When it comes to fertility, hormone balance and energy, we often focus on things like nutrition, stress, sleep or hormone levels. While these are all important, there is another piece of the puzzle that deserves more attention: mitochondria.

Mitochondria are often referred to as the powerhouses of the cell because they produce ATP, the energy currency that powers almost every process in the body. However, their role extends far beyond energy production. Mitochondria are involved in hormone production, DNA repair, immune function, inflammation regulation, cell signalling and healthy ageing.

Because mitochondria are involved in so many essential functions, dysfunction has been linked to a wide range of health concerns including fertility challenges, recurrent miscarriage, endometriosis, chronic fatigue, depression, autism spectrum disorder and age-related hormonal decline.

From a naturopathic perspective, supporting mitochondrial health is often an important part of improving overall wellbeing. Healthy mitochondria help create the foundation for healthy cells, healthy hormones and healthy ageing.

Mitochondria and Fertility

Fertility is one of the areas where mitochondrial health is particularly important.

Mitochondria help regulate energy production within both egg and sperm cells, but they are also involved in DNA repair, hormone production and healthy embryonic development.

One of the hormones produced with the help of mitochondrial function is pregnenolone. Pregnenolone is often referred to as the “mother hormone” because it serves as the precursor for progesterone, oestrogen, testosterone and cortisol. When mitochondrial function is compromised, hormone production can also be affected.

Mitochondria are also involved in glucose metabolism and blood sugar regulation. This is particularly relevant because unstable blood sugar levels can influence fertility, ovulation, hormone production and overall reproductive health.

Perhaps one of the most fascinating aspects of mitochondrial biology is that babies inherit their mitochondria exclusively from their mother. This means mitochondrial health doesn’t just affect fertility today. It may also influence the health and fertility of future generations.

For this reason, mitochondrial support can be an important consideration in preconception care and natural fertility support.

Why Egg Cells Need So Many Mitochondria

Egg cells (oocytes) are remarkable. They contain anywhere from 100,000 to more than one million mitochondria, far more than almost any other cell in the body. This enormous energy reserve is needed to support egg maturation, fertilisation and the earliest stages of embryonic development.

As women age, mitochondrial function within the ovaries gradually declines. By the age of 40, it is estimated that almost one-third of the mitochondria within oocytes are no longer functioning efficiently. This decline is one of the reasons fertility naturally decreases with age.

When fertilisation occurs, the egg does more than simply receive genetic material from the sperm. If there is DNA damage within the sperm, the oocyte uses its own mitochondrial reserves to help repair that damage. This process is essential for creating a healthy embryo.

Because of these demands, egg quality is closely tied to mitochondrial health.

Why Sperm Health Matters

While sperm are tiny compared to an egg, they contribute half of the genetic material needed to create a baby. Male fertility is often prioritized less then female fertility, yet male factor issues contribute to around 50% of fertility challenges.

Unlike egg cells, sperm contain only a few dozen mitochondria. These mitochondria are located within the midpiece of the sperm and provide the energy required for movement.

At the moment of conception, the sperm penetrates the egg and delivers its DNA into the oocyte. The sperm mitochondria themselves are not inherited by the baby. Instead, the egg uses its own mitochondrial resources to support early development and repair any damage present within the sperm DNA.

Sperm are particularly vulnerable to oxidative stress and damage from reactive oxygen species (ROS). Excessive oxidative stress can impair mitochondrial function, reduce motility and increase DNA fragmentation.

Sperm health also influences much more than fertilisation. Research suggests that sperm quality affects placental development and may contribute to miscarriage risk. This is why supporting sperm health is just as important as supporting egg quality when preparing for pregnancy.

Mitochondria, Perimenopause and Menopause

Mitochondrial health isn’t only associated with fertility – these tiny structures may also influence when a woman transitions into perimenopause and menopause.

As women age, the number and function of mitochondria within the ovaries gradually decline. Research suggests that by age 40, approximately one-third of mitochondria within oocytes are no longer functioning efficiently.

