. Whats fascinating to me is that midi-chlorians were loosely based on mitochondria, organelles that provide energy for cells on our nonscience fiction, real-world planet. Like midi-chlorians, mitochondria are believed to have once been separate organisms that inhabited living cells and to have since become part of them; even now, mitochondria act in some ways as independent life forms, with their own DNA.