I recently came across an article I’d like to share that discusses the relationship between NAD+ and inflammation, especially how it can affect patients dealing with Covid-19.
One of the main authors of the article is Dr. David Sinclair, the renowned scientist who heads the Center for the Biology of Aging at Harvard Medical School. He is considered one of the leading experts in the anti-aging field.
In this article, the authors discuss the relationships between low NAD+ levels and risk factors for poor Covid-19 outcomes. This correlation does not come as any surprise to us because one important aspect of NAD+ is that it seems to contribute to the resolution of inflammation.
It does this by affecting the sirtuins, which are pathways in the body that can have dramatic effects on many different genes. It can also diminish the effects on a certain pathway in the body called the NFkB pathway.
This pathway is the major pathway in the body that causes inflammation. Increased inflammation in the body is a major cause of significant symptoms from Covid-19 but also is associated with a myriad of diseases. The evidence is anecdotal that NAD+ seems to help inflammation and possibly lessen the symptoms with a Covid-19 infection.
I think one might expand that line of reasoning to many other disease processes. I, for one, am willing to hedge my bets. I am a strong believer in NAD+. As a matter of fact, just before writing this short piece I finished my 500 mg dose of intravenous NAD+ treatment.
Thus, I rest my case.
Oh, I would like to add one more tidbit. Just before taking the NAD+ I received IV methylene blue to dramatically increase the NAD+ effect and it worked!
That will be the subject of another article!
-Dr. P
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8831132/
I am thrilled to announce that we will be moving into our new 12,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility next month at Florida Atlantic University’s Research Park on the campus of FAU. Our goal is to continue to advance the entire field of regenerative medicine for our patients, while hopefully being involved with several of the FAU science and medical school departments on research projects of mutual interest.
We intend to make this a world-class, one-stop facility for state-of-the-art regenerative medicine and anti-aging techniques, therapies and overall health optimization. Our scientific research, commitment to staying on the cutting edge, and hunting for new, evidence-based treatments is a driving force for what we do and is what helps separate us from the pack.
I am excited to share a brief overview of what we’ll be offering at the new facility below.
Our Wide Variety of Potent IV Therapies
Our new facility will offer the same vast array of IV therapies you’ve come to expect from us, including everything from immune boosting Vitamin C-based formulas to IVs that address anti-aging, travel issues, brain health, energy and more.
We have tailored our IV menu to reflect various pathways in the body we wish to stimulate. Many of these pathways deal with mitochondrial health, inflammatory and anti-inflammatory pathways, and nutrient sensing pathways, all of which are of paramount importance in anti-aging science.
Think of these pathways as the computer software of the body. Perhaps mitochondrial health is the single most important aspect on the road to health, healing, and longevity. To that end, we offer many unique IV combinations not available in most other anti-aging or regenerative medicine facilities, including our latest treatment involving methylene blue.
Best-in-Class Regenerative Musculoskeletal Therapies
Our commitment to regenerative musculoskeletal therapies will continue to be a main area of emphasis for us, as we’ve built our reputation on being the best. We will also include exciting new modalities to enhance our success even more. While we will continue to utilize a patient’s own regenerative cells, we will incorporate photo modulation, growth factor therapy, peptides, and other tricks for our regenerative medicine trade.
In our new facility, we will become involved in some INDs (Investigational New Drug) and IRB studies, while also utilizing state-of-the-art imaging such as ultrasound and fluoroscopic guidance.
New Facility, New Regenerative Medicine Offerings!
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
By placing a patient in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber (all glass to avoid claustrophobia) we can dramatically increase the atmospheric pressure to levels not typically found in most centers, even rivaling units that are found in large hospitals.
There are many far ranging, anti-aging effects that are related to hyperbaric oxygen therapy and what is most exciting is that we will be utilizing a number of propriety protocols along with it.
These protocols will deliver many anti-aging and regenerative benefits, including methods to help increase the length of telomeres (ends of a DNA strand), which is of paramount importance in anti-aging. Another benefit involves increasing the number of stem cells released from the bone marrow. These are just a few of the exciting new protocols we’ll have at our fingertips with our new hyperbaric oxygen chamber.
Whole Body Cryotherapy
A cryotherapy chamber maintains sub-zero temperatures of -140°C / -220°. Patients typically enter for 1 to 4 minutes, depending on how long they’ve built up their tolerance.
Given the proper regimen, there are a number of dramatic health benefits derived from whole body cryotherapy including muscle health, relief of DOMS (delayed onset muscles soreness), inflammation reduction, growth factor increase, improved moods and more.
Another benefit of cryotherapy is weight loss (a 3-minute treatment can burn 800 calories), resulting from the production of brown fat, the healthiest form of fat one can have.
