Mitochondria May Hold Keys to Anxiety and Mental Health

[InitialConditions]

https://www.quantamagazine.org/mitochondria-may-hold-keys-to-anxiety-and-mental-health-20200810/

Research hints that the energy-generating organelles of cells may play a surprisingly pivotal role in mediating anxiety and depression.

 

[Legend]

Very interesting. I liked the focus on body -> mind for once in psychology.
Until:
"Picard is more skeptical about the potential of developing drug therapies aimed at mitochondria. As an alternative, he suggests that behavioral interventions based on mitochondrial function, such as exercise, could be the way to go. Exercise, he says, may be" the best thing you can do for your mitochondria.”

The treatment of mitochondrial dysfunction therefore seems to be recommended through GET, and we are back to psychology's tunnel vision again.

 

[NelliePledge]

Exercise the panacea

 

[Mithriel]

Humans have evolved to only have as many mitochondria as they need. When we do not have enough the byproducts of anaerobic respiration kill off mitochondria which stimulates an increase. This is called getting fit.

So it makes a certain sense. In fact it could be one of the reasons that exercise can lessen depression.

The problem with using it for mitochondrial dysfunction is that getting more inefficient mitochondria may make things worse. Ageing is thought by some to be because the quality of the mitochondria gets worse as when the cell divides it is chance which mitochondria go to the new cell, might be good ones, might be not so good.

This is a trite statement about a stunningly complex biological system.

 

[rvallee]

As an alternative, he suggests that behavioral interventions based on mitochondrial function, such as exercise, could be the way to go. Exercise, he says, may be" the best thing you can do for your mitochondria.”

That's not a thing any more than detoxing is a thing. WTAH? Medicine is devolving into pure quackery.