The Stack

With each stack, I do my best to research expert claims, to ensure I’m giving you information that is not only evidence-based but also worth taking action for. I did extra research around this week’s stack to ensure the claims were founded on existing research, which I feel I’ve been able to find.

Without further introduction, this week’s stack is on stem cells. Stem cells have always felt quite mysterious to me, with their god-like quality to specialise into different types of cells depending on the body’s needs.

The latest research shows that stem cells are our bodies’ innate repair system. Stem cells will migrate to a site of injury, where they repair the tissue that is calling out for help. And having enough of our stem cells in circulation (a.k.a the blood stream) aids in repairing the body as we age, benefiting our longevity (which is what we want, right?).

This stack is from Christian Drapeau, a stem cell scientist.

1. Very intense exercise that creates micro lesions in your muscles (according to Christian Drapeau) will cause stem cells to leave the bone marrow to circulate and repair. Other studies have been done on resistance training and physical activity concerning stem cell activation, reaffirming the link between exercise and stem cells.

2. Certain plants such as ginseng and sea buckthorn, can increase stem cells in circulation. I’ve linked research to both showing that these plants trigger the circulation of some types of stem cells.

3. Fasting is another way to increase stem cells in circulation, however, this kind of fasting needs to last 72 hours according to Christian Drapeau. This makes sense as we’re targeting changes on a cellular level. Research on prolonged fasting, which starts at 48 hours, shows the promotion of stem cell activation.