Super Human

by Dave Asprey

  In an ideal world, we’d find some exceptionally strong and vital stem cells from an umbilical cord and then grow them in a lab until we had enough “super stem cells” to treat tens of thousands of patients at a very low cost. But this is illegal in the United States, so for now we are stuck with using only the stem cells present in an umbilical cord, which makes it harder to test for genetic and biological issues. Umbilical cells are routinely tested for seven common diseases, and donors go through extensive interviews to reduce risk, but there is probably a lot more testing that can be done to ensure better results. Because of these restrictions, in the United States the normal dose is 3 million cells, and I have to take it on faith that the cells are alive, strong, and from a healthy person. When I go overseas, I can get a dose of 200 million cells that were strengthened, cultured, and tested more extensively.

  The same thing goes for your own stem cells that are stored in a stem cell bank. It’s legal to “bank” some of your cells to use at a later date. They become frozen in time, so my forty-year-old stem cells will still be forty when I’m a hundred and twenty, assuming the stem cell bank doesn’t have a power outage! In an ideal world, the stem cell bank could strengthen, culture, and grow my cells so I’d have dozens of doses. Some do offer this service, but no doctor here will reinject them into you because the government considers your own cells unlicensed drugs when they are taken out of your body and cultured. Every time I have stem cells taken out, I bank some in case of a future injury or surgery. But if I have them cultured to filter out the weak ones and encourage the strong ones to grow, I’d have to go overseas to put them back in.

  I’m really hoping that in the near future we will lift some of these regulations and increase demand for these treatments so they become safer and more accessible for everyone. At this point, I recommend banking your stem cells right away if you can afford it so you’ll always have a supply of your own stem cells that are younger than you are. If you get one of the Four Killers or any big injury, those stem cells could save your life or maybe just keep you young.

  For the full-body stem cell makeover, I was allowed to use exosomes because they don’t contain genetic material, and they are an approved product in the United States. For the procedure, Dr. Marcella Madera, a neurosurgeon and Johns Hopkins–trained spine surgeon, injected the combination of stem cells and exosomes into my entire spinal canal. The goal was to prevent future central stenosis, a narrowing of the spinal canal, which is a form of arthritis. Then she injected it directly into the cerebrospinal fluid so it would cross the blood-brain barrier and regenerate my brain.

  Next, Dr. Adelson performed stem cell injections into the posterior column of my entire spine from the base of my skull to my tailbone, into all the major peripheral joints (shoulders, elbows, wrists/hands, hips, knees, ankles/feet) to reduce my chances of osteoarthritis, and into the major tendons to keep them strong and avoid tendonosis or rupture. He also injected Wharton’s jelly, the gelatinous substance that insulates the umbilical cord, into all major joints. This Wharton’s jelly is made up of bioidentical human-derived hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate, the building blocks of intervertebral discs, joint surfaces, and ligaments. This gives the stem cells the materials they need to grow new connective tissues. Having experienced them as a teenager, I really don’t want creaky joints when I’m a hundred!

  To top things off, Dr. Amy Killen injected stem cells into my face to improve the health of my skin, into my scalp to improve the thickness of my hair, and into my penis to increase microcirculation and sexual function. I woke up looking a bit like Frankenstein’s monster. My face was red and swollen, my hair was spiked, and I was a little sore from the bone marrow aspirate. But after some serious rest for two days I was as good as new—better, actually.

  Within sixty days of the treatment, my amount of deep sleep started to skyrocket, and my REM sleep increased dramatically as well. They are now the highest levels since I started recording them. On some nights I am getting 2 to 3 hours of REM sleep and 1.5 to 2 hours of deep sleep, even if I sleep for only 6 hours total. As you read earlier, these are the numbers of a much younger person.

  Over the next couple of months I noticed that my resilience greatly increased. It’s always been a challenge for me to keep my brain working well when I’m exposed to a lot of junk light, especially when I’m traveling heavily with fourteen-hour nonstop days. One of the first things to happen when I’m at capacity is that lights hurt my eyes. A few days after the procedure, my brain resilience was higher—I now experience less visual stress around crappy lighting.

  A month after the full-body makeover, I had to fly back and forth from the West to East Coast four times within just two weeks, which is a brutal amount of travel. At the same time, I was dealing with an exceptionally stressful family situation, a crisis at one of my portfolio companies, and the looming deadline for the book you are reading now. It was the highest amount of combined stress I’d faced in fifteen years.

  I meditate, I teach CEOs how to meditate with electrodes on their head, and I have designed nootropics to reduce anxiety and increase cognitive performance. Yet I’m still (mostly) human, and this level of stress should have left me depleted. Instead, I had far more energy than I expected. It was as if I’d reached another level of performance and resilience that I didn’t know was there before—aka I was younger.

  At around the same time, I had the opportunity to have Russian Stick Bodywork done from the Somatic Training Network. This is a form of very intense bodywork performed as a part of the Systema martial arts practice. It is in part based on a shamanic lineage from Siberia, and it’s the most hard-core thing I’d ever experienced. The founder of the Somatic Training Network, Dan Sykes, works with old Russian masters who have decades of experience working with elite military units. They push an implement resembling a drumstick deep into your muscle beds, walk on you, and then (you can’t make this up) beat you a few times with a whiplike device to “wake up” local parts of your nervous system.

