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Minding your mitochondria | Dr. Terry Wahls | TEDxIowaCity — Transcript

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0:00Transcriber: Armando Vázquez Reviewer: Rhonda Jacobs
0:06So, I love doing Taekwondo and was once a national champion.
0:13But a lot has changed since then.
0:14I went off to medical school, became a physician.
0:17I had a son, and then a daughter.
0:21And I developed a chronic disease for which there is no cure.
0:26In 2000, when I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis,
0:29I turned to the best MS center I could find, the Cleveland Clinic.
0:33I saw the very best doctors, received the best care possible,
0:37taking the latest, newest drugs.
0:40Still by 2003, my disease had transitioned to secondary progressive MS.
0:47I took the recommended chemotherapy.
0:49I got the tilt-recline wheelchair.
0:53I had one with a motor, I could drive around.
0:56I took Tysabri,
0:59and then CellCept,
1:01but continued to become more severely disabled.
1:05My disease had transitioned.
1:07I was afraid that I was going to become bedridden.
1:12I turned to reading the latest research using PubMed.gov.
1:17I knew that brains afflicted with MS, over time, shrank.
1:25I therefore went to, every night, reading the latest medical research
1:32about the diseases in which brains shrink.
1:35These diseases were Huntington's, Parkison's and Alzheimer's.
1:40I saw that in all three conditions, the mitochondria do not work well,
1:45leading to shrinking brains.
1:47With more searching,
1:48I found studies in which mouse brains and their mitochondria had been protected
1:56using fish oil, creatine and co-enzyme Q.
2:01I translated those mouse-sized doses into human-sized ones
2:04and began my first round of self-experimentation.
2:07The rapidity of my decline slowed and I was very grateful.
2:11But I was still declining.
2:14Next, I discovered the Institute for Functional Medicine,
2:18and through their continuing medical education course, Neuroprotection:
2:22A Functional Medicine Approach to Common and Uncommon Neurological Syndromes,
2:28I learned more brain cell biology and what I could do to protect mine.
2:33This is some of what I learned:
2:36We have a billion cells in our brains, with ten trillion connections.
2:41All of that connective wiring must be insulated with something called myelin.
2:46And multiple sclerosis damages myelin.
2:49In order to make healthy robust myelin, your brain needs a lot of B vitamins.
2:54In particular, vitamin B1, which is thiamine,
2:57B9, which is folate,
2:59B12, which is cobalamin.
3:01It also needs omega-3 fatty acids and iodine.
3:07This is a synapse.
3:09Those beautiful golden drops are the neurotransmitters.
3:14For your brain to make neurotransmitters,
3:16it needs a lot of sulfur and vitamin B6, which is pyridoxine.
3:22These are mitochondria.
3:24They are so beautiful.
3:26And they are so critical to your lives
3:29because it is the tiny mitochondria in each of our cells
3:33that will manage the energy supply for that cell.
3:36Without your mitochondria,
3:40you would be no larger than bacteria.
3:43In medical school,
3:44I had to memorize countless reactions involving my mitochondria,
3:49but I never learned which compounds my cells could manufacture
3:53and which I needed to consume in order for those reactions to happen properly.
3:59I now know that I need a lot of B vitamins,
4:02sulfur and antioxidants for my mitochondria to thrive.
4:06And so, I added B vitamins, sulfur and antioxidants to my daily regimen.
4:12And then it occurred to me
4:14that I should get my long list of nutrients from food,
4:18that if I did that,
4:20I would probably get hundreds, maybe thousands of other compounds
4:24that science had yet to name and identify
4:27but would be helpful to my brain and my mitochondria.
4:30But, I didn't know where they were in the food supply
4:34and neither did the medical texts,
4:36nor the food science texts with whom I consulted.
4:38But, the internet did.
4:41And so -
4:42(Laughter)
4:43That's really very helpful.
4:45So using it,
4:46I was able to design a food plan
4:48specifically for my brain and my mitochondria.
4:52And now, before I tell you what that food plan is,
4:55we're going to check in to see what Americans are eating.
4:58I'm going to start with you guys.
5:00So, I want you to think back to the last 24 hours,
5:03add up all the fruits and vegetables that you've eaten.
5:06Don't include potatoes or corn, because those are starches.
5:10Now, if you could cover a dinner plate heaped high, raise your hand.
5:14Come on, don't be shy, raise your hands.
5:16Okay, now if you could cover two dinner plates, keep your hands up.
5:20Anyone have eaten three dinner plates?
5:24Look around, see how few hands are up.
5:26Okay?
5:27Now, we're going to check with another family.
5:30This is from Hungry Planet, by Peter Wenzel,
5:32it shows what this American family will eat in the coming week.
