Stem cells exist throughout the human body. Stem cells are capable of repeatedly dividing to generate new stem cells in order to replenish dying cells as well as to repair damaged tissues and organs. As a person ages, that person’s stem cells age as well. Older, less healthy stem cells have a decreased capacity to generate new cells, which contributes to the process of aging. Fortunately, stem cell health and production can be enhanced naturally through several ingredients present in stem cell supplements.
The Role of Stem Cells
Unlike other types of cells, stem cells are capable of self-renewing — a stem cell splits into two cells, and the new cell can differentiate into one of many different kinds of cells. Early embryonic stem cells, originally created within the first few days of the life of an embryo, can differentiate into almost any kind of cell, in any kind of organ or tissue. Adults retain stem cells in all of their tissues and organs. Like embryonic stem cells, these adult stem cells can split and differentiate. However, these adult stem cells can’t differentiate into any type of cell. An adult stem cell will become a type of cell related to one particular organ or tissue type.
When an organ or tissue is damaged, stem cells specific to that organ or tissue go into action regenerating to form new, fully-functional replacements for the damaged cells. That’s why stem cells are vitality important to health — adult stem cells are the body’s means of self-healing in order to remain healthy and youthful.
Recent studies establish that the functioning of stem cells declines with advancing age. Aging cells suffer from inflammation, DNA damage and oxidative stress, resulting in a diminished ability of organs and tissues to repair themselves. The important result of this is that aging itself is directly linked to the accumulation of damaged stem cells.
Telomerase Activators
Theoretically a stem cell can divide, again and again, to create unlimited new stem cells. In reality, though, a stem cell eventually “wears out.” Stem cell depletion and aging are, in fact, a strong contributor to human aging itself — tissue and organs in need of healing and repair aren’t adequately supplied with new, healthy stem cells to perform those fixes.
Every stem cell has telomeres — a protective cap-like structures that exists to protect the cell from DNA mutations. When a stem cell splits, the number of telomeres is reduced. Eventually the chain of telomeres becomes so short that it is no longer healthy for the stem cell to split — so it stops replicating.
Stem cells have the ability to lessen telomere loss by generating an enzyme called telomerase. This enzyme has the ability to supplement stem cell telomere, which has the effect of extending the cells lifespan and reproduction powers. Over time, though, the stem cells production of the telomerase enzyme slows, slowing down the production of telomeres, leading to an unhealthy stem cell unable to generate new stem cells. Supplementing the body with nutrients that stimulate the telomerase enzyme can revitalize aging stem cells and allow them to continue their process of cell splitting. Because of this, many stem cell supplements include ingredients that act as telomerase activators.
Nutrients That Promote Stem Cell Health
In recent years the number, and popularity, of stem cell supplements (also referred to as stem cell enhancers or stem cell activators) has grown considerably. The ingredient lists of these supplements can be long and varied, consisting of some well-known nutrients and some much lesser-known food and plant extracts, amino acids, antioxidants, and more. Here we examine the most popular ingredients in these supplements, explaining what each is, and why each is thought to be of benefit to stem cell health and reproduction abilities.
You can find an “all-in-one” type stem cell supplement, or you can “build your own.” By that we mean choosing two or more of the following individual supplements that are known to be stem cell enhancers, and buying those supplements in powder form. Buying in powder form, rather than bottles of capsules, lets you buy in bulk. That saves you money. And you’ll be getting just the specific few supplements that are known to be effective for improving cellular health.
Bulk Supplements at www.bulksupplements.com has over 500 nutrients for sale, including all of the ones listed below. You buy the nutrients in powder form, and when you want to take your daily supplement just spoon a little powder from each package into juice or a smoothie — each supplement package lists the standard dosage for that supplement. It’s simple to do, and when you buy in bulk you can stock up on a three or six month supply that will typically cost you less than half the price if you were to buy small brand bottles of supplements in capsule form.
Spirulina
Algae are simple aquatic plants that aren’t especially plant-like — algae doesn’t have roots, stems or leaves. Algae are members of a group of mostly aquatic photosynthetic organisms (capable of photosynthesis — producing organic compounds such a glucose from the energy of sunlight) belonging to the kingdom Protista.
Spirulina, also referred to as Aphanizomenon flos-aquae (AFA) or Klamath blue green algae, is an edible species of blue-green algae that grows in both fresh and salt water. Spirulina has long been recognized for its anti-inflammatory properties. Inflammation issues can negatively affect brain stem cell replication, and a study has shown that spirulina can limit this type of inflammation, leading to improved stem cell health. Another study, this one by the Department of Neurosurgery at USF, showed that spirulina helped to promote proliferation of all types of stem cells, not just brain stem cells.
Polyphenols
Polyphenols are a category of chemicals that naturally occur in most plants. Polyphenols are micronutrients that act as antioxidants — they protect cells from damage caused by free radicals (reactive, or unstable, atoms that cause cell damage as they scavenge the body in an attempt to stabilize by stealing electrons away from other, more stable atoms).
It’s been shown that polyphenols can help treat or improve cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, weight management difficulties, neurodegenerative disease and digestion issues.
Numerous other studies show polyphenol-rich nutritional supplements can meaningfully boost stem cell function, thereby slowing down stem cell-related aging. Researchers detected significant increases in circulating bone marrow stem cells, brought about by the polyphenols stimulating the body’s stem cells.
