More People Seek to Give Their Aging, Tired Mitochondria a Boost
Tiny structures found in cells throughout the body are responsible for generating most of the energy needed to sustain human life and health. These mitochondria convert fats and other energy-rich fuels into a substance called adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, that cells use to power their other activities. As a person grows older, mitochondria throughout the body become less effective at carrying out this fundamentally important work. Tired, aging mitochondria can contribute to any of a wide range of health problems associated with aging since the energy required to avoid them is no longer as readily, reliably available. Some people believe supplying mitochondria with fuel that is especially easy to consume will minimize the impact of aging-related degradation. The members of a family of fatty acids known as the medium-chain triglycerides, or MCTs, for instance, can be quite readily converted into ATP by mitochondria at any stage of life. The reason for this is that MCTs are less s