A remarkable study found that combining a nutrient found in beef with blueberries can send your energy levels skyrocketing.
It does this by supercharging your stem cells more than 80%.1
This is particularly important because, as you age, your stem cells don’t work as well as they once did.
I found this research fascinating…
Because it’s not my goal as an anti-aging doctor to help my patients simply live longer. My goal is to help them live better — for as long as they can.
I call it improving your health span.
That’s why I find the science of stem cells so exciting…
You know by now these immortal cells are your body’s secret weapons to slow down — and even reverse — aging.
Stem cells are your reserve of “replacement cells.” Your body can use them to replace any kind of cell that is damaged, old or dying. They allow your body to regenerate damaged tissue in any organ — from your brain to your heart to your liver.
But as you age your stem cells slow down. Fatigue sets in. It’s like your stem cells are running on low batteries.
You see, just like every other cell in your body, your stem cells contain tiny organelles called mitochondria. These are the batteries that provide the energy your cells need to function.
And when the mitochondria in your stem cells get tired and sluggish, your body can’t regenerate quickly enough. The disease process starts to take over. You start to look, feel and act older.
But one sure-fire way to turn that around is eating a combination of nutrients found in beef and blueberries. The story is this…
In a recent study, researchers discovered that this unique combination can wake up and energize stem cells.
Carnosine is an antioxidant found only in meat. This molecule has a remarkable ability to wake up and rejuvenate sleeping stem cells and extend cellular lifespan.2
And research shows that blueberries can reverse declining cell function that happens with age.
But when carnosine and blueberry were combined, scientists found that stem cell activity increased by a whopping 83%.
I recommend getting 1,000 mg of carnosine every day. A typical 7-ounce serving of beef has about 250 mg of carnosine.
2 More Ways to Make Old Stem Cells Young Again
- Take this simple vitamin. There is a special kind of vitamin B3 called nicotinamide riboside (NR). In a landmark study, researchers from the University of Colorado divided 24 people into two groups. One group took a placebo for six weeks. Then they took 500 mg of NR twice a day for another six weeks. The other group took NR for the first six weeks then the placebo.3
The results were clear…
The NR gave the people the same anti-aging benefits as if they cut their calories. It also helped reverse heart disease risk. People in the study who had hypertension dropped their blood pressure by 10 points. That translates to a 25% cut in heart attack risk.
NR worked by boosting levels of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) by 60%. Here’s why that’s important…
NAD+ is found in every cell in your body. It boosts the energy in your mitochondria. That can boost regeneration of your stem cells. Studies show restoring mitochondria slows aging and extends lifespan.4
Trace amounts of NR can be found in a few foods, such as whole cow’s milk and yeast. But no food provides high enough levels of NR to wake up your sleeping stem cells. That means you need a supplement.
I recommend taking between 500 mg and 1,000 mg per day before breakfast.
- Work out intensely for 12 minutes. My PACE exercise principle is one of the best ways to stimulate your stem cells.
A recent study in the European Heart Journal showed that vigorous exercise in mice activated 60% of their cardiac stem cells.5
In another human study, researchers proved that strenuous exercise leads to high levels of stem cells in bone, liver and other organs.6
With PACE, your goal is to hit a peak of intensity. Then, in future workouts, you gradually raise that peak as your fitness level improves.
If you want to learn some good stem cell-boosting exercises, check out the YouTube channel for my PACE program at youtube.com/user/AlSearsMD/videos.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD, CNS
1. Wang AM, Ma C, et al. “Use of carnosine as a natural anti-senescence drug for human beings.” Biochemistry (Mosc.). 2000 Jul;65(7):869-71.
2. McFarland GA, Holliday R. “Retardation of the senescence of cultured human diploid fibroblasts by carnosine.” Exp Cell Res. 1994 Jun;212(2):167-75.
3. Martens CR, et al. “Chronic nicotinamide riboside supplementation is well-tolerated and elevates NAD in healthy middle-aged and older adults.” Nature Communications. 2018; DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-03421-7.
4. Guarente L. “Cell Metabolism. The resurgence of NAD(+).” Science. 2016;352(6292):1396-7.
5. Gariani K, Menzies KJ, et al. “Eliciting the mitochondrial unfolded protein response by nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide repletion reverses fatty liver disease in mice.” Hepatology. 2016 Apr;63(4):1190-204.
6. Valero MC, Huntsman HD, et al. “Eccentric Exercise Facilitates Mesenchymal Stem Cell Appearance in Skeletal Muscle.” PLOS One.