Know Your Ledge

The cells from which we stem ...

"When the conditions are right, your stem cells can divide into several daughter cells that can turn into new stem cells through the process of self-renewal. They can also turn into specialized cells, such as blood cells, brain cells, bone cells, or heart muscle cells through the process of differentiation. Self-renewal or differentiation can occur in your body or in a laboratory provided the right conditions." - Dr. David Jockers

The types of stem cells that are being looked into are commonly categorized by potency which is measured by potential...

Totipotent cells first appear at the zygote stage and are able to differentiate into all kinds of cells. Stem cells are characterized according to their degree of potency, Totipotent cells are the most potent of all stem cells, this is the kind of cell that can give rise to a whole new organism. Totipotent stem cells are unique as they have a greater developmental potential compared with other stem cells. The ability to isolate and culture totipotent stem cells creates many therapeutic possibilities yet to be fully researched. Totipotent cells cease to exist around the time of the formation of the inner cell mass.

Pluripotent cells appear at the early embryo stage and are able to differentiate into almost any cell. Multipotent cells can differentiate into a closely related family of cells. For example, adult hematopoietic cells can turn into platelets, red blood cells, and white blood cells. Oligopotent cells can turn into a few different cell forms. Lymphoid and myeloid stem cells are two examples of oligopotent stem cells. Unipotent cells can only differentiate into their own type of cells. For example, adult muscle stem cells are unipotent.

But before we get into any uncommon knowledge about the cells from which we stem let us first open up with suggestions to engage in a mix of cardiovascular activity, resistance training, and low impact exercise. Make sure to get 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night, be sure that with these sleep logs we are going to bed and waking up around the same time every day to help support and reassure our circadian rhythms. Avoid electronics, dense foods, high stress, caffeine, and alcohol in the evening. Develop an evening routine and engage in relaxing activities. Lastly, Make sure that your bedroom is a peaceful, comfortable, sleep-promoting sanctuary.

Also, there should be a small reference about avoiding certain disruptive medications because things like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), antibiotics, corticosteroids, and immune-suppressants, can be harmful to your body. Most come with unwanted side-effects that may even interrupt your gut flora, which leads to inflammation, and reduces regenerative qualities. Aspirin, Celebrex, Aleve, Anaprox, Naprelan, Naprosyn, Cambia, Cataflam, Voltaren-XR, Zispor, Zorvolex, Ibuprofen, Motrin, Advil, and many cold or allergy preparations all have something worth looking into that can disrupt your bodies natural regenerative processes. Notice the increased risk of cardiovascular complications, the failure of vital organs like our hearts, our livers, and our kidneys. Gastrointestinal complications like ulcers and miscarriages coupled with increased blood pressures could lead to things like hypertension in our pulmonary artery. Perhaps we should understand that a "black box" warning is the sternest warning issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that a medication can carry and still remain on the shelves in U.S. market places. Which is to say, these typically low U.S.F.D.A. standards should not be taken lightly since they are a bare minimum that appears to favor collective economic worth over individual health and safety values.

On a more positive note here is some uncommon knowledge. Current research has shown us that polyphenolic compounds may help to activate your stem cells when coupled with good sleep and healthy exercises! They do this by controlling the activation of inflammatory cytokines, reducing oxidative stress, turning on autophagy, protecting enhanced mitochondrial functions, and regulating the migration and differentiation of stem cells.

Now it is commonly known that the heart depends on a continuous mitochondrial ATP supply, particularly under an increased workload. However, it is uncommonly known how energetic alterations and redox alterations intertwine to influence diabetic cardiomyopathy, which directly disturbs the cells from which we stem and their mitochondrial powerhouses. Excessive bioavailability of both glucose and fatty acids play a central role in mitochondrial dysfunction. Where and how this excess affects mitochondrial and our cytoplasmic crossroads is yet to be fully defined in any great detail. Using what we commonly know, with what we are uncommonly coming to know, we must figure out how we can protect our mitochondria from losing their ability to generate energy, and how to assist them in controlling their own reactive oxygen emissions.

There are mechanisms in extreme conditions that we know of which counter-act glucose and fatty acid-induced damages. What we don't know is how we can compliment lipid storage, mitochondria-lipid droplet interaction, and assist the upregulation of key antioxidant enzymes. Learning more about the nature and location of the mechanisms sheltering mitochondrial functions would certainly help in further optimizing these kinds of therapies for the future of humanity and perhaps even improve the quality of our lives.

More uncommon knowledge in the field of nutraceuticals had brought us to some information about how muscadine grape skins contained content that occupied the main protease pockets of certain enzymes that prevented certain viruses from being able to replicate themselves. Among these contents, we have found Resveratrol! Resveratrol is a natural polyphenol and antioxidant. It's been recently said that Resveratrol may help the survival, self-renewal, lineage commitment, and anti-aging effects of stem cells. In only three weeks it's suggested that Resveratrol may increase the frequency and total numbers of normal hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) in the body. Which is great for our bone marrow and the regeneration of new blood cells!

(Resveratrol is also found in pistachios and cacao)

Curcumin is the active compound in the spice commonly known as turmeric. It is common knowledge that turmeric is full of anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties. Although it is uncommonly known that curcumin helps adult hippocampal neurogenesis and promotes neural plasticity. Phospholipids are recommended to further assist with the absorption and bioavailability of curcumin amongst our cells. However, another commonly uncommon bit of information to consider is that black pepper helps activate these compounds and increases their bioavailability as well. The piperine from black peppers serves to help the body metabolize and remove toxins or drugs and in some cases, it can even activate or deactivate a drug. Also uncommonly known, Piperine helps block the conversion of testosterone into estrogen, supporting both healthy estrogen and testosterone levels particularly in men.

(Quercetin is another powerful flavonoid found in various plants and food.)

Although even more uncommonly esoteric knowledge revealed in some experimental studies suggests that prolonged red light exposure positively affects the cells from which we stem in a way that many of us would be surprised to experiment with on our own. Apparently 660 nm red light therapy may help the migration of mesenchymal stem cells related to our bone marrow. This red light stimulation is said to increase cell transportation in hypoxic-ischemic brain damage treatment.

But don't just take my word for it, ask yourself: How is scientific progress changing the stem cell debate? How can we target neural precursors in the adult brain? Has there been any stuttering progress in cell therapy for heart disease? can Bone marrow-derived stem cells act as an adjunctive treatment for acute myocardial infarction? could there be a way for us to approach cell-based biological tooth repair and regeneration? Furthermore, What does approved cellular and gene therapy mean for our future? Does a Ketogenic Diet Improve Cognition with Biochemical Effects on the Prefrontal Cortex? Will Ketone Body Signaling Mediations help Intestinal Stem Cell Homeostasis and Adaptation by Dieting? Is it possible that Fasting boosts our cellular regenerative capacity? Can Sleep and Exercise maintain muscular-skeletal activity and overall genetic tissue health? Is the medical industry truly passionate about seeing people reach their maximum health potential in body, mind, and spirit?

Each one of these questions has content out there in articles with sources fully cited just waiting for us to rediscover what we are all truly capable of in these bodies, through our minds, as one continuous spirit. Fighting for peace in from one life form to another, following love-based motivations where ever they may take us, in trust, with love, for all.