Qualia Senolytic - the Future of Prolonged Health Span and Anti-Ageing
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While aging skin and declining energy levels might feel like the inevitable result of advancing years,
some supplement developers at the forefront of research are looking to forge a new reality. Aging
might seem like an unavoidable downhill path, but new avenues being explored by researchers are
identifying mechanisms for potentially slowing the aging process. Enter the world of senolytics: a
group of compounds which are emerging as the superheroes in the battle against aging.
Written By Marianne Sheena - Nutritional Therapist specialising in gut, hormonal and adrenal health. Her approach focuses on combining dietary changes with lifestyle and biohacking techniques to rebalance and restore optimal health
What are Senolytics?
To answer this question, we need to start by understanding cellular senescence. Ageing, which most people see as an inescapable consequence as we progress through life, happens at the cellular level.
The cells in our bodies are subject to a limited number of divisions (typically between 40 to 60 times) before they hang up their boots and stop performing their normal functions of maintaining the body's overall health and homeostasis. When we're younger, the body's repair and maintenance mechanisms are highly active which means our immune systems recognise these cells and clear them out, preventing them from accumulating in our tissues. As we get older, our immune systems become compromised and these clean up mechanisms no longer function as well.
Enter senescent cells: the grumpy retirees of our cellular world, sometimes referred to as "zombie cells". These are the aged or damaged cells which, despite no longer replicating, remain metabolically active and refuse to undergo cell death (a process referred to as "apoptosis") or be cleared out by the body's normal immune processes. Instead, they start secreting inflammatory signals which cause the cells around them to age faster. Their presence can lead to tissue dysfunction and impaired regeneration, and can contribute to the overall decline in physiological function which we associate with getting older. This accumulation of senescent cells in tissues and organs is associated with various age-related diseases and conditions. By the age of 40-50, the percentage of senescent cells in tissues ranges from 10-30%, with the cells in joints, the skin and the immune system the most susceptible to becoming senescent.
So What can we do about senescent cells?
This is where senolytics come in! Senolytics are a class of compounds or interventions, which selectively target and eliminate senescent cells in the body. A growing body of research has focused on exploring the potential of senolytic compounds to induce the death of senescent cells. This has the ultimate goal of reducing the burden of these dysfunctional cells, together with their inflammatory impacts, thereby holding back the aging process. As a result, senolytics are generating a lot of attention for their role in improving healthspan and potentially delaying or mitigating age-related health disorders.
This research has identified a number of phytonutrient compounds which can selectively induce cell death in senescent cells, while sparing healthy cells. These compounds are contained in microdoses in the foods that anyone eating a healthy diet likely consumes on a daily basis. These include:
- Quercetin: found in apples, grapes, onions, capers, and berries
- Fisetin: present in strawberries, apples and cucumbers
- Curcumin: derived from turmeric
- Apigenin: found in parsley, celery, chamomile tea, oranges and cherries.
- Luteolin: most abundant in radicchio, pepper, celery and pumpkin
- Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG): abundant in matcha green tea.
- Piperlongumine: derived from the long pepper (a cousin of black pepper) which is often
dried and used as a spice -
Resveratrol: present in red grapes, red wine, peanuts and berries, such as blueberries and
cranberries.
Fisetin has been found to be the most potent senolytic compound, with research showing that macro doses, far greater than those consumed through dietary intake, have a more significant impact in eliminating senescent cells. The findings of recent studies also point to short term, intermittent dosing, rather than ongoing consumption.
This is where Neurohacker Collective's Qualia Senolytic comes in. I have always been a fan of Neurohacker Collective's high quality and cutting edge products. In formulating their supplements, they always look to combine a range of top quality compounds, ensuring bioavailable forms at meaningful doses, based on cutting edge research. This means they pack a punch when it comes to delivering the associated health benefits.
Given this, I was super excited to try their Qualia Senolytic product and to get to nuke some of the zombie cells lurking in my body (or in Neurohacker Collective's more eloquent words "unlock cellular health and revitalize aging tissues"). The product contains a combination of the following nine ingredients, which according to Dr Nick Bitz, Senior VP of Product Development at Neurohacker Collective, were selected to give the body the greatest chance to clear out senescent cells in the maximum fashion possible.
Polyphenols - including a chunky 1400mg of fisetin, 750mg of quercetin, as well as soybean extract and luteolin Herbal tonics - olive leaf extract and milk thistle fruit extract Adaptogens - curcumin, piperlongumine and a combination of panax notoginseng and sweet chestnut rose fruits.
These are each backed by numerous studies demonstrating their senolytic properties. I also love the Ayurvedic element of the product. Based on the latest research, Neurohacker Collective recommends taking 6 capsules on 2 consecutive days and then waiting about four weeks before repeating.
I tried Qualia Senolytic at an incredibly busy time from a work perspective. I was working long hours, my sleep was disrupted and I wasn’t eating regular meals - a Nutritional Therapist's nightmare!
While it can apparently take longer than one cycle to notice the benefits, depending on the extent of your cellular senescence and other factors, some people may notice benefits immediately. For me, the main thing I noticed straight away was the fact that I was able to maintain my energy levels during a stressful period surviving on limited sleep. The biohacker in me was also pleased to see that my sleep scores still improved despite not sleeping for long enough. Over the coming weeks, I will also be paying particular attention to my skin and the fine lines to see if there are any changes there!
While there’s no specific guidance on how many cycles of Qualia Senolytic a person should take, I definitely plan to take consecutive monthly rounds of Qualia Senolytic over the next few months to see what further benefits I experience in improving my cellular health and paring back the aging process!
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This article is for informational purposes only, even if and regardless of whether it features the advice of physicians and medical practitioners. This article is not, nor is it intended to be, a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment and should never be relied upon for specific medical advice. The views expressed in this article are the views of the expert and do not necessarily represent the views of Healf
