Mitophagy: Clearing Damaged Mitochondria

80% of all autoimmune diseases occur in women, and no one can explain why. Cancer cells are always present in your body, but it's only when your T cells go into energy deficit that cancer starts overtaking the system. And here's what almost no one is talking about: the mitochondria in your immune cells are the reason MS, chronic fatigue, neurodegeneration, and even cancer progression happen when they happen.

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Anurag Singh, MD, PhD immunologist who spent 20 years studying mitochondria and screened 4000 compounds from pomegranates to discover one molecule that changes cellular aging. We break down immunometabolism, the emerging field linking immune health and metabolism, why your T regulatory cells are the CEOs of your immune system, how mitochondrial dysfunction in immune cells triggers autoimmune conditions, and why rejuvenating mitochondria can get your immune system in check to defeat cancer. We also cover NAD+ (and why NMN and NR supplements don't work the way people think), the creatine sweet spot for muscle quality (500mg-1g, not the 5g everyone's taking), why Parkinson's is linked to paraquat, a mitochondrial toxin used in fertilizers and dry cleaning and how AI is fast-tracking the discovery of next-generation molecules for neurodegeneration. This conversation completely shifted how I think about immune health, brain protection, and what's actually driving the diseases we fear most.

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TOPICS DISCUSSED

00:00 Intro: Why 80% of Autoimmune Diseases Occur in Women

01:24 Why Dr. Anurag Became an Immunologist

03:19 Immunometabolism: The Link Between Immune Health and Metabolism

04:20 T Cells, B Cells, and the Thymus Gland

05:51 MS and Autoimmune Disease: The T Regulatory Cell Problem

11:32 Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Immune Exhaustion

18:45 Cancer Cells and T Cell Energy Deficit

24:10 Urolithin A: Screening 4000 Pomegranate Compounds

31:20 Mitophagy and Autophagy: Cellular Housekeeping

38:50 NAD+ vs NMN and NR Supplements: What Actually Works

43:15 Creatine Dosing: The 500mg-1g Sweet Spot for Muscle Quality

48:30 Gut-Brain Connection and Neurodegeneration

50:54 Parkinson's Disease and Paraquat: The Mitochondrial Toxin

53:25 AI in Drug Discovery and Next-Generation Molecules

55:38 Skincare and Mitochondrial Health: Collagen Synthesis

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I’m Louisa Nicola - clinical neurophysiologist - Alzheimer’s prevention specialist - founder of Neuro Athletics.

My mission is to translate cutting-edge neuroscience into actionable strategies for cognitive longevity, peak performance, and brain disease prevention.

If you're committed to optimizing your brain- reducing Alzheimer’s risk - and staying mentally sharp for life, you’re in the right place.

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