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Restoring Resilience: How to Treat the Cell Danger Response

Written by Dr. Michael Ruscio, DC on June 27, 2025

Written by Dr. Michael Ruscio, DC on June 27, 2025 — Reviewed by Hilary Watts

• What Is the Cell Danger Response?|
• CDR Triggers|
• Getting Out of the CDR|

For many of our clients in the clinic, diet and lifestyle changes are enough to get them back on the road to vibrant health. But some clients seem to remain trapped in a cycle of illness regardless of their efforts. They often experience brain fog and digestive issues, feel worse after exercise, and struggle to tolerate low-carbohydrate diets.

When looking upstream, poor mitochondrial health may be to blame. Our mitochondria are vital for creating the energy our cells need to perform their important work. Unfortunately, modern lifestyles often compromise the well-being of our mitochondria, causing them to sense that the body isn’t safe.

When they detect unsafe conditions, our mitochondria dial back on energy production and send out danger signals—this is the cell danger response (CDR). This sounds scary, but the silver lining here is that we can treat the CDR to get our mitochondria back on track. By addressing the underlying triggers that keep our cells locked in a chronic state of defense, we can calm our cellular alarm system and return our body to a state of homeostasis (balance) and resilience.

What Is the Cell Danger Response? 

Before getting into how to treat the cell danger response, let me set the stage with some background information. 

Our bodies are made up of trillions of cells, and included in those cells are mitochondria. 

Mitochondria (sometimes called the “powerhouses” of the cell) are flexible, active parts of our cells that help us 1: 

• Create energy from the foods we eat 
• Maintain a healthy metabolism 
• Manage the stress response 
• Maintain cellular functions and balance 

When we’re healthy and life is good, our mitochondria go about their work behind the scenes without us even realizing it.   

However, when we’re exposed to stressors, infections, toxins, or trauma, our mitochondria shift from growth and healing to defense—this can wreak havoc on how we feel and our wellness 2 3. This ancient survival process has been labeled the cell danger response by Dr. Robert Naviaux, an expert in mitochondrial and metabolic diseases. 

When the CDR is activated, it can impact 2: 

• Metabolism 
• Immune system function 
• Inflammation 
• Gut microbiome health 
• Sleep 
• Behavior
• Autonomic nervous system function
• Aging 

Think back to the last time you started to get a cold. You may have felt fatigued, experienced pain, had trouble sleeping, or wanted to avoid contact with others—that was the CDR at work 2.

As the healing cycle began, your symptoms improved, your mitochondria got the “all clear” signal, normal cell function resumed, and you felt like your old self again. 

But mitochondria can also get stuck sending out danger signals if they don’t get the message that everything is ok. Sometimes, even after the body has fought off an infection or dealt with other stressors, the autonomic nervous system (ANS) may still perceive distress. 

The ANS may continue to provoke the CDR and keep the cells locked in defensive actions. Over time, this chronic state of defensiveness may harden cell membranes, stop cells from communicating with each other, and cause cells to release ATP as a continued signal of cellular distress 2. 

The CDR is protective at first, but if we get trapped in a CDR loop, health problems begin to emerge 2 3 4. These are some signs and symptoms functional medicine practitioners might use to identify if someone is trapped in the CDR loop:

• Profound fatigue that’s not relieved with rest
• Exercise intolerance
• Brain fog
• Muscle or joint pain not related to an injury
• Digestive problems
• Mood problems
• Sleep problems
• POTS symptoms (dizziness, heart palpitations, temperature regulation issues)
• Inflammation
• Chemical sensitivity
• Poor immune system function
• Fasting intolerance
• Low-carb diet intolerance

Aside from these life-altering signs and symptoms, we may also have a higher risk of developing chronic diseases. Dr. Naviaux has suggested that being stuck in the CDR may create a mosaic of dysfunctional cells that drive age-related disease, as follows 3:

• CDR1: Linked to chronic inflammation, pain, and a higher risk of getting an infection
• CDR2: Leads to diabetes, heart disease, fibrosis, and cancer risk
• CDR3: Associated with autoimmunity, immune deficiency, mental illness, and neurodegeneration

What Triggers the Cell Danger Response?

The cell danger response is all about cell safety. So, what makes our cells feel unsafe? Many factors may trigger the CDR, including 2:

• A lack of nutrients 
• A lack of shelter
• Infections
• Exposure to toxins and pollutants
• Physical, chemical, or psychological trauma
• Social stress or neglect (especially early in life)

Childhood adversity—like neglect or chronic stress—and environmental toxins may permanently disrupt our cellular safety and our brain development 2. This means that when our cells sense even a minor threat (whether real or perceived), they may overreact and trigger the CDR. 

Fortunately, many natural therapies can help us stop this cycle and restore balance to the system.

How Do I Get Out of the Cell Danger Response?

The CDR may sound like doom and gloom, but I want to reassure you that we can address the underlying issues and restore homeostasis (balance). 

The key to recovery is building a healthy foundation that helps our cells feel safe 5. Since a nutritious diet can be extremely impactful, we tend to start with this in our clinic.

Diet 

Our mitochondria require a variety of nutrients every day to complete their work. Not eating or absorbing enough nutrients can lead to mitochondrial dysfunction and trigger the CDR 2. Additionally, chronic inflammation—as can be caused by an overly processed, nutrient-poor diet—can also damage our mitochondria by increasing oxidative stress, or cellular damage by free radicals 6.

