Ever wonder

Why you are like your mother

It’s said that precious things come in small packages, and there’s no better example than mitochondria. Each cell in our body contains up to 2,000 mitochondria and, although tiny, they make up to 60 percent of the volume of muscle cells and 40 percent of heart cells.

But what does this have to do with your mother?  Here’s the point. Mitochondria have their own genetic material. But unlike the DNA in the cell’s nucleus, which comes from both parents, mitochondria DNA is passed down from mother to child.

Tory Hagen, a researcher at the Linus Pauling Institute in Corvallis, Oregon, says, “Mitochondria have been called the Achilles’ heal of the cells in aging”. Having healthy mitochondria is like having a robust engine room in each cell.  But these tiny mitochondria furnaces are continually using oxygen to burn fat, protein and carbohydrates to generate energy. This oxidation process results in the formation of free radicals, the metabolic ash, that can damage mitochondria.

Researcher at York University in Toronto, says exercise can increase the number of mitochondria by 40 to 50 percent in six weeks. It’s necessary to walk, run, bicycle or swim briskly for 20 minutes three to four times a week and you must continue these exercises to maintain healthy mitochondria and younger muscles.

And don’t forget to thank your mother for your mitochondria.