Many chronic diseases can be traced to mitochondrial dysfunction, according to Chen Junxu, a natural medicine expert at Bastyr University. After reviewing over 500 research papers and drawing from his extensive clinical practice, Chen developed a comprehensive theory about the relationship between mitochondrial health and chronic disease, which he shared in a recent interview on NTDTV’s “Health 1+1“ program.
Understanding Mitochondria’s Vital Role
Mitochondria are often called the power generators of human cells. They convert nutrients such as glucose and fatty acids that we obtain from food into adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the primary energy source in our cells during metabolism.
At the same time, mitochondria are the core of human immunity, too. Healthy mitochondria effectively regulate immune responses, while mitochondrial dysfunction can damage immune cells, resulting in many chronic diseases and impaired cellular differentiation.
Chen argues that seemingly diverse conditions—including diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, cancer, allergies, autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, and even various mental illnesses—can be understood through a “unified theory” of mitochondrial imbalance. This means that almost every disease can be traced to mitochondrial imbalance. In other words, in mitochondrial imbalance, there is invariably something wrong with the body’s basic metabolism. This perspective suggests that approximately 90 percent of chronic diseases stem from problems with mitochondrial metabolism.
Delusions of Adequacy 