Human oocytes contain between 100,000 and more than one million mitochondria because egg maturation and early embryonic development require vast amounts of energy. The rate at which these mitochondria decline appears to influence reproductive ageing.

Research published in 2024 demonstrated that reducing mitochondrial DNA accelerated reproductive ageing in animal models. This suggests that mitochondrial function may play an important role in determining the pace of ovarian ageing and potentially the timing of perimenopause and menopause.

This may help explain why many women notice changes in energy, recovery, metabolic health and stress resilience during the perimenopausal transition, however there is much more involved (if you’d like to learn more about perimenopause and menopause, go on the wait list for my upcoming book Natural Menopause Support).

Researchers have also identified CoQ10 as an important nutrient within ovarian tissue. One landmark study found that age-related declines in egg quality were partly driven by reduced CoQ10 availability within the oocyte. Supplementation helped preserve ovarian reserve, improve egg quality and restore fertility in aged mice. Additional research has also demonstrated improvements in progesterone production.

While ageing is a natural process, supporting mitochondrial health may help support healthier ovarian ageing and improve resilience during the transition into perimenopause and menopause.

Mitochondria and Endometriosis

While we’re on the topic of women’s health, it’s worth exploring the connection between mitochondria and endometriosis.

Many people think of endometriosis primarily as a hormonal condition, but there is also a significant immune and inflammatory component.

Women with endometriosis often experience increased oxidative stress, elevated inflammatory markers and altered immune function. Mitochondria are involved in all three of these processes.

When mitochondria become dysfunctional, they can produce excessive amounts of reactive oxygen species. This creates a cycle of oxidative stress and inflammation that may contribute to the growth and persistence of endometriosis lesions.

Mitochondria also play an important role in immune cell function and inflammatory signalling. When mitochondrial function is impaired, immune regulation can become disrupted, potentially contributing to the chronic inflammatory environment seen in endometriosis.

This is one reason why a holistic approach to endometriosis management often extends beyond hormones alone. Supporting mitochondrial health alongside nervous system regulation, immune function, gut health and hormonal balance may help address some of the underlying drivers involved in the condition.

Mitochondria, Mood and Brain Health

The brain is one of the most energy-demanding organs in the body.

Every thought, memory, movement and emotion requires energy. Healthy mitochondrial function helps support neurotransmitter production, nerve cell communication and overall brain function.

When mitochondrial function is impaired, symptoms such as brain fog, poor concentration, low mood and fatigue may occur.

Emerging research has also found that mitochondrial dysfunction is common in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Studies have identified abnormalities in mitochondrial energy production, increased oxidative stress and higher levels of neuroinflammation in some individuals with ASD.

Because mitochondria play such a central role in brain energy metabolism, supporting mitochondrial health may be an important consideration in conditions involving cognitive function, mood and neurological health.

Signs Your Mitochondria May Need Support

Some common signs that mitochondrial function may be struggling include:

• Persistent fatigue
• Poor exercise recovery
• Muscle weakness
• Brain fog
• Poor concentration
• Low mood
• Fertility challenges
• Hormonal imbalances
• Reduced resilience to stress
• Feeling older than your age

These symptoms can have many different causes, but mitochondrial dysfunction is one possible contributor worth considering.

Supporting Mitochondrial Health Naturally

Mitochondrial support is rarely about a single supplement. Instead, it involves creating an environment that allows these cellular powerhouses to function optimally.

Some of the ways mitochondrial health can be supported include:

• Prioritising quality sleep, as much of the body’s cellular repair occurs during sleep
• Maintaining stable blood sugar levels through a balanced diet
• Regular exercise, which stimulates the production of new mitochondria
• Spending time outdoors and supporting healthy circadian rhythms
• Cold exposure, which may help improve mitochondrial resilience and adaptation
• Supporting gut health and addressing dysbiosis where present
• Reducing exposure to environmental toxins where possible
• Ensuring adequate intake of nutrients required for mitochondrial function
• Supporting nervous system regulation and reducing chronic stress

Because mitochondrial health sits at the intersection of fertility, hormones, inflammation, energy production and healthy ageing, it can be a valuable area of focus in naturopathic care.

