Mitochondrial Energy Production

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Mitochondria are specialized structures found inside nearly every cell in the human body. Often called the cell’s power plants, their primary job is to take the nutrients from the food we eat and the oxygen we breathe and convert them into the actual chemical energy our bodies use to function — this is what is meant by mitochondrial energy production. When these power plants are healthy and coordinated, they provide a steady stream of power. When they’re out of sync — as can happen in bipolar disorder — they can cause “brownouts” (fatigue) or “surges” (cellular stress) regardless of how much food-energy they’ve converted. The issue often isn’t a lack of power plants, but rather how they’re managed.