Approximately 21% of U.S. adults suffer from chronic pain, and new cases occur more frequently than new cases of other common diseases such as diabetes, depression, and high blood pressure.1 Pain is considered chronic if it occurs every day or nearly every day for more than three months.
For about 8%, chronic pain is considered high impact.2 This means that life and work activities are restricted, indicating that this condition places a heavy burden on those affected. Many people reach for relief in dangerous opioid drugs that suppress mitochondria.3 — The last thing anyone suffering from chronic pain needs is this.
Chronic pain is a symptom of mitochondrial dysfunction
Researchers at Utrecht University in the Netherlands found that nicotinamide riboside (NR), a form of vitamin B3 and a precursor of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), which is involved in DNA repair and healthy aging, was found in mice. It has been shown that it is useful in alleviating chronic pain.Four By improving mitochondrial function.
“Previous research has linked chronic pain to mitochondrial dysfunction, particularly those in specialized nerve cells called sensory neurons that sense changes in the environment,” New Scientist reported.Five
In this study, injecting inflammatory substances into the feet of 15 mice resulted in changes in mitochondrial function even a week after the inflammation had subsided. Mitochondrial changes were associated with increased pain in the mice, which also had lower mitochondrial NR levels in sensory neurons compared to mice not experiencing inflammation.6
NR plays an important role in mitochondrial function, so when the researchers gave the mice high doses, it reduced pain.
“Taken together, these findings tell us two things: first, inflammation can impair mitochondrial function in sensory neurons, and these dysfunctions can lead to chronic pain even after inflammation has subsided. “Second, taking nicotinamide riboside supplements may help treat this chronic pain by restoring mitochondrial function.” magazine says.7
The study may help explain why some people continue to experience pain even after the inflammation has subsided, a question that remains largely unanswered. Researchers found that even after the initial pain caused by inflammation subsides, the nerve cells involved in pain sensing still show changes in their mitochondria, disrupting the balance of certain chemicals within the cells. Ta.
However, addition of the NAD+ precursor NR helped mice recover from pain, even when the pain was chronic. This suggests that managing the mitochondrial function of these neurons is important to overcome persistent pain after inflammation.
Vitamin B3 for chronic pain
Niacinamide, another form of vitamin B3 involved in similar cellular processes as NR, is associated with chronic pain, as stated in the blog Extracting Knowledge from Matter, inspired by the research of the late Ray Peat. may help alleviate.8
“This study…is one of the first to demonstrate that chronic pain is a symptom of underlying mitochondrial dysfunction rather than an organic disease in itself. This is why intervention with niacinamide (mitochondrial It explains not only whether they are effective in reducing pain (by improving function), but also why treating chronic pain with opioids is the worst intervention available.
why? Because opioids are one of the most powerful mitochondrial depressants, discontinuing opioid use can quickly mean that your chronic pain gets even worse, which means more opioid use, which is usually fatal. This becomes a vicious cycle with negative consequences (overdose). ”
In fact, one study found that people who use opioids tend to have fewer mitochondria in their blood. Furthermore, prenatal exposure to the synthetic opioid fentanyl changes the number of mitochondria in the blood of young offspring and the activity of mitochondria-related genes in the nucleus accumbens, a brain region important for feeling pleasure. It has been found.9
To Extract Knowledge From Matter went on to explain why the use of vitamin B3 is superior to opioids for chronic pain in this high-profile study.Ten
“The doses of niacinamide used in this study were large (HED [human equivalent dose] (approximately 35 mg/kg per day), but interventions at such doses have low risk for humans, especially compared to opioids, given that pain was completely resolved after only one dose.
Previous animal studies have also shown that taking low doses (HED 3mg/kg per day) over several weeks can also reduce chronic pain; The risk of further intervention is further reduced. ”
Mitochondria need niacinamide
niacinamideAlso known as nicotinamide, it is a type of niacin (vitamin B3) that plays an important role in energy metabolism. It is essential for the mitochondrial electron transport chain to function. Without it, mitochondria cannot make energy.
Niacinamide is very important because it is a precursor of: NAD+, involved in converting food into energy, maintaining DNA integrity, and ensuring proper cell function. NAD+ is also the primary fuel for sirtuins, longevity proteins that decrease with age.
Niacinamide, taken at doses of 50 milligrams (mg) three times a day, fuels NAMPT, the rate-limiting enzyme for NAD+. Niacinamide also has strong anti-obesity effects and can help prevent neurodegeneration and heart failure, as well as reverse leaky gut.