5:35Look closely and you are going to see a lot of processed foods in boxes,
5:40jars, and other containers.
5:43This is how most Americans eat,
5:46and this is how most societies eat as they become more affluent.
5:50And it's likely why as societies become more affluent,
5:54their health declines.
5:57This slide is from work done by professor Loren Cordain.
6:01He is showing the percent of Americans
6:04whose daily intake is below the Recommended Daily Allowance
6:08for a variety of important nutrients.
6:11On the bottom half of the slide are the -
6:14you'll see that less than half of us
6:17take in enough B vitamins, vitamin C and vitamin A.
6:21Now if you look at the top half of the slide,
6:23you'll see that two thirds of us do not take in enough calcium,
6:28magnesium, zinc or iodine,
6:31and that 80 percent do not take in enough omega-3 fats.
6:36We, you, are all starving your cells.
6:40We are alive because of complicated chemical reactions.
6:45If you're not providing the building blocks,
6:47that is the vitamins, minerals, essential fats,
6:50those reactions cannot happen properly,
6:53leading to the wrong structures being made,
6:57or structures simply not being made at all.
6:59You set the stage for chronic disease.
7:02This is why our children are born with jaws that are too small
7:06leading to crooked teeth and smaller brains.
7:10This is why your blood pressure's -
7:12your blood vessels become stiff as you age.
7:15This is why one in three American children,
7:19or one in two, if you're African American or Hispanic,
7:23will become diabetic and obese as children or young adults.
7:28This is why if you go to our schools,
7:31every year we have more and more children with severe learning problems
7:35and severe behavior problems.
7:38But, it does not have to be this way.
7:41For two and a half million years, humans ate what we could gather and hunt.
7:48They're called foragers, also known as hunter-gatherers.
7:51That hunter-gatherer diet, that Paleo diet,
7:54consists of leaves, roots, berries, meat and fish.
8:00It's locally obtained, fresh, in season, and of course, organic.
8:04The Inuits in the far north ate very differently
8:08than the Africans on the savanna.
8:10And yet, when scientists have analyzed these hunter-gatherer diets,
8:15they exceed the recommended daily allowance two to ten fold,
8:20depending on the nutrient.
8:22These ancient peoples know more
8:25about eating for optimal health and vitality
8:28than we physicians and we scientists.
8:31The hunter-gatherer diet has more nutrition
8:35than the American Heart Association diet,
8:38more nutrition than the American Diabetes Association diet,
8:41and more nutrition than the USDA food pyramid diet.
8:46I therefore started with a hunter-gatherer diet,
8:49I used those concepts,
8:51but I structured it to be sure I was getting the nutrition,
8:56the vitamins, minerals,
8:57nutrients that I identified as critical to my brain cells and my mitochondria.
9:02That diet is this: three cups of green leaves,
9:06three cups of sulfur-rich vegetables,
9:09three cups of bright color,
9:10grass-fed meat, organ meat and seaweed.
9:15Three cups is a dinner plate heaped high.
9:19I start with greens because they are rich in B vitamins,
9:22vitamins A, C, K and minerals.
9:25And those are two types of kale.
9:27Kale has the most nutrition per calorie of any plant.
9:31The B vitamins will protect your brain cells and your mitochondria.
9:34Vitamins A and C support your immune cells.
9:37Vitamin K keeps your blood vessels and bones healthy.
9:41And minerals are co-factors for hundreds of different enzymes in your bodies.
9:47Plus, having a plateful of daily greens
9:50will dramatically lower your risk of cataracts and macular degeneration,
9:56a leading cause of blindness in the U.S.
10:01So, have more kale, more parsley, more cooked greens.
10:06Have more smoothies and greens.
10:09Have dehydrater kale chips,
10:11which are so delicious - my teenage daughter and her friends love them.
10:16I want you to have three cups,
10:19a plateful of sulfur-rich vegetables every day.
10:22Your brain and your mitochondria need sulfur.
10:26Your liver and kidney need sulfur
10:29so they can remove toxins from your bloodstream.
10:32The cabbage family is rich in sulfur.
10:35That includes cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts,
10:39turnips, rutabagas, radishes, collards and kale.
10:44The onion family's also rich in sulfur.
10:46Onions, garlic, leeks, chives, shallots, and so are mushrooms and asparagus.
10:53I also want you to have a plate, three cups,
10:57preferably three different colors, every single day.
11:00Colors are flavonoids and polyphenols.
11:04These are potent antioxidants that will support your retina,
11:08your mitochondria, your brain cells,
11:11and the removal of toxins.
11:14You can get your colors from vegetables
11:17like beets, carrots, peppers, red cabbage...
11:20or you can get them from berries
11:22and brightly colored fruits like peaches and oranges.
