Stem Cells May Be the Booster, But Good Nutrition Is the Sustainer
Stem cells have come upon the medical scene as the new, futuristic treatment that just may save us from the ills of society. When it comes down to it, stem cell therapy is viewed as the new magic bullet, the new quick fix – yet an expensive quick-fix since most treatments are not yet covered by insurance.
There is no question stem cells work. I have seen it with my own eyes with friends and family members being treated and subsequently having some form of recovery; in fact, everyone can view the effect by watching Peyton Manning’s NFL career soar this past year. At 37, he’s at his best after having his neck injury treated with stem cells. I’m not saying stem cells will correct any health issue completely, 100 percent, or permanently, but some feel any amount of success is better than none.
There are treatments deriving stem cells from your own bone marrow, fat, or blood; and stem cells are available from donors, involving fairly simple injection treatments to address orthopedic conditions, heart problems, and neurological disorders, with promising research and trials for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and type 1 diabetes. Controversial embryonic cells do not need to even be considered. Any parent can now bank their newborn’s cord blood stem cells at the time of birth, ready for use at any time in their future. The American Medical Association (AMA) reports that currently there are “life-saving treatments for patients with leukemia, lymphoma, other blood disorders, and some solid tumors.”
We are all filled with stem cells from the day we are born, generated throughout fetal development. Stem cells divide, constantly forming, not only other stem cells, but also brain, bone, blood or heart cells. They are the only type of cell within us that can form different types of cells.
What is important to point out is that most of these major ills that stem cells treat are conditions that have taken years to develop in the body, like heart disease and neuropathy. And what is the primary cause of these developing conditions? It comes down to poor nutrition.
Issues caused by poor nutrition (as well as toxins) have been building in our bodies for years or decades throughout our lives, and soon they become out of control. Eating poorly is not always fault of our own, because we are dependent on food manufacturers and restaurants to feed a large part of our diet. It’s a shame that eating the wrong foods, like the sugared drinks, donuts and fried chicken, or consuming toxic elements, does not get noticed nor have repercussions right away so we can immediately see what effect they have or will have on our health. We have to wait until the affect builds and builds, then manifests into pain and disease, cancer or diabetes. That’s the time when we panic and search for the remedy.
I do believe in stem cell therapy, but…let me explain. First, what really are the origins of stem cells? Nutrition.
Stem cells need to be nourished to thrive. In fact, the recommendations to improve stem cell growth within the body are the same recommendations for a person to become healthier: reduce or cut out sugar consumption, reduce calories, lower triglycerides, do not smoke, and get more exercise. The poorer the diet, the less healthy the stem cells, and less proliferation. With cancer patients, the stem cells within them have been stressed, compromised and possibly deficient; harvesting cells would produce less than from a healthier patient. This is where donor cells could be more helpful.
Equipped with more stem cells, the chance of disease is decreased because stem cells naturally travel through the body guarding our health; eating properly gives us a more defensive army to keep us well. With this, comes health, and the deadly or debilitating diseases that would be rescued by stem cell infusion is then no longer needed.
Just keep in mind, most of the issues stem cell therapy improves are those that normally can be treated with therapeutic nutrition, meaning a strict dietary regimen plus targeted supplements. But who wants to do this before they ever realize there is a problem? Not many, I’ve found.
If a person is facing death or a debilitated life because of a major health issue, stem cell therapy is a viable, even necessary thing to do. But let’s be real, and realize that a good thing does not last forever. You may have that $6,000-$30,000 treatment, and go back to your comfortable life, and the diet you’ve always had and enjoyed for years. Stem cell treatments can be of benefit for maybe several years unless there is a change in lifestyle to the better. A person develops heart disease (which could be prevented by proper foods), goes for stem cell treatment, gets some degree of success; but that person can once again have his heart disease progress over coming years, or then develop some other affliction, because he never changed his eating habits. And so another therapy procedure would be necessary.
Now that stem cell therapies are becoming recognized, I have been hearing people excited about the possibility of getting rid of their joint pain, or diabetes, and even such a minor thing as bronchitis. For someone to actually agree to pay at least $6,000 to remedy these issues rather than seek a nutritionist and relieve it naturally is beyond me; it’s even frightening to think that our society is that weak of mind and determination. It’s a society of ‘the quick fix’ syndrome, and once again nutrition is lost along the wayside. The person with the money who has aches in joints would much rather run for the treatment. It comes down to the fact that most do not understand the correlation between diet and health issues, or do not want to take the effort of learning what good nutrition can do for their health. The realization that many do not grasp is that disease can be overcome with nutrition.
Neuropathy treated with stem cells is currently in clinical trials, looking very promising; but newly flowing blood to an injured leg has shown to bring heightened inflammation. The process of inflammation is naturally a beneficial response by the body, yet at the same time can do harm, and get in the way of recovery. Nutrients have been studied, and certain ones have been found to be the best at regulating the inflammatory environment, and help stem cells do their job in restoring blood flow to the limbs. Certain proteins induce stem cell growth, and, like all proteins, their structure is based on amino acids acquired through nutrition. Polyphenols and amino acids have shown in research to be prominent in aiding stem cell therapy; the best being tryptophan, EGCG (green tea extract) and curcumin, showing that nutrition is definitely behind stem cell integrity.
Like all other cells, stem cells can also lose their ability to repair as they age, as the rest of the body ages. And it can be viewed this way: good nutrition can hamper the aging factors of declining stem cells. As our stem cell bank decreases, our homeostasis, or maintenance of good health, declines, meaning we are more prone to ill health and we age quicker. A deficient environment can hinder the proliferation of stem cells, while heightened infusion of nutrient based foods and supplements can accelerate the production and release of stem cells.
Stem cell therapy is evolving into a highly sought after preventive measure for anti-aging, anti-disease regimen for those who have the means. In the future, treatments could become common enough to make it affordable for most anyone. If you want to be healthier and possibly slow the aging process, having more stem cells in your body is the key. If you want more stem cells naturally, feed your body healthful nutrients with the most optimum diet possible. As it’s been stated, stem cells may be the booster, but nutrition is the sustainer.