As you age, your body collects millions of dysfunctional cells that cause inflammation and disease. These are called “senescent cells.” Although, many refer to them as “zombie cells.”
Your body has natural ways to get rid of these zombie cells, but in today’s world it’s getting harder. Toxic exposure from our food, water, and everyday world interferes with your body’s ability to “take out the trash.”
That’s bad news because these zombie cells infect the rest of your body, spreading disease and causing accelerated aging.
Until now, anyone targeting senescent cells to purge them was pretty much firing blind. But thanks to a recent breakthrough, researchers can now tell if they’re hitting their target.
The Buck Institute in northern California recently announced the discovery of a unique fatty acid biomarker signaling the death of so-called zombie cells.
Today, I’ll show you three easy ways to target and destroy the zombie cells wreaking havoc in your body.
How Zombie Cells Threaten Your Health
The discovery of the fatty acid biomarker offers a new tool to counteract cellular senescence. Inactive “zombie cells” don’t just sit there, they emit a toxic brew causing inflammation throughout your body.
With each passing year you collect more of these cells and the inflammation grows steadily worse. This ultimately leads to cancer, heart disease, liver and kidney problems, and dementia to name just a few.
Researchers at Buck Institute discovered that when zombie cells die, they release the fatty acid dihomo-15d-PGJ2.1 This gives them a way to detect whether a senolytic treatment is working. High levels of dihomo-15d-PGJ2 means the bad cells are dying.
So will clearing out dysfunctional cells reverse the symptoms of old age? Only time will tell. But I’m advising my patients to take several steps right away to protect themselves from the REAL “zombie apocalypse.”
Reveal Younger Skin Immediately
Encouraging the body to clear out dysfunctional cells naturally is something we do regularly at my Sears Institute for Anti-Aging Medicine. Our methods include:
- Scullcap (baicalin) – Flavonoids from scutellaria baicalensis, a flowering plant in Asia commonly called skullcap, have been shown to restore telomere length by 65% in damaged cells.2 My regular readers already know that long, healthy telomeres are the key to healthy aging.
The skullcap flavonoid wogonin also activates P53 genes that generate “tumor protein 53” (TP53)… TP53 induces cell death (apoptosis) in cancer cells,3 and possibly in senescent cells as well.
Skullcap is available as a tincture, a powder, or a pill… and the dried leaves make a delightful, calming tea. You only need a teaspoon or two of the dried herb. Steep it for 10 minutes to enjoy its tart-but-woody flavor.
- Quercetin & Fisetin – These two zombie killers are so effective that early senolytic researchers combined anti-cancer drugs with quercetin4 or fisetin.5 The trials were deemed successful.
Quercetin and fisetin are plant-pigment phytonutrients that act as antioxidants found in small amounts in strawberries, onions, and other fruits and vegetables. I recommend you supplement with 500 mg of quercetin twice daily, and 100 mg of fisetin once a day. - Progressive Accelerating Cardiopulmonary Exertion (PACE) — Exercise clears out senescent, inflammatory cells. I’ve documented the effects in trials in my own clinic, but the type of exercise you do matters a lot. The key is gradually increasing the progressive level of your exertion to make the body adapt. Why not check out a free PACE class online? You can find one here on my YouTube channel.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD, CNS
References:
1. First non-invasive biomarker to track and verify senolytics. (2021, April 7). Retrieved May 6, 2021, from Longevity Technology website.
2. Huang, S.-T., Wang, C.-Y., Yang, R.-C., Chu, C.-J., Wu, H.-T., & Pang, J.-H. S. (2010). Wogonin, an active compound in Scutellaria baicalensis, induces apoptosis and reduces telomerase activity in the HL-60 leukemia cells. Phytomedicine: International Journal of Phytotherapy and Phytopharmacology, 17(1), 47–54.
3. Min, W., Gao, Y., & Luo, D. (2011). Effects of baicalin on ultraviolet A-induced telomere damage in cultured human primary fibroblasts.”. Chinese Journal of Dermatology, 44(9, 639-642), 639–642.
4. Saccon, T. D., Nagpal, R., Yadav, H., Cavalcante, M. B., Nunes, A. D. de C., Schneider, A., … Masternak, M. M. (2021). Senolytic combination of Dasatinib and Quercetin alleviates intestinal senescence and inflammation and modulates the gut microbiome in aged mice. The Journals of Gerontology. Series A, Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences.
5. Yousefzadeh, M. J., Zhu, Y., McGowan, S. J., Angelini, L., Fuhrmann-Stroissnigg, H., Xu, M., … Kirkland, J. L. (2018). Fisetin is a senotherapeutic that extends health and lifespan. EBioMedicine, 36, 18–28.