Picard proposes energy resistance principle linking mitochondrial dysfunction to chronic disease and aging

What happened

Martin Picard and Nirosha Murugan codified an energy resistance principle in Cell Metabolism in November 2025, proposing that chronic diseases may share a root in cells struggling to extract and use energy from food. Picard argues that living at optimal energy resistance is the secret to longevity. Matt Kaeberlein says mitochondrial dysfunction is a hallmark of aging and may contribute to most common diseases, though he would push back on the idea that everything starts there.

This story is mainly a prediction or opinion, not a reported finding.

Plain-English summary written by an AI model from the Scientific American story.

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