#419: A Mind-Blowing Mitochondria Episode— Mito Transplant, Rare Diseases & Biomarkers With Dr. Natalie Yivgi-Ohana
3/10/20261 hr 29 min
Today, I'm joined by the extraordinary Dr. Natalie Yivgi-Ohana, a pioneering scientist whose passion for mitochondria unlocks new frontiers in longevity medicine. Our conversation truly blew my mind—Dr. Yivgi-Ohana brings decades of expertise to demystify these tiny, ancient powerhouses that fuel every cell in our bodies, impact our hormones, drive immunity, and, as it turns out, play a central role in how we age.
Episode Timestamps:
Welcome to the Longevity Podcast and today's focus on mitochondria ... 00:00:00
Maternal inheritance and critical functions of mitochondria ... 00:05:56
Mitochondria as energy producers and hormone regulators ... 00:07:03
Aha moments: mitochondria control life, death, and disease ... 00:08:55
Endosymbiotic theory: how mitochondria originated ... 00:10:19
Chronic disease, aging, and the connection to mitochondria ... 00:16:10
Substrate fuels: carbs, fats, and importance of metabolic flexibility ... 00:20:18
Mitochondria's control over immune system and signaling ... 00:26:39
Mitochondrial transfer: how cells share organelle "powerhouses" ... 00:32:42
Groundbreaking therapy: transplanting mitochondria for rare diseases ... 00:36:40
Expanding mitochondrial therapies to age-related diseases ... 00:42:57
Aging in women: hormones, mitochondria, and inflection points ... 00:51:00
Stem cell exhaustion and cellular renewal ... 00:52:24
Biomarkers: ways to measure mitochondrial health ... 01:03:11
Supplements, lifestyle, and emotional health for mitochondria ... 01:15:47
Medication choices and minimizing mitochondrial toxicity ... 01:24:04
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Clips
Showing 10 of 12Transcript preview
First 90 secondsNathalie Niddam· Host0:00
[gentle music] Welcome to Longevity. I'm your host, Natalie Needham. I'm a nutritionist, a human potential and epigenetic coach, and I created this podcast to bring you the latest ways to take control of your health and longevity. We cover it all, from new technology and ancestral health practices, to personalized interventions, and a very special interest of mine, peptides and bioregulators. Enjoy the show. Welcome back. I'm Natalie Needham, your host, and I have to share a secret with you guys. After I recorded this episode, my mind was so blown, I actually had to take a break. I had to step away. I had to reboot my brain. [laughs] It was, like, literally blew my mind, and this is such an incredible topic. And the truth is that I have this incredible privilege of speaking with world-class experts across every corner of longevity, and every so often, a conversation comes along that just truly expands the way I see how human health is going to be impacted by some of this new technology that is as old as humanity itself. So this is exactly what happened with today's guest, and I literally couldn't wait to share this episode with you. Dr. Natalie Yivgi Ohana brings an extraordinary depth of knowledge on mitochondria, those incredible little organelles, breaking down how these tiny powerhouses influence fertility, hormone production, immune function,