A new supplement claims it can increase the number of circulating adult stem cells in your body by up to four million
Stem cells you can ingest? Not exactly. But this supplement claims it can increase the number of circulating adult stem cells in your body by up to four million. You simply take three capsules a day.
The 30-per-cent increase, however small compared to the surge of 10-20 million adult stem cells you get from a stem-cell treatment, is significant enough to keep you alert and energised, and even to repair damaged cells in your body, said Bernie Mercado, general manager of StemTech Philippines, the makers of the supplement StemEnhance.
Made from a natural-growing freshwater plant called Aphanizomenon flos-aquae (AFA), also known as blue-green algae, StemEnhance is said to aid in the natural release of adult stem cells in the bone marrow and support the migration of stem cells to areas where they’re needed, enhancing the body’s natural mechanism of organ and tissue renewal.
Simply put, StemEnhance is an adult stem cell nutritional supplement.
“Stem cell treatment enables doctors to focus on a specific organ. That’s not how this supplement works. If you take StemEnhance to make your skin look supple and young, but you also have a kidney condition, it will first repair the area that needs urgent attention. It might take some time before you can see a physical manifestation of its effects, in this case, younger-looking skin. The more damaged the organ, the more stem cells it attracts,” Mercado said.
According to StemTech HealthSciences Inc. chief science officer Christian Drapeau, the bone marrow adult stem cells have the ability to become virtually any kind of cell in the body. If you take, for instance, an adult stem cell and put it in the heart, it becomes a heart stem cell; put it in the muscle and it becomes a muscle cell.
Dogma
Drapeau said, in a video about StemEnhance, that classical science still teaches the dogma that adult stem cells only have the ability to become red blood cells, lymphocytes, platelets, ligaments and connective tissues bone cells.
He continued that the latest research now suggests that adult stem cells have capabilities similar to their embryonic counterpart.
Mercado said the research team, headed by Drapeau, made over 150 experiments before they were able to isolate the beneficial components of AFA. He then created a blend of AFA concentrates, teamed up with a business partner and founded StemTech in 2005. Today, StemEnhance is available in 27 countries.
The effects of StemEnhance, specifically the circulation of three to four million new adult stem cells in the body, were documented in a double-blind placebo-controlled crossover study published in the peer-review medical journal Cardiovascular Revascularization Medicine. The number of new circulating adult stem cells returned to normal levels three to four hours after consumption.
In a clinical study written by Drapeau, he said “adult stem cells released from the bone marrow can migrate into injured tissues, supporting the process of tissue repair; in this process, the number of circulating stem cells was shown to be a critical factor. In a number of studies addressing various health conditions, higher numbers of circulating adult stem cells have been associated with greater health.”
Who needs StemEnhance? Anyone who wants to be in optimal health, said Mercado, or anyone who can’t afford the treatment.
Many of their clients, he said, take the capsules as supplement after their stem cell treatment. He said pregnant women, and those taking blood thinners, are discouraged from taking StemEnhance.
The daily consumption of StemEnhance does not promote tumor growth. Drapeau wrote in the same study that daily consumption of StemEnhance by a mouse implanted with a human breast tumor showed that it even reduced the rate of human breast cancer growth without affecting growth pattern. In that study, no metastases were also observed.
The study was conducted when concerns about tumor growth were raised. “Some scientists have suggested that bone marrow-derived stem cells might be involved in the process of tumor formation. The link between chronic inflammation and cancer has long been recognized, as cancer has been called a ‘wound that never heals,’ and a wound is known to attract stem cells,” wrote Drapeau.
Mercado said studies have also shown the darkening of gray/white hair after seven months. StemEnhance is not lacking in testimonials: one claimed it cured her melasma (skin ailment), another said it helped regulate his blood sugar, and still another said it improved his eyesight. If you read the testimonials, it would appear that StemEnhance heals or cures a wide range of diseases.
StemEnhance is not a magic pill. It is a nutritional supplement, and like all supplements it has no approved therapeutic claims. It retails around 3,300 pesos (US$80) for a month’s supply, available via direct sellers. Visit stemtech.com for more details.
by Anne A. Jambora
SOURCE / Philippine Daily Inquirer