If you’re struggling with fertility challenges, subfertility, recurrent miscarriage, endometriosis, fatigue, hormone imbalances or perimenopausal symptoms, supporting mitochondrial health may be one piece of the puzzle worth exploring.

References

1. Annesley, S. J., & Fisher, P. R. (2019). Mitochondria in Health and Disease. Cells, 8(7), 680. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells8070680
2. Ben-Meir, A., Burstein, E., Borrego-Alvarez, A., Chong, J., Wong, E., Yavorska, T., Naranian, T., Chi, M., Wang, Y., Bentov, Y., Alexis, J., Meriano, J., Sung, H. K., Gasser, D. L., Moley, K. H., Hekimi, S., Casper, R. F., & Jurisicova, A. (2015). Coenzyme Q10 restores oocyte mitochondrial function and fertility during reproductive aging. Aging cell, 14(5), 887–895. https://doi.org/10.1111/acel.12368
3. Ben-Meir, A., Kim, K., McQuaid, R., Esfandiari, N., Bentov, Y., Casper, R. F., & Jurisicova, A. (2019). Co-Enzyme Q10 Supplementation Rescues Cumulus Cells Dysfunction in a Maternal Aging Model. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland), 8(3), 58. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox8030058
4. Chiang, J. L., Shukla, P., Pagidas, K., Ahmed, N. S., Karri, S., Gunn, D. D., Hurd, W. W., & Singh, K. K. (2020). Mitochondria in Ovarian Aging and Reproductive Longevity. Ageing research reviews, 63, 101168. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arr.2020.101168
5. Khaliulin, I., Hamoudi, W., & Amal, H. (2025). The multifaceted role of mitochondria in autism spectrum disorder. Molecular psychiatry, 30(2), 629–650. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-024-02725-z
6. Kobayashi, H., & Imanaka, S. (2024). Mitochondrial DNA Damage and Its Repair Mechanisms in Aging Oocytes. International journal of molecular sciences, 25(23), 13144. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms252313144
7. Kramer, P., & Bressan, P. (2018). Our (Mother’s) Mitochondria and Our Mind. Perspectives on psychological science : a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, 13(1), 88–100. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691617718356
8. Long, S., Zheng, Y., Deng, X., Guo, J., Xu, Z., Scharffetter-Kochanek, K., Dou, Y., & Jiang, M. (2024). Maintaining mitochondrial DNA copy number mitigates ROS-induced oocyte decline and female reproductive aging. Communications biology, 7(1), 1229. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-024-06888-x
9. Melhuish Beaupre, L. M., Brown, G. M., Braganza, N. A., Kennedy, J. L., & Gonçalves, V. F. (2022). Mitochondria’s role in sleep: Novel insights from sleep deprivation and restriction studies. The world journal of biological psychiatry : the official journal of the World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry, 23(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/15622975.2021.1907723
10. Tesarik, J., & Mendoza-Tesarik, R. (2023). Mitochondria in Human Fertility and Infertility. International journal of molecular sciences, 24(10), 8950. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24108950
11. May-Panloup, P., Boucret, L., Chao de la Barca, J. M., Desquiret-Dumas, V., Ferré-L’Hotellier, V., Morinière, C., Descamps, P., Procaccio, V., & Reynier, P. (2016). Ovarian ageing: the role of mitochondria in oocytes and follicles. Human reproduction update, 22(6), 725–743. https://doi.org/10.1093/humupd/dmw028
12. Vaught, R. C., & Dowling, D. K. (2018). Maternal inheritance of mitochondria: implications for male fertility?. Reproduction (Cambridge, England), 155(4), R159–R168. https://doi.org/10.1530/REP-17-0600
13. Wen, Y., & Yao, Y. (2021). Autism Spectrum Disorders: The Mitochondria Connection. In A. M. Grabrucker (Ed.), Autism Spectrum Disorders. Exon Publications. https://doi.org/10.36255/exonpublications.autismspectrumdisorders.2021.mitochondria