11:26I want you to have high-quality protein that's rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
11:32Omega-3 fatty acids are very important to insulate that wiring in your brain.
11:37It's also critical for the development of your jaws
11:40so you can have straight teeth and a larger brain.
11:44Therefore, have wild fish, in particular salmon and herring.
11:50Also have grass-fed meat every day.
11:55Our ancient societies all valued organ meats.
11:59And organ meats are concentrated sources of vitamins, minerals and co-enzyme Q.
12:04They are particularly potent at supporting your mitochondria.
12:09Therefore, have organ meats like liver and onion, heart, tongue,
12:13gizzards, sweetbreads once a week.
12:17The ancients would travel great distances or trade to ensure access to seaweed.
12:23Seaweed is a rich source of iodine and selenium.
12:28Your brain needs iodine to make myelin,
12:31the insulation for the wiring.
12:33It also needs iodine to remove toxins,
12:35in particular, mercury, lead and heavy metals.
12:39And adequate iodine lowers your risk of breast cancer and prostate cancer.
12:45Studies have shown that 80 percent of Americans have a relatively low iodine.
12:51Therefore, have seaweed at least once a week
12:54to ensure and maintain adequate iodine levels.
12:59Most Americans can't imagine eating nine cups,
13:05three platefuls of vegetables and berries every day,
13:09but, if you'll commit to having nine cups of these incredibly healthy,
13:15wonderful-for-you vegetables and berries every day,
13:19before you have grain, potatoes, dairy,
13:24you will have dramatically increased
13:27the vitamin and mineral content of your diet.
13:29Plus, you will have dramatically lowered the risk of food allergies.
13:34Food allergies and food sensitivities are far more common than we realize.
13:38They're difficult to diagnose, and in particular,
13:42sensitivity to gluten, the protein in wheat, rye and barley,
13:46and to dairy, the casein protein in dairy,
13:51is associated with a wide variety of health problems,
13:54including, but not limited to:
13:57eczema, asthma, allergies, infertility, irritable bowel,
14:01fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, arthritis, chronic headache,
14:05neurological problems and behavior problems.
14:10Yes, it will cost more to eat these beautiful vegetables and berries,
14:15but I assure you, you are going to pay the price.
14:19You will pay the price now for food that restores your health and vitality,
14:26or you pay the price for doctor's visits,
14:29prescription drugs, surgeries, missed time from work,
14:33early retirement and nursing home care.
14:36The choice is yours.
14:39Okay.
14:40Seven years - I get the best care,
14:43the latest, newest drugs.
14:45I continue to get more disabled.
14:47By November of 2007,
14:49I could not sit in a chair like you are now.
14:53I had be reclined in a zero-gravity chair like this,
14:56at home or at work, or in bed.
14:59I could walk short distances using two canes.
15:02I was losing my keys, my phones.
15:04I was having nightmares that my chief of staff
15:06had pulled my clinical privileges.
15:09That is when I designed a diet
15:12specifically for my brain cells and my mitochondria.
15:17That's when I began -
15:19I became a modern-day hunter-gatherer.
15:23Three months later I could walk between exam rooms using one cane.
15:29The month after that I could walk throughout the hospital without a cane.
15:35At five months I got on my bike for the first time in a decade,
15:41and I pedaled around the block.
15:45Nine months into my new way of eating, I pedaled 18 miles.
15:51The following year I did a trail ride in the Canadian Rockies.
15:57I am the canary in the coal mine,
16:01here as a warning to all of you.
16:04We have a choice:
16:06We can continue to eat that delicious, convenient,
16:10tasty, processed food,
16:12and watch ourselves and our children
16:15grow steadily more overweight, depressed and diabetic;
16:20[and] ...
16:22we can continue to watch health care costs balloon out of control,
16:29bankrupting us individually and collectively as a country;
16:34or ...
16:36we can eat for our mitochondria,
16:39eating vegetables and berries,
16:42grass-fed meat, organ meat and seaweed,
16:45and have more vitality.
16:49We all have a choice.
16:50I choose to teach the public
16:53about the healing power of food and to conduct clinical trials.
16:57We are testing my interventions and others with secondary progressive MS.
17:01We'll present our research on Sunday at the 2011 Neuroscience Conference.
17:07The results are breathtaking.
17:10We all have a choice.
17:13I challenge you to become modern-day hunter-gatherers,
17:17and eat for your mitochondria,
17:19become ambassadors for your mitochondria.
17:22For if I can rise up from a tilt-recline wheelchair doing this,
17:26imagine what eating for your mitochondria can do for you,
17:29your family, your country, your community, your world.
17:34We have a choice.
17:37What will yours be?
17:39Thank you.
17:41(Applause)

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