Which diet is best for mitochondrial health? Any anti-inflammatory diet that provides enough nutrients will give our mitochondria what they need to function normally. However, a Mediterranean diet probably has the strongest evidence for supporting mitochondrial function 6 7.

Lifestyle Upgrades 

While working toward an anti-inflammatory meal plan, other lifestyle measures can help our mitochondria start to feel safe again.

Exercise

Exercise is very effective for improving how you feel and your mitochondrial function. 

In one meta-analysis (high-quality study of studies), exercise improved mitochondrial function in people with cardiovascular disease by boosting how well the mitochondria produced energy 8. A randomized controlled trial—gold-standard type of study—found that mitochondria in muscle cells performed better with short, high-intensity workouts 9. 

Exercise intolerance may be a clear indication of CDR. If you find yourself exhausted after typical exercise or dealing with severe soreness, it’s essential to pay attention to your body’s signals and dial things back. 

A good approach might be to start with short walks of about 10 minutes, gradually increasing your activity level over time. Especially with a healthcare provider’s support, strategies like this may help improve your mitochondrial health without causing setbacks.

Reduce Toxic Body Burden

We are exposed to an unlimited number of toxins in the environment—everything from mycotoxins and microplastics to heavy metals and pesticides. 

Our bodies have an amazing detoxification system, but when we’re overburdened, our cellular safety may get disrupted and trigger the CDR 2. We can’t eliminate all toxins, but these  are some of the many ways to support detox and reduce the burden:

• Use air purifiers at home and work
• Filter your tap water
• Choose less toxic body products (toothpaste, deodorant, hair care, and lotion)
• Avoid cigarette smoke
• Limit alcohol
• Avoid storing or microwaving food in plastic containers
• Choose less toxic home-cleaning products
• Wash fruits and vegetables before eating them
• Limit visits to hair or nail salons

Manage Stress

Stress, whether real or perceived, tells your cells to prepare for a threat, and it can increase inflammation 10. Eating an anti-inflammatory diet and exercising can reduce stress, but there are other stress-busting techniques that you may want to consider:

• Repair or release broken relationships
• Spend time in nature 11 12
• Adopt a daily mindfulness practice such as meditation, yoga, or deep breathing 13 14
• Eliminate unnecessary stress by becoming more organized, leaving early enough to get places on time, planning meals, and setting healthy boundaries at work
• Pick up an enjoyable hobby
• Seek out professional treatment for current or childhood trauma
• Move your body 15

Optimize Sleep

When we sleep, the body is able to focus on clearing out the cell-damaging chemicals we produce during the day. Sleeping also allows the glymphatic system (the waste removal system of the brain) to clear out toxins from the brain 16. 

Chronic sleep disruption may trigger the CDR. Improving your sleep hygiene can be an important way to tell your cells that they’re safe. Here are some tips to help you sleep better:

• Schedule 7–9 hours of restful sleep each night
• Get early morning light exposure
• Avoid blue or bright lights before bedtime (such as cell phone and computer screens)
• Avoid caffeine after 12 pm
• Manage sleep apnea appropriately
• Avoid eating large meals within 3 hours of bedtime

Additional Therapies to Target the CDR

If, after establishing a healthy foundation with diet and lifestyle, you still feel stuck, it’s time to consider other options.  

First and foremost, it’s important to find a practitioner who can help you uncover the root causes of being stuck in the CDR. In the clinic, we frequently encounter unresolved infections, whether bacterial, viral, parasitic, or fungal, as common triggers for being in this state. 

For clients who seem to be stuck in the cell danger response, we may also recommend red light therapy or hyperbaric oxygen therapy. The following table details each:

Supplements for CDR Support

It would be great if we could recommend one supplement to get you out of the CDR, but it’s not that simple. Supplement recommendations always need to be personalized, and there are many options for spinning the turbines of mitochondrial energy production.

In our clinic, we may recommend certain antioxidants and amino acids that have research to support their use. The following table details research findings related to supplements and mitochondrial function.

To sum this table up, supplementing with CoQ10, and especially combining it with NADH (an electron carrier needed to make ATP) or ALA (an antioxidant), shows solid potential for reducing fatigue and improving mitochondrial function. Taurine is another option, but it may be more useful when combined with exercise. 

However, I want to caution you against starting with supplements and skipping diet and lifestyle changes. Supplements may be helpful, but they will likely be much more effective layered onto a healthy foundation. And it’s always important to speak with a healthcare provider before starting new dietary supplements. 

Treat the Cell Danger Response to Thrive

Nearly all our trillions of cells contain mitochondria that create energy and maintain balance, but these little powerhouses are also our cells’ danger sensors. When our mitochondria detect unsafe conditions, they dial back on healing and energy creation, and instead focus on defense. This cell danger response can leave anyone feeling like their body is broken. 

The key to getting out of the cell danger response is to help our cells feel safe—this is when we may truly begin to heal. By addressing the underlying triggers of the CDR with an anti-inflammatory diet, healthy lifestyle strategies, targeted supplementation, and additional therapies, we may be able to restore healthy mitochondrial function and cellular communication.

We know it can be stressful to try to heal on your own. We’re here to help, so contact us at the Ruscio Institute for Functional Health to make an appointment.

The Ruscio Institute has developed a range of high-quality formulations to help our clients and audience. If you’re interested in learning more about these products, please click here. Note that there are many other options available, and we encourage you to research which products may be right for you. The information on DrRuscio.com is for educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.