The post Mitochondria and Fertility: Egg Quality, Endometriosis, Menopause and Healthy Ageing appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

I love working with children in clinic, it can be so satisfying to see improvements in their health. Kids often have such a robust vital force that they respond quickly to natural remedies, and these improvements can leave a lasting impression. It’s not uncommon for adult patients to tell me they had positive experiences treating issues like skin or gut health as children when their parents brought them to a naturopath. Those early experiences often bring them back as adults, and in some cases, even inspire them to learn more about natural medicine themselves. Believe it or not, I’ve been practicing long enough now that I’m treating adults I first saw when they were kids!

When working with children there are several considerations that need to be made, which I will share with you below.

Common Childhood Health Concerns We Support

Carissa and I both enjoy working with all things children’s health, strongly fuelled by our own experiences as parents ourselves.

Some of the most common issues we help with include:

• Mood & Behavioural Support – Anxiety, ADHD, sleep difficulties, aggression, and emotional regulation.
• Digestive Health – Constipation, stomach pain, reflux, worms, diarrhoea, mesenteric adenitis, and food sensitivities.
• Immunity & Respiratory Health – Frequent infections, low immunity, recurrent ear infections, nasal congestion, asthma, and urinary tract infections.
• Fussy Eating Support – Identifying underlying causes and addressing potential nutrient deficiencies.
• Skin Conditions – Eczema, psoriasis, acne, and molluscum contagiosum.

Prescribing Considerations for Children’s remedies

1. Making Remedies Kid-Friendly (Because Taste Matters!)

Let’s be honest—if it tastes bad, most kids won’t take it, no matter how healthy it is. While some adults might power through bitter herbs, kids are a different story. That’s why we only choose remedies that are naturally palatable or easy to disguise in foods or drinks. Powders or chewable tablets have to taste decent, and liquid herbs that I commonly prescribe to kids I stock in a glycetract form – this means that there is less alcohol content in the herbal formula, and it improves the taste of the formula.

If needed, there are a few tricks to getting the remedies in, such as hiding powdered supplements into gummies or iceblocks.

2. Gentle, Yet Powerful – The power of small doses

Children have strong, vibrant systems that often respond beautifully to gentle treatments. This means we can achieve wonderful results with small doses of herbal drops, flower essences, or homeopathics – all of which impact the healing process on an energetic level. These remedies work in harmony with your child’s natural healing abilities, often leading to surprisingly quick improvements without overwhelming their system.

3. Tailored Dosages for Growing Bodies

Your child’s body processes things differently than an adult’s. Their detoxification systems are still developing, which means we need to be mindful of the types of remedies we use and the dosages we recommend. We take great care in prescribing the right amount—just enough to support healing without overloading their system.

4. No More Tablet Battles

If your child struggles to swallow tablets (let’s face it, some adults do too!), don’t worry. We offer alternatives like liquids, powders, chewable tablets, and even topical creams. Yes, you read that right—sometimes we can use creams that absorb through the skin to deliver nutrients. No more mealtime meltdowns over medicine!

5. Simple Solutions That Fit Your Family’s Routine

We get it—juggling school, daycare, activities, and family life can be hectic. That’s why we design treatment plans that are practical and easy to follow. We’ll work with you to create a routine that fits seamlessly into your day, with dosing schedules that won’t add extra stress.

6. The Power of Food and Lifestyle Changes

Sometimes, the most powerful medicine comes from simple changes in diet and lifestyle. We love helping families discover how small tweaks—like adjusting food choices, improving sleep routines, or adding gentle movement—can make a big difference in your child’s health. This often reduces the need for lots of supplements, keeping things simple and natural.

7. Support for Parents, Too

We know that navigating your child’s health can feel overwhelming. And it’s very hard to implement changes for your child if you’re feeling burnt out yourself. That’s why we’re here to support you as well. It’s not uncommon for a parent to leave their child’s appointment with some nervous system support for themselves.

