Cellular Senescence

I want us all to begin the new year with a new concept that will give you a powerful secret to slowing your aging process.  It's called Cellular Senessence. We all agree that inflammation is the first step in the process of degeneration, but it is also the first step in the healing process and it is what keeps us alive.  It provides an opportunity for our DNA to adapt and become more resilient.  It is what can make the difference between resolving an illness and simply managing an illness.

There are numerous challenges our bodies and our immune systems must face from environmental toxins to overwhelming allergens to infections.  But instead of simply taking a drug to mask the symptoms or to temporarily "kill" the bug, we need to understand the role these burdens play in our body balance.  Why does our immune system fail to resolve these things?  Why are our systems overwhelmed by these types of challenges?  

The answer is because the natural and balanced way our bodies function has been suppressed, lost, overwhelmed by too many unresolved things.  The most abundant of these things are infective pathogens ... bacteria, funguses, viruses, parasites and especially stealth pathogens are all tying up our immunity and causing premature destruction of our cells and tissues.  This will usually happen within those areas that are open to the outside, such as our sinuses, our lungs, our digestive tract, our kidneys and our vaginal/seminal tracts.  And it will tend to happen when our immune system is either suppressed or is so burdened that it has nothing more to provide in our protection.  

You must realize that many, in fact most of us, are walking around carrying various infective agents for weeks and even months.  Some are so burdened that their slow decline over years is actually the result of these damaging invaders.  This is because many bacteria are naturally present in our bodies, while viruses will continue to survive in our bodies for the rest of our lives once we have been exposed.  So unpacking this list of uninvited guests is the place to begin when you truly want to slow your aging process.

So let's begin by looking at the oldest, most chronic types of infections because these will tend to be bugs around which our bodies have adapted.  You and your body may not even realize that your energy, vitality, health and energy are all beging sapped by Epstein-Barr, Lyme, Parvovirus, Candida and Mycobacteria.  We are not only dealing with the toxins created by these infections, we also have toxins from our environment and you may also realize that we can have infections and toxins from birth. These are very long-term infections that create chronic inflammation that changes and controls how your cells can detoxify, reproduce and even function.  This more than genetic tendency is the reason for shared health concerns among family members.

A recent clinical study has even shown that long-term chronic infections actually are able to change the way in which our body makes essential bio-chemicals used in our detoxification process such as glutathione in the liver.  This study also showed that our essential protective mechanisms for cells involving oxygenation and free radical clearance can be blocked.  The result is that your body will not detoxify well and your cellular longevity will be compromised.

So I am saying that when you are exposed to an overburden of toxins, infections and inflammation, it will change your body, forcing your body to adapt to the burden.  This shortens your lifespan and drains your energy masquerading as "signs of typical aging".  Over time our immune system will accept this adaptation, allowing more and more inflammation and cellular destruction.  This is how cancer gets a foothold without our immune system even knowing.  So cancer can be the last stage of chaos and destruction that our body has been experiencing for months and even years.  

And Now Comes Cellular Senescence

This is where cellular senescence comes in.  Imagine all the damage and destruction of healthy cells that is occurring.  When a cell reaches senescence, it ceases to reproduce, its DNA will be damaged and the cell will become pro-inflammatory, even malignant.  Not only are we experiencing senescent cells throughout the time that our body is burdened, but even the immune cells that are involved in trying to fight infection and toxic load over time will essentially turn traitor, losing their identity in the battle they are waging.  The deterioration and damage that has occurred makes it easy for chronic inflammation to take over, negatively influencing the healthy cells that are left.  It is now believed that persistent inflammation from senescent cells is behind obesity, type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, dementia and even long CoVid.  
So What Do We Do to Break the Cycle?

We have to trace the signs and symptoms to uncover the various long-term infections that are causing the chaos.  Along the way, we need to neutralize and eliminate toxins and inflammatory chemicals that are killing our cells and tissues.  Lastly we have to make sure our pathways of elimination are open to clear this toxic debris while improving and restoring normal cellular communication in the form of enzymes, hormones and neurotransmitters.  

The most common place to begin is the gut, the liver and the kidneys as these are the primary pathways of elimination and are the most likely areas for long-term infections to reside.  Common infections include E. Coli, H Pylori, Herpes or Candida, but the longer they have been there the longer they can move through our fluid pathways to organs and glands such as the heart, the brain and the uterus and the more they can mutate to mask their presence and adapt to our body.  

If we therefore start by focusing on creating a healthier inner gut terrain while also treating infections, we will go a long way to reducing the burden and reducing the areas of our body environment where they can hide.  Once we begin this process, we will most likely feel a bit worse before we actually get better so we cannot think uncomfortable symptoms are an automatic stop sign.  Instead they should be a yellow caution light to rest a bit more, give our bodies more water, healthier food, less bulk to free up much-needed energy for cleansing.  If we pay attention during this time we will learn where our bodies' weaknesses tend to be.  This is one of the best lessons that natural medicine promotes.  

Once we have addressed the gut and begun resolving the infections, we then need to repair our cellular detoxification pathways and start reversing the cell membrane deterioration.  We do this by slowly eliminating senescent cells and providing high amounts of antioxidants to support the development of new cells.  

Begin The Solution

This complex process to reverse chronic inflammation and cellular senescence requires commitment and time.  The protocol below includes gut support, antioxidant compounds and most importantly remedies that address senescent cells.  These are called Senolytic Compounds and include high grade purified forms that have been shown in many clinical studies to be effective in preventing or even alleviating disease formation.  

As you move through this process, you will notice how your body responds to each stage which will help you to pinpoint systems, organs and glands that may be strongly affected by the weaknesses in your immunity and in your inflammatory processes.  The goal here is to support this process for the entire time needed for your body's accumulation of senescent cells to be cleared along with the toxins and by-products that have accumulated as senescent cells proliferated and blocked your normal immune and detoxification functions. 

Synergistic Therapies to Help the Process 

There are a couple of essential things to consider that will really ramp up this process for you and will also help to mitigate any symptoms you may experience as your body is clearing:

European Regulation Thermography - our unique method of thermography testing is so comprehensive compared to other types.  You can have a test at the beginning of your plan and then have one at the end of your plan and be amazed at the improvements.  It's the very best way to gauge how effective this process has been for you.

Decongestive Lymphatic Therapy - our Swiss-based therapy helps to quickly clear excess fluid, free toxins and decongest lymph nodes and lymphatic pathways helping clear acids, toxins and dead cells from the body, reducing inflammation within 24 hours. 

Photobiomodulation Therapy - this unique and programmable cold laser therapy opens blocked areas, ducts, elimination pathways and reduces pain and inflammation while speeding healing and promoting healthy cell development.  Each session is only minutes long, but the effects are gradually progressive.  We recommend weekly sessions for maximum benefit, particularly if you have a history of gallbladder, kidney or digestive symptoms. 

Rest - getting sufficient sleep and rest means restful sleep and not too much exertion.  Base your decisions on how you feel.  If you feel up to exertion, do it, but don't push yourself if you feel particularly tired or fatigued on a day.  If you find that your sleep patterns are disrupted, consider adding one Herbatonin pill before bed each night.  This is plant-based and won't disrupt your process.

For our specific program, check out our January 2025 newsletter on Cellular Senescence or call our clinic reception at (617) 505-3585.