Another benefit of cryotherapy is the ability to improve overall muscle health and growth. This occurs from the production of myostatin blockers under extreme cold conditions, which are a Holy Grail to body builders and athletes alike. Whole body cryotherapy also causes muscles to increase certain growth factors. It is important to understand that the healthier your muscles are, the healthier you are.
In addition to whole body cryotherapy, we will also offer two forms of local cryotherapy. Local cryotherapy utilizes a handheld device that applies extreme cold of approximately -148 F to certain problems areas.
Local cryotherapy is amendable to those portions of the body that cannot be treated with whole body cryotherapy. These areas include the extremities such as feet, hands, wrists and ankles.
Furthermore, this machine can be used to perform facials due to an increase in collagen production from the cold
Red Light Sauna Therapy
While mainstream practitioners are just catching on to the benefits of photobiomodulation (PBM), I am proud to say that we have utilized this therapy for the last fifteen years to great success.
PBM involves utilizing light therapy (red light therapy and near infra-red therapy) to achieve a number of health benefits. The reason this therapy is so effective is because the wavelength of this light range has a positive effect on the mitochondria in your body, increasing their health and number. Generally speaking, the healthier your mitochondria, the healthier you are.
These red light wavelengths will also reduce inflammation and swelling while at the same time increase tissue healing throughout the body. We are also looking at the possibility of using one or two other colors to enhance the treatment with patients. We will also be utilizing proprietary formulas with certain supplements and compounds that can be photo-activated with far-reaching beneficial effects on patients.
EBO2 Therapy
We have utilized EBO2 for a number of years and it is a stalwart in many of our treatments.
EBO2 treatment involves the use of a dialysis filter, ozone gas and photobiomodulation to diminish inflammation in the body by a variety of methods.
One such method is by stimulation of the NRF2 pathway, which is considered a thermostat of anti-inflammation.
In addition to the beneficial effects of the EBO2 itself, we will also utilize UVA (ultraviolet A wavelength light), UVC (ultraviolet C wavelength light), amber, green, and red lights to accomplish PBM.
All of these colors have specific parameters which they affect, from ATP production to immune-boosting qualities. The EBO2 technique is one of the backbones of our anti-aging protocols
Whole Body Compression Therapy Devices
If you’re a sports fan, you’ve likely noticed that athletes from a variety of sports have been suiting up in puffy, intergalactic-looking contraptions to reap the benefits of compression therapy.
Compression therapy is thought to improve performance and reduce soreness after exercise by using inflatable sleeves that apply pressure to the legs, hips or arms. This therapy aims to increase blood flow and combat soreness, inflammation and swelling by removing waste products such as lactic acid. Increased blood flow will deliver more oxygen and nutrients to those areas in need, and the effects will help speed up recovery, relieve pain and improve athletic performance.
One interesting 2016 study on ultramarathon runners published in the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy found that post-exercise pneumatic compression therapy offered the same benefits as post-exercise massage, specifically lowering overall muscular fatigue.
Daily treatments using a pneumatic compression device reduced recovery time from Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) when compared to a continuously-worn compression sleeve. Delayed onset muscle soreness is the pain and stiffness felt in muscles several hours to days after unaccustomed or strenuous exercise.
A First-Class, Multi-Modal Physical Therapy Facility
Our new floor plan will have a high-level physical therapy facility on site so that we can cater to our patients’ full journey through regenerative and anti-aging medicine, including recovery from injuries, exercise, stretching, prehab and rehab.
We will have the advantage of combining physical therapy with our various modalities to enhance recovery and improve strength. Some of the items that will be offered include Blood Flow Restriction Therapy also known as BFRT.
BFRT utilizes a tourniquet during a resistance workout to dramatically improve muscle strength and size while at the same time not requiring extensive weight. We will be looking at improving the patient’s utilization of oxygen as it relates to physical activity and recovery as well.
Medical Hydrogen Therapy
In the past few years many initial and subsequent clinical studies have demonstrated that hydrogen can act as an important physiological regulatory factor to cells and organs with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic and other protective effects.
We think that it is an important signaling molecule that is also critical in the production of ATP. So far, several delivery methods applied in these studies have proved to be available and convenient, including inhalation, drinking hydrogen-dissolved water and injection with hydrogen-saturated saline.
Numerous publications reveal that H2 reduces oxidative stress not only by direct reactions with strong oxidants, but also indirectly by regulating various gene expressions. Cells that are repeatedly exposed to inflammatory mediators will have genes that code for inflammatory response proteins switched on and thus be in a constant inflammation state. This leads to diseases and health conditions strongly linked to inflammation, including asthma and cardiovascular disease.