Many foods, including blueberries, hazelnuts and tea, are high in polyphenols. That’s why you’ll find that many stem cell supplements list extracts of foods such as these among their ingredients. While it might appear to be a strange mix of nutrients, they’re included not for their differences but because of their commonality — polyphenols. Below are listed many of the foods high in polyphenols — you can expect to see extracts of at least some of these foods in almost any stem cell enhancer.
Cloves and Other Seasonings
When it comes to human-edible foods, cloves may by the richest source of polyphenols. Other seasonings ranking high on the polyphenols scale include dried peppermint and star anise. Because it can be problematic to integrate these spices into your meals, your best bet to gaining their anti-inflammatory power is by taking daily supplements that include one or more of them.
Cocoa Powder and Dark Chocolate
Behind seasonings like cloves, cocoa powder is the richest source of polyphenols. Because cocoa is the main ingredient in dark chocolate it should come as no surprise that dark chocolate is also very rich in polyphenols.
Berries
Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and Goji berries are all rich in polyphenols (especially blueberries). A berry extract — especially blueberry extract — is a very common ingredient in stem cell supplements.
Non-Berry Fruits
Berries are far and away the fruits highest in polyphenols, but there are several non-berry fruits that supply a good dose. Aside from berries, black currants, plums and cherries are the richest in polyphenols.
Nuts
Nuts may be high in calories, but they’re packed with protein, and some are quite high in polyphenols. In particular, look to hazelnut, pecan or almond extract in a stem cell supplement.
Black and Green Tea
Both black and green tea contain good amounts of polyphenols. If you aren’t a tea drinker, don’t despair — many stem cell enhancers include black tea or green tea extract.
Red Wine
Researchers have long recommended red wine (in moderation, of course) for its antioxidants. Rich polyphenol content — the polyphenol resveratrol in particular — is a big part of those antioxidants. This is why though over-consumption of alcohol is considered bad, moderate consumption of red wine is thought to be beneficial. If you prefer a glass of Rosé and white wine, enjoy. But realize you won’t be sipping that wine for the polyphenols — both Rosé and white wine have very low levels of polyphenols.
Polygonum Multiflorum (He Shou Wu or Fo-Ti)
Polygonum multiflorum, also referred to as He Shou Wu or Fo-Ti, is an herb that is one of the most popular traditional Chinese medicines (TCM). In Asia this herb is commonly used in fertility enhancement (by improving egg vitality in women and sperm count in men) and muscle strengthening. In the West it is gaining acceptance as a stem cell supplement ingredient due to the belief that it can increase the production of various types of stem cells as well as enhance telomere growth.
Astragalus Membranaceus (Huáng Qí)
Astragalus membranaceus is another herb popular in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Astragalus has antioxidant effects that inhibit free radical production. In the body, free radicals damage cells and are linked to many health problems associated with aging. Astragalus molecules have been found to contribute to telomere growth. In TCM the root of the Astragalus membranaceus plant has been used for all of the following purposes:
- Protect both the heart and kidneys
- Possible cancer-fighting effects
- Anti-inflammatory effects
- Combating infections
- Boosting the immune system
Quercetin Dihydrate
Quercetin is one of a group of plant pigments called flavonoids. Flavonoids give many flowers, fruits, and vegetables their colors. Flavonoids also have been determined to provide a wide range of health benefits.
Common foods that contain quercetin include citrus fruits, berries, onions, green tea, and capers. Capers are by far the richest source of quercetin — most of the other quercetin-containing foods don’t have particularly high amounts of this flavonoid. That means for people who would like to greatly increase their intake of quercetin, a supplement is the route to take.
In addition to the scarcity of foods with high amounts of quercetin, the low bioavailability of this flavonoid means a person would normally have to consume very large amounts of it to get a big boost in benefits. That’s where quercetin dihydrate comes in. Quercetin dihydrate is quercetin, but it’s a synthetic version of the flavonoid. The synthetic quercetin dihydrate has a much higher bioavailability — percentage of the compound that’s properly absorbed and put to use by the body — than the quercetin that’s processed from natural sources.
Quercetin’s health benefits are numerous. Its antioxidant properties help fight the free radicals that contribute to neurogenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. Quercetin is an anti-inflammatory. Anti-inflammatories can decrease the symptoms of, or the risk of developing, diabetes, heart disease, cataracts, high cholesterol, asthma, and other health concerns.
When it comes to cellular health, quercetin works on a variety of levels. Quercetin helps to stabilize histamine-releasing cells, thereby providing an antihistamine effect. Senescent cells are “rogue cells” that eventually stop multiplying — but don’t then die off as they should. Instead, they live on and release inflammatory chemicals that negatively affect the body. Quercetin is a powerful senolytic agent that kills off senescent cells when it encounters them.
In the field of nutritional supplements, there are endless discussions about antioxidants. That makes sense, because antioxidants limit the spread of the oxidants, or free radicals, that can harm healthy cells. Oxidation leads to a whole host of health issues that contribute to aging. The flip-side to antioxidants is pro-oxidants — compounds that harm or kill cells. Unlike antioxidants, in the supplement business there’s understandably not a lot of talk about pro-oxidants. There are times, however, when pro-oxidants are actually very good for the body.
Quercetin acts as a potent antioxidant that improves cell function and survival — including for stem cells. But quercetin can also act as a pro-oxidant when it encounters cancerous cells. In such cases quercetin induces apoptosis — the controlled, intentional death of cells. This apoptosis of cancerous cells prevents tumor proliferation. These anticancer properties are one more way quercetin plays a key role in cellular health.