Ready to Support Your Child’s Health Naturally?

Carissa and I love working with families to create gentle, effective, and personalized health plans for kids of all ages. Whether you’re looking for help with immunity, digestion, sleep, skin issues, or general wellbeing, we would love to help you.

If you’re ready to explore natural health options for your child, book an appointment with us today. We’d love to meet you and your little one and help you feel confident in their care.

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It’s been a frustrating time for myself and fellow natural health practitioners who have been watching the stories about shonky ‘health gurus’ circulate around social media. Those that have received criticism in particular are the “Wellness Warrior” Jess Ainscough, and Belle Gibson, both wellness bloggers who have shared their journey with cancer, Gerson therapy and diet (however in the case of Belle Gibson, she lied about having the cancer) and as a result ‘steered people away from life saving conventional therapies’.

What I have been frustrated to see come out of the unfolding story of these bloggers is an attack on the complementary health industry as a whole. Claims that it is ‘dangerous’ or that the industry tries to steer people away from conventional medicines options. I feel this is quite a bit of a stretch to make these comments, as I’ll go into a bit later and it also frustrates me just for the simple principle that it is extremely generalised. I can’t imagine this same situation happening in another industry, for instance if you had a bad haircut you wouldn’t declare all hairdressers to be lowsy.

Wellness bloggers do not equal qualified practitioners, even though they may blog about similar topics such as the importance of a healthy diet, the difference that I often see is that wellness bloggers are talking about their own experiences. I don’t see a problem with this as long as it is made clear that it is just their own experience – perhaps where the confusion comes from is in the way it’s been written.

Photo by William Iven

Belle Gibson

Until recently, I didn’t even know who Belle Gibson was. I had seen her app “The Whole Pantry”, but didn’t know of the connection with this to her or her ‘pretend’ illness.

To start with, what I saw was that Belle Gibson created a beautiful cookbook and app which included recipes and articles written in cooperation with practitioners and other health ‘gurus’. I read some of the articles and recipes contained in the app (most of them weren’t even written by her) a while ago without realising she was claiming to offer an alternative to cure cancer and at the time thought “What a great resource, there are some excellent general health tips in here”. I can’t comment further about any specific cancer claims she made at this time as I didn’t read about that, and I never bought her book so wasn’t able to read her ‘sob story’ introduction.

I watched her interview on ACA where she claimed she was convinced by an alternative medicine ‘quack’ that she had a brain tumour, and then not long after this it was revealed that she had testing which confirmed that she did not have the brain cancer, however she continued to lie about having it. Originally she claims she was diagnosed by an actual oncologist, and I wonder whether now she claims it was ‘the quacks fault’ because that is the easiest way to shift the blame and focus off of herself.

In the last few months it was revealed publicly that she never had cancer, and this came as a huge shock to all those who followed her and took on her advice hoping to achieve the same results.

I think it was incredibly wrong for her to lie and deceive so many people, although we still don’t know if she acknowledges if she’s lying, and I think it is incredibly sad for the people who followed her and gained hope for themselves, who I would imagine are now feeling incredibly betrayed and to an extent hopeless. I am disappointed that she never followed through with her promises to donate falsely earned money to charity. I am also disappointed that one of the outcomes has been a lowering of trust for people promoting wellness and natural health.

Jess Ainscough

I never followed Belle Gibson or even knew of her existence until this recent scandal but I did follow Jess Ainscough, and in her writings it was always clear to me that she was writing about her personal experiences and what she had researched, and she never tried to steer people away from conventional medicine, rather she tried to encourage people to eat well and mindfully. Having read many of her blog posts and her book “Make Peace with your Plate” I know that she had a very specific cancer that is treated differently to most of the more common cancers, and even so she didn’t personally avoid or boycott chemotherapy, so when it is said that she steered people away from conventional therapy I can only say that’s not the impression that I got from reading her writing.