Some of the molecules that can instigate a change in gene expression are Nf-kB, TNFa, and reactive nitrogen species such as nitric oxide and peroxynitrite. Molecular hydrogen is an epigenetic modifying agent for genes that code for chronic pain and inflammation. It indirectly affects gene expression through its ability to modulate molecules that have a direct epigenetic effect. We are in the midst of finalizing hydrogen treatment for our patients.
Intermittent Hypoxia Therapy
There is a movement afoot to incorporate intermittent hypoxic therapy (IHT) in a number of different medical fields, including sports performance, health and wellness.
Intermittent hypoxia has been the subject of considerable research in recent years because it can trigger a vast array of beneficial effects in multiple physiological systems.
IHT utilizes machines that generate oxygen-reduced air similar to those used by mountain climbers and endurance athletes who are training to compete in high-altitude environments. Intermittent hypoxia works because it prompts the body to adapt to repeated changes in oxygen levels.
There are more than 30 genes that are regulated by exposure to hypoxia stimulus and an athlete's hematocrit level will increase with high altitude training. However, that is not the only benefit of hypoxia acclimatization.
I foresee Intermittent Hypoxia Training (IHT) as a disruptive technology. Like most techniques, its success is related to safe and proper utilization. When using IHT with our patients, we will constantly monitor the performance and make individual adjustments to best suit the patient and his therapy. The following illustration shows some of the hard science behind intermittent hypoxia therapy.
When this therapy is combined with high levels of oxygen, many other beneficial pathways are stimulated.
We will also combine IHT with other modalities that should enhance it further. This would include hyperoxia treatments, as well as some other modalities, including hyperbaric oxygen therapy, whole body cryotherapy, red light sauna, and more.
In addition, certain dietary supplements such as Ginkgo biloba, coenzyme Q10, and beetroot juice can increase oxygenation through enhanced blood flow while branched-chain amino acids and omega-3 fatty acids can improve maximum oxygen consumption (Vo2 Max).
A Home for Functional Medicine!
In addition to the treatments mentioned above, we will have a functional medicine division headed by our excellent nurse practitioner, Carissa Raver.
Carissa will handle a multitude of programs, from our scientific weight reduction programs (which will also utilize some of the aforementioned modalities) to hormonal balance to complementing our anti-aging programs. We also plan to have an aesthetics division that will blend beauty with science.
To say we are excited about our new facility is an understatement. As time goes on we will add even more state-of-the-art techniques to the cutting edge treatments we sharpen daily.
Remember, we don’t just practice regenerative and anti-aging medicine, we define it!
- Dr. P
I have written quite a bit on senescent cells over the years because cellular senescence is an important hallmark of aging.
Senescent cells are so-called “zombie cells” that stopped dividing but are not dead. While senescent cells do carry out a few positive physiological functions, including wound healing and slowing cancer progression, excessive senescence is mostly bad for healthy organ function and is believed to be one of the major causes of aging, while shortening life span.
The problem with senescent cells is that they can produce and release some 4,000 different proteins, many of which have pro-inflammatory properties such as cytokines and chemokines. These molecules are called senescence-associated secreted phenotype (SASP) molecules that circulate in the blood stream and they can change the function of neighboring cells.
Some of these proteins are commonly known as master inflammatory cytokines going by names such as IL-1b, IL-6, TNF-a and IL-8.
These are the bad guys causing much inflammation in the body.
Most senescent cells produce a protein called beta-galactosidase also called SABG.
The test we will be offering via Jinfiniti will check for these markers to measure senescent cells in your body.
Again, this involves a simple blood test.
The Aging SOS Testing: The Most Comprehensive Panel
This is Jinfiniti’s most comprehensive test, which tracks many different aging factors, including a number of biomarkers that may indicate a variety of causes of suboptimal health.
These biomarkers can be used to maximize one’s health span by measuring molecular and cellular functions that are altered with age.
The SOS testing measures chronic inflammation, cellular senescence, protein glycation, tissue stress and damage, and oxidative stress and antioxidant capacity. These are all hallmarks of aging.
Once you are armed with this information it becomes easier to plot a course of action.
These aging biomarkers reveal your overall wellness status and your most urgent deficiencies and abnormalities, providing a blueprint for how you can slow down and intervene in your aging process. This is extremely valuable information for those interested in longevity. You are provided with concrete steps to correct your deficiencies.
These actions include lifestyle changes such as more exercise, more sleep, diet, and biomarker-guided supplementation of nutrients that you may not get enough from in your regular diet.
In addition, you’ll be recommended some cutting-edge modalities, such as cryotherapy, hyperbaric chambers, and a host of other treatments aimed at improving and extending your life.
Once again