Harvard Health Ad Watch: Mitochondria do a lot for you — what can you do for them?

Ever see an ad for a product that sounds awesome and wondered if it was really that good? That happened to me recently. “How are you taking care of your mitochondria?” an announcer asked. Well, there’s a question I’m not asked every day. And it’s one for which I had no answer. Your cells are aging: Can supplements keep them young? This ad and an accompanying website describe their products this way: “a breakthrough range of nutritional solutions” supplements that “work in harmony with your body’s natural processes to rewrite the rules of cell aging” “helps activate the renewal of mitochondria in muscles” “targets age-related changes occurring inside cells” “renews cells’ natural ability to produce daily energy” “features cellular nutrients studied in more than 20 clinical trials in humans” And just what is this miracle product? It’s food! Just kidding. These statements come from ads for Celltrient supplements made by Nestlé Health Science. Yes, from the makers of famed candy bars come supplements to improve your health and slow aging! The buzz about mitochondria and cell health The claims focus on two main areas of health that have been the subject of extensive research at the cellular level in recent years: aging and energy production. You may remember from high school biology that nearly all human cells have a nucleus that contains our genetic blueprint (DNA). But do you remember much about the mitochondria? These so-called power s...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Health Healthy Aging Nutrition Vitamins and supplements Source Type: blogs