Im so excited to shareone of my latest and greatest biohacking experiments: using stem cells to become younger and stronger. For years, using stem cells for chronic pain, recovery from injury, or even skin tone and texture was thought of as science fiction, a treatment reserved for the ultra-rich, or worse a controversy. Today, these therapies are widely available and have worked wonders for my family and me.

Here youre going to learn about what people are really doing with stem cells, whats real, whats not, and where to go if you want to do it. As you know, I am a guinea pig and professional biohacker, so I like to try things before I recommend them.

Ive had stem cells injected pretty much all over my body in multiple countries so now you dont have to! In fact, Im the second person ever to have stem cells injected into my brain for preventative reasons. (The first was the doctor who did my procedure!)

The human bodys ability to heal on its own is impressive. With a little help from stem cell therapy, it goes from impressive to almost unbelievable. And its not just about healing injuries reversing aging is all about healing and recovering from stress and strain like a young person. Healing is core to resilience. Extracting your own stem cells and then injecting them with intention can upgrade your biology in science fiction-esque ways.

Stem cells can return sight to blind people[1]and hearing to deaf rodents.[2] They repair connective tissue, helping with everything from spinal injury to a torn Achilles tendon.[3] They may be able to regrow lost teeth.[4][5] Theyve restored the brains of patients that suffered strokes, months after the stroke happened[6]. But there are risks people have actually lost their vision, and using stem cells that arent from your body can cause weird things to happen in rare instances. Like teeth growing somewhere in your body where they dont belong. Eeewww.

Even if you dont have any medical issues, stem cell therapy offers a lot. It curbs aging by keeping your skin collagen and elastin-rich. It makes your joints stronger and more pliable. It can even increase (ahem) length and girth.

For the first time, stem cell therapy is becoming legally available to the general public, although its in a gray zone. Ive had a full-body treatment done. Actually, several. And I injected them into my brain three times and plan to do it twice a year until Im at least 180. Stem cell therapy is one of the biggest things Ive found that really moves the needle when it comes to anti-aging. (Pun intended.)

Here are my thoughts, along with what you need to know about stem cell therapy.

Stem cells are the play dough of the human body. Theyre ready to be shaped into any kind of tissue the body needs. Depending on the type you use, stem cells can turn into muscles, bones, joints, and even brain cells. Or yes, boy parts. Or girl parts, if youre so equipped. (My wife Dr. Lana did that procedure, and the results are amazing!)

Stem cells in their own are helpful, but they work better when you pair them with growth factors to guide them in the body. Growth factors are like guard rails: they keep the stem cells on the road until they reach their destination.

Stem cell therapy involves pulling stem cells from one part of your body, mixing them with growth factor from your blood, bone marrow, or other sources, and injecting them into another part.

If going to a doctor isnt in your budget, you can stimulate stem cells and growth factors on your own with a few lifestyle hacks. In fact, most of the practices in The Bulletproof Diet and Head Strong improve stem cells, in part because mitochondria(the power plants of your cells and the main topic in my books) heavily influence your stem cells.

More on that in a moment. First, lets talk about how to use stem cells.

When I did my stem cell therapy, I used mesenchymal stem cells. Theyre in every joint in your body, working to keep your connective tissue strong.

Over time, normal wear and tear can break down your joints, especially if you put them under a lot of stress. Mesenchymal stem cells release proteins that curb inflammation, keeping your joints strong. They also signal for repair, bringing in nutrients that fix damage. Stem cells can also turn into the type of tissue your body needs, replacing tissue entirely.

As you age, stem cell production drops. Your body often cant keep up with repair, especially if you injure yourself. Im doing fine, but I wanted to boost my stem cells before any real problems came up. I worked with Dr. Harry Adelson (hear him on Bulletproof Radio here) to get treatments all over.

When you get your stem cells extracted, it requires either liposuction for fat stem cells, or bone marrow, or both. But those are painful procedures so some doctors will allow you to send your stem cells to a facility that amplifies the stem cells and stores them for later use. Do this if you can afford it. This is a legal gray zone (the FDA says that if they are amplified theyre a drug, yet many physicians will offer it outside the U.S.) The reason you want to do this is that if you are ever injured, say with a traumatic brain injuryor any major trauma your stem cells could save your life. The younger you are when you get your stem cells banked, the better off you are, because stem cells are more effective when youre younger.

I was fortunate to be able to get my stem cells legally banked, so I have them available for regular use!

If youre looking into stem cell therapy, youll likely find doctors in two camps. Doctors extract stem cells from either bone marrow or fat.

I worked with Dr. Harry Adelson at Docere Medical because hes a pioneer. He uses both kinds of stem cells bone marrow and fat because he finds patients get the best of both worlds: the consistency of bone marrow-derived cells and the more impressive healing of fat-derived cells. Ive also worked with Kristen Comella and Dr. Robyn Benson, both of whom Id recommend.

If you dont want to go all-in with stem cell therapy, here are a few other ways to activate your stem cells.

Want a more in-depth look at stem cells from some of the worlds experts? Check out these episodes of Bulletproof Radio:

Thanks for reading and have a great week!

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Here is the original post:
How Adult Stem Cells Can Help Stop Pain and Reverse Aging