Niacinamide may also help prevent neurodegeneration by allowing for higher energy levels through mitochondrial energy metabolism. “There is a large body of research going back decades demonstrating that reduced NAD+ levels, and by extension NAD/NADH, are a common feature of virtually all neurodegenerative diseases,” says Pete’s student and biophysician. writes energy researcher Georgi Dinkov.11
It is recommended that you obtain niacinamide in powder form. The lowest dose available for most supplements is 500 mg, but this will reduce his NAD+ due to negative feedback on NAMPT. This is the opposite of what you’re looking for. If you get niacinamide as a powder, the monthly cost is only 25 cents. Typically, 1/64 teaspoon of niacinamide powder is approximately 50 mg.
It is also recommended to take one aspirin a day.Aspirin plays a role in mitochondrial function12 There are other health benefits as well. The key is to inhibit the oxidation of fatty acids while promoting the oxidation of glucose as fuel for the body. linoleic acid (LA). Dinkoff added:13
“Aspirin is known to regulate autophagy (raising it when autophagy is abnormally low and lowering it when it is abnormally high) and niacinamide is a highly effective NAD precursor. , it makes sense to try them in combination to protect the brain (and the whole organism) from disease and aging.”
Why avoiding LA in ultra-processed foods is important for pain relief
Lowering LA is the single most important strategy you can implement to not only reduce mitochondrial stress but also improve your overall health, including reducing chronic pain. LA is an omega-6 fat found in vegetable and seed oils common in most ultra-processed foods.
The main reason that excess LA causes disease is that excess LA interferes with the normal functioning of mitochondria. Mitochondria generate most of the cellular energy in the form of ATP, and without ATP the cell cannot function properly and repair itself.
Polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs) such as LA are easily damaged by oxygen in a process called oxidation.14 It causes the production of harmful free radicals.15 These in turn generate advanced lipid oxidation end products (ALEs).16 For omega-6 fats, oxidized LA metabolites (OXLAM).17,18
These ALEs and OXLAMs cause mitochondrial dysfunction, which is a hallmark of most chronic diseases. In addition to oxidation, inflammation, and mitochondrial dysfunction, processed seed oils also inhibit cardiolipin, an important fat in the inner membrane of mitochondria.
Cardiolipin is important because it affects the structure of cristae within mitochondria, the area where energy production takes place. When cardiolipin is damaged, the complexes are no longer close enough to form supercomplexes, impairing mitochondrial energy production.
Cardiolipin also acts as a cellular alarm system, signaling caspase-3 to trigger apoptosis (cell death) when something goes wrong with the cell. When cardiolipin is damaged by oxidative stress caused by too much LA, cardiolipin is unable to signal to caspase-3 and apoptosis does not occur.
As a result, the malfunctioning cells continue to proliferate and can turn into cancer cells. The type of dietary fat that promotes healthy cardiolipin is omega-3 fat, and the type that disrupts it is omega-6, especially LA.
The good news is that you can improve your cardiolipin fat composition in a matter of weeks or even days by changing your diet. Therefore, it may take many years to reduce the systemic burden of LA, but you will probably notice improvement by then.
How to optimize mitochondrial function
To optimize mitochondrial function, you should avoid LA as much as possible and increase your intake of omega-3s. Major sources of LA include seed oils used in cooking, ultra-processed and restaurant foods made with seed oils, seasonings, seeds and nuts, and most olive and avocado oils (contaminated with cheaper seed oils). ) is included.
Grain-fed animal products, such as traditional chicken and pork, also make up a high proportion of food in Los Angeles. Another major cause of disrupting mitochondrial function is excess iron, and most people consume too much iron. You can find out more about. Health risks of excess iron From an interview with Christy Sutton in Washington, DC The most effective way to lower your iron levels is to donate blood two to four times a year.
As mentioned earlier, we recommend taking 50 mg of niacinamide three times a day. Other B vitamins, especially regular niacin, riboflavin, and folic acid are also important for mitochondrial function, so making sure you’re getting them all is also helpful.
Poor mitochondrial function is often caused by a deficiency in B vitamins, but this can be easily corrected by consuming high quality B vitamins in low doses. Usually in this case he will see and feel improvement within 2-3 weeks.
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2024/05/14/chronic-pain-mitochondrial-dysfunction.aspx
