Nutri-Ayur as Energy Enhancer
摘要
Mitochondria are an organelle that is considered as a powerhouse of the cell and provides energy to perform their normal functions in our body and it is present in most of the Eukaryotes. This power generator converts Oxygen and nutrients into ATP (Adenosine triphosphate) which is responsible to carry out all the metabolic activities of the cells. As stated, earlier Mitochondria are present in all Eukaryotic organisms but the human body needs a large amount of energy to carry out all the activities in the body so, their proper and adequate functioning is required to survive. A cell may contain a single to thousand Mitochondria to perform its functions. Thus, the altered content or function of mitochondria in cells may lead to compromised energy levels and various diseases, depending on which organ is affected. A large number of studies also support that mitochondria health is a good place to begin improving the energy level in different organs. The main factors which may help in improving mitochondrial health are the optimum level of protein, lipids, antioxidants, vitamins etc. It is observed that the use of ayurvedic nutrition and lifestyle changes can improve mitochondrial health by increasing the availability of proteins needed for ATP production. Different nutrients, which are sources of methyl groups (direct/indirect), may further alter the epigenetics of the mitochondrial genome and thus may affect the expression of important proteins involved in oxidative phosphorylation. Ayurveda, a traditional system of medicine that originated over three millennia ago in the South Asian region, offers extensive insights about food and health based on certain unique conceptual as well as theoretical positions. There is a plethora of information available that supports the use of ayurvedic nutrition for the improvement of mitochondrial metabolism, thus enabling its use in the treatment/management of several diseases/disorders. In this chapter, we initially provide an overview of mitochondrial metabolism and its role in human health and disease. The later sections explain the use of various ayurvedic nutrients and their effect on mitochondrial metabolism as an energy enhancer. The last section summarizes the significant studies highlighting the use of ayurvedic nutrients for the management of human health and diseases as well as their commercial availability.