As cells age and become damaged or mutate, the body will normally dispose of the damaged cells via a process of programmed cell death called “apoptosis”.

However for some reason as yet not fully understood, this process of removing the damaged cells does not always happen and the body effectively “zombifies” a number of these cells that are not killed into a state called “senescence”, but where the cells can long longer replicate/divide.

Senescent cells exist in a state of suspended animation BUT they do keep on secreting a number of very inflammatory proteins which can lead to ageing AND illness.  Senescent cells are known to cause – diabetes, osteoarthritis, heart disease, cancer, Alzheimers and Parkinson’s Disease.

Research is ongoing within the world of pharmaceuticals/nutraceuticals and preventative medicine into a whole range of drugs that called SENOLYTICS that actively seek out senescent cells and destroy them.  Research so far would seem to indicate these drugs may indeed slow down (or possibly reverse ageing).

So apart from taking part in medical research and clinical trials are there any foods or supplements that may have a similar effect – well yes there would appear to be?

The following are commonly found in commercial supplement products and may well have the ability to reboot the programmed cell death process to remove the “zombie” cells.

Common Ingredients Targeting Senescent Cells

• Fisetin
• Quercetin
• Apigenin
• Curcumin
• NAC (N-Acetyl-Cysteine)
• Theaflavins