Where does this claim come from?
I’ve been seeing claims that “all disease results from ultra-processed foods”, with the major mechanism being effects on health mitochondria (the “power houses of the cell”). The idea is that UPFs induce oxidative stress, which is well-established to damage mitochondria, and that taking certain supplements can protect from mitochondrial damage.
More alarming, I’ve seen claims that people with serious conditions such as lupus, a difficult to manage autoimmune condition, don’t need high tech immune modulating treatments. Rather they just need to fix their diets and their bodies “will heal itself”. Of course, the supplements and “healthy diet” fads popping up to enhance this process.
Is it true that taking mitochondrial boosting supplements and avoiding ultra-processed foods can obviate the need for drugs or other contemporary therapies (such as immune-related therapies) for serious diseases such as cancer, IBD, or lupus?
Kernel of truth
Mitochondria are indeed critically important for cell function and health, and most, if not all, disease involves mitochondria damage or dysfunction. Mitochondria should be protected from damage. And the idea that some of the health risks of ultra-processed foods could relate to oxidative stress, and hence mitochondrial damage, is not unreasonable.
Distortion beyond all likely evidence
There is no evidence that supplements actually protect mitochondria from damage in humans. And unfortunately, even if there were clinical studies showing benefits, there is no way of knowing if they would help in the real world. This is partly because of genetic differences between people related to, for instance, susceptibility to inflammation vs. resilience, and the varied and complex ways these are regulated. But there is also the standard problem with supplements- that they by law cannot be regulated. So we have no way of knowing what is in them.
But I also get the feeling that this is another version of the (historically popular) attitude that allows “healthy” people to look down on people who have illnesses. Added to the proliferation of supplements targeted toward protecting mitochondria that fulfill the historical popular craving for magic pills and potions. Nonetheless, the pathophysiology of the various chronic diseases, especially cancer and autoimmunity, is way too complex and individual to attribute disease to someone’s behavior. It isn’t helpful, and can even be harmful (or fatal).
I say this as someone who advocates very strongly for lifestyle management approaches for chronic disease. There is no question that the dominance of ultra-processed foods in our culture is a major contributor to the dramatic increases in conditions such as metabolic syndrome, and likely key contributor to the process that triggers autoimmunity. But we shouldn’t overlook the role of the tremendous increase in substances such as drug metabolites (from other people’s drugs), industrial waste, pesticides, etc. in the water we drink and cook our food in, and that we have no control over. It’s not right to blame people for their illnesses.