As I have stated previously, one of the problems we are facing is the aging of stem cells. At the top of the diagram, we see some of the initial causes of stem cell aging. Some of these we have a bit of control over, such as oxidative stress. We can reduce oxidative stress by using antioxidants, which have a tendency to cancel out oxidative stress. As a small tidbit, dark chocolate is one of the best antioxidants known to man.We can not do much to help with telomerase activity, but we do know certain things, such as Vitamin D, have very beneficial effects on telomeres. The same holds true for omega-3 fish oil and other supplements, which we will have our patients take. Remember, telomeres are the tiny ends of the DNA strands that get lost with cell division. The smaller the DNA strand becomes, the less effective the cell.
We also see that both the internal and external environment of the cell have important ramifications on stem cell aging. These environments affect the inner workings of the cells. If they become damaged, the cells become damaged. We try to address these problems with certain supplements.
Once the cells become injured, their function is impaired. Instead of repairing muscle the stem cells now form scar tissue rather than go to healthy tissue. I think this excellent diagram speaks for itself, so enjoy studying it.
Thanks, Dr. P