  When he was done, the wizened master of this technique looked dumbfounded and said to Dan in his heavy Russian accent, “His muscles are like sand. There is no resistance. Very advanced. I have never seen this.” I like to imagine that’s what Prometheus’s muscles were like, too.

  GET MORE STEM CELLS WITHOUT INJECTIONS

  If stem cell treatments are not in the cards for you right now, never fear—there are other ways to stimulate stem cell production and availability. One of the most remarkably simple and inexpensive methods is to ingest the mineral boron, which is commonly found in the household cleaner Borax. It sounds crazy, but there have been anecdotal reports since the 1960s that boron can help ease arthritis pain,2 and we are finally beginning to understand why.

  When researchers added boron to frozen stem cells, it increased their viability and ability to form bone and cartilage. The researchers concluded that it helped the stem cells withstand the stress of being frozen.3 Perhaps this is why studies consistently show that boron helps reduce joint inflammation4—the boron strengthens stem cell viability, so senescent cells in the joints are replaced with healthy cells, reducing pain and inflammation. Boron may also keep the stem cells stored in your fat from turning into fat cells, saving them for other uses in the body.5 I haven’t had joint pain since my stem cell makeover, but I supplement with calcium fructoborate, a form of boron that is widely available as a supplement, as extra insurance …

  Here are some additional ways you can increase your stem cell production, no injections required:

  Fasting for twenty-four hours or more can double the regenerative abilities of stem cells, according to MIT research.6

  Short-term calorie restriction also increases stem cell activity, even if you’re not fully fasting.7

  Drugs called PPAR agonists also appear to increase stem cell performance. The most common is the diabetes drug Actos (pioglitazone). An off-label use may be useful for stem cell enhancement. Natural compounds that may work o
n the same pathway are sesamin (an extract of sesame) and fish oil.

  Cut sugar from your diet and reverse insulin resistance. In culture, stem cells “exhibit greater self-renewal and anti-senescence abilities” with restricted sugar. The same is likely true for you!8

  Lift heavy things. Research shows that even a single weightlifting session improves stem cell activation.9

  Turmeric supplements cause brain stem cells to grow both in live animals and in lab cultures.10

  Resveratrol (a type of polyphenol) supplements have been shown to help stem cells stay undifferentiated (a good thing) and to multiply.11

  Vitamin D3, vitamin C, and green tea extract have a variety of positive effects on stem cell circulation, production, and response.12

  Tai chi exercises raised individual stem cell counts by three to five times in a study from China.13

  Getting high quality sleep helps keep stem cells young.14

  STAY YOUNG DOWNSTAIRS WITH STEM CELLS AND OTHER TREATMENTS

  The genital stem cell treatments that Lana and I both underwent may sound a bit extreme, but in reality, they were mildly uncomfortable for a short time and accomplished a lot more than just improving our sex life. To make it to a hundred and eighty without needing diapers, you have to maintain the integrity of the muscles, tissues, and blood flow in the genital region. Far too many people lose control of these muscles long before a hundred and eighty (or even half that age), and stem cell treatments are only one way I’m actively working to avoid this.

  The nondrug strategies that help prevent or reverse erectile dysfunction (ED) do the same thing for incontinence. I have a lot of friends in their forties who are already popping blue pills, but many men see signs that things are headed in this direction even earlier. They’re often too embarrassed to ask their doctors about it, but it’s a lot easier to catch these signs and prevent ED and eventual incontinence than it is to reverse it. So let’s talk about it.

  If you’re a man, the strength of your erection is a huge indicator of how well you are doing from an anti-aging perspective. As you read earlier, if your body is working well enough to reproduce, you are biologically young. Before you try to hack the problem directly, though, it’s important to look at the underlying cause of ED or incontinence. You can take a pill and get erections again, but that does not mean you’ve solved the core problem, and that core problem will continue aging you until you address it. For women, the signs of premature aging may be less obvious. Incontinence is primarily a pelvic floor issue in women, while sexual dysfunction is largely hormonal. In both sexes, a lack of sexual desire and/or function is a clear signal that something is off with your biology.

  For both men and women, I recommend working with a functional medicine doctor to look at your hormone levels (particularly testosterone and thyroid hormones), blood sugar, blood pressure, and overall cardiovascular health. Issues with any of these systems can cause problems with sexual function.

  Prescription medications are another major cause of sexual dysfunction, so talk to your doctor about whether or not any of your current medications may be creating or contributing to this issue. If so, work with your doctor to safely lower your dose or find an alternative. Don’t just stop taking prescription meds cold turkey. As you read earlier, birth control pills are unfortunately a major cause of sexual dysfunction in women. If you are on the pill or another form of hormonal birth control, it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor about alternatives that might be right for you.

  Once you’ve addressed these issues, you might want to explore other ways of improving sexual function and/or incontinence. Besides stem cell treatments, one of my favorite technologies is GAINSWave, a treatment using shock-wave therapy that has been proved to effectively treat ED.15 It uses high-frequency acoustical waves that break up the microplaque in existing blood vessels and stimulate the growth of new blood vessels and nerves when applied to the genitals. This leads to increased blood flow, which improves sexual function in both men and women.