Wellness Blogger or Health Practitioner?

Health practitioners don’t make claims or recommendations without backing it up, or at least discussing what research is and isn’t available, and if they are writing an opinion piece (such as this is) you don’t see health recommendations in it (because everyone is different!). The aim is always to provide the information so that you can make your own decision.

A consequence of this whole debacle seems to be the apparent war between conventional and natural medicine that has come to the fore. Even if this war isn’t even in actual existence (in my personal experience with dealing with other health professionals it isn’t), some of the issues that came up with these scandals is the ‘one or the other’ mentally which I don’t think needs to happen, let alone should happen, and my gripe with this is that it is deterring people from working with their health professionals as part of a team.

Personally I am not a fan of the Us vs. Them mentality (that being natural medicine vs conventional medicine, e.g. naturopaths vs. doctors or nutritionists vs. dieticians). I may at times say that there is an area where a particular field may be more indicated, but I truly feel that if there was more communication between health practitioners, with the goal of the patients best interests always being the priority, and less ‘bashing’ of the fields then so much more progress could be made. Most of the time this is already happening but this recent media attack has set it back several steps.

There’s a place for everything. For example you wouldn’t see a naturopath for a heart attack or broken leg, and you wouldn’t see a surgeon for fatigue or PMS. If you see a naturopath for a condition before seeing a doctor, they are trained to refer you if they feel there is something going on that they can’t help you with or if you present with any ‘red flags’ that require stronger conventional treatment. Similarly, Naturopaths do not diagnose conditions (and to refer back to the Belle Gibson story where she claimed that she was actually diagnosed with cancer by an alternative medicine practitioner, I claim bullshit on this being a legitimate practitioner, and most likely it never happened at all).

This is where the principles of Therapeutic Order come in. When supporting a condition the aim should be to use the least invasive methods possible with the lowest risk profile, which is usually things like diet and lifestyle interventions, and at the other end is things with greater risk such as surgery. Most of the time one would start at the lowest risk end, but there are always situations where you would jump in further along – the best example of this would be a broken bone would go straight to surgery.

Picture source: http://lindseybellnd.com/therapeutic-pyramid/

Having said all that, I think there is a place for wellness bloggers, which can be a great inspiration source for generally eating well, getting plenty of exercise and being mindful of your health. But the difference is that you shouldn’t rely on the information they share as your only source of information to make your health decisions.

Complementary Health Care and Cancer

I think that complementary medicine can have a valuable role to play in conjunction with conventional cancer treatment, and that if people choose to go down this path then they should seek advice from a CAM practitioner who is knowledgeable in this area and is open to working with their oncologist.

There are some herbs and nutrients which have been studied in this field and most oncologists are accepting of these, but they need to be informed about whether the patient is using it. They need to be aware of any potential interactions, they need to know if you’re taking something that could be responsible for making you feel better or worse. Keeping a health practitioner in the dark when they are making decisions about your health is not a wise move.

The reality is that people are seeking help for dealing with the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation, and these treatments don’t work 100% of the time(what does?) so they often look elsewhere for help to make it work better and give themselves more confidence in their treatment success. Most of the time this results in self prescribed complementary medicines which are chosen based on internet research, and often the patient does this without the knowledge of their oncologist – in my opinion this is not a good or safe decision.

Do it safely

If someone wished to use complementary medicines alongside conventional treatment, my first bit of advice would be to seek a practitioner who is properly qualified and part of an association such as NHAA, ATMS or ANTA. Associations such as these have requirements for their practitioners to follow ethical guidelines, to be up to date in their knowledge and promote professional practice. In the case of Naturopaths, there is a push for registration to occur and this will result in a much tighter governance on who can call themselves a Naturopath. In the meantime, checking with associations is the best way to know you’re getting a properly trained practitioner.

Secondly, don’t keep secrets from your health care practitioners about things that are relevant to their treatment of you.

Thirdly, don’t take information you read on the internet (especially social media) as gospel, and always check with your health care practitioner before making changes.

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