  I decided to try it because I’m interested in anything and everything that can improve performance … even in the bedroom. The results were astounding and are difficult to describe without getting a little too graphic, but the part about growing new blood vessels is absolutely real. My (ahem) equipment grew in length by more than 15 percent. It took me about three months to stop doing a double take when I glanced in the mirror while getting out of the shower. These “outsize” results may be because I had injected stem cells before I did the shock-wave treatment. In any case, wow!

  GAINSWave is also useful in treating stress incontinence. As many women know, this can happen when physical movement or activity—such as coughing, sneezing, running, jumping, or heavy lifting—puts pressure on the bladder. This is common when pelvic floor muscles and other tissues that support the bladder and regulate the release of urine weaken with age or after childbirth. To become Super Human, you need to keep these tissues and muscles young whether you are a man or a woman.

  If you aren’t ready to invest in supersonic shock-wave or stem cell treatments, Kegel exercises are a simple alternative—for both women and men. To do Kegels, contract and release the pelvic floor muscles repeatedly for a few minutes each day. It’s free and easy, and you can’t even tell that I’m doing it right now as I type these words. Do it with me as you read! When you’re a hundred and twenty years old, you’ll be glad you did.

  REGENERATE WITH BADASS CANCER-FIGHTING CELLS

  In 2006, Japanese stem cell researchers achieved a major breakthrough in producing Wolverine-like healing powers when they created induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) in a lab. These are adult stem cells that have been genetically reprogrammed to become “blank slates” with the potential to become any type of cell in your body, just like embryonic cells. In addition, researchers recently discovered that we already have very rare pluripotent cells in our blood that can divide and become any other type of cell. These are called very small embryonic-like cells (VSELs). They are typically inactive,16 but they can be activated through culturing and ultrasonic vibration. One thing that makes VSELs so powerful is that they contain high levels of tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs), compounds that increase neurogenesis, the birth of new brain cells.17 You want that.

  That’s why in 2017 I had my own VSELs extracted, activated via mechanical vibration, and reinjected. This gave me more TIMPs, which probably gave me a better brain. VSELs are small enough to pass through the blood-brain barrier, but no one has proved yet that they actually go from your blood into the brain. Just in case they don’t, I worked with Dr. Matthew Cook at BioReset Medical to go overseas, where we introduced my VSELs into my sinuses, very close to my brain, along with a little dose of nasal insulin to make them go in faster. Younger brain, here I come!

  After the procedure, I noticed a shocking improvement in my visual acuity. I could see details in trees from very far away, and a vision test conducted a year later showed my vision was 20/15. (I do not have a recent vision test from before the VSELs to compare, but I don’t believe my eyes were previously that Super Human.) Unless there is a convincing reason otherwise, I’ll continue to do VSEL treatments once a year because they require only a blood draw and are quite affordable compared to stem cells—at least if you’re already overseas or can find a cheap ticket.

  I expect to see a lot more research come out in the next few years about using VSELs to treat degeneration and disease because they are cheaper and more versatile than stem cells. And we’ll also learn a lot more from further study of induced pluripotent stem cells. For instance, researchers in California just figured out how to turn these “blank slate” induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) into special immune cells called modified natural killer (NK) cells.

  NK cells are the first-responder Special Forces of immune cells. They locate and identify infected or cancerous cells early and quickly respond by killing them. The thing that sets NK cells apart from other immune cells is that they can det
ect when cells are dysfunctional even before those infected cells trigger antibodies or inflammation. Other immune cells, such as T cells, are blind to dysfunctional cells until it may be too late—after inflammation has started. NK cells can therefore detect and kill tumorous cells before they turn into real tumors. You want more NK cells to keep cancer, one of the Four Killers, at bay. And now we can make them at will!

  In animal studies, the modified NK cells displayed heightened activity against ovarian cancer.18 The lead researcher conducting this study said that one batch of these special NK cells, which are created in a dish from mature human cells, can potentially treat thousands of people suffering from cancer. They are now working to manufacture iPSCs and begin human trials. There are also clinical trials going on right now to treat cancer patients using donated NK cells via transfusion.

  Here’s why this matters for you. If you live long enough, the odds are very high that you’re going to get cancer. In fact, you probably have a few cancer cells floating around right now, but your immune system will likely take them out the way it’s supposed to. But what if you could affordably get an IV every couple of years that would flood your body with NK cells to mop up any cancer cells your immune system may have missed? This is exactly what’s happening now, which is great if your goal is to not die.

  However, NK cells do a lot more than just hunt down cancer before it happens.

  Very recently, scientists discovered a little-known component of cell membranes called perforin that helps get rid of old senescent (death-resistant) cells.19 Of course the drug industry immediately began looking for a drug to increase perforin levels. Some are in clinical trials now. But it turns out that your NK cells actually produce perforin.20 It follows that increasing your NK cells will cause perforin levels to increase and your number of senescent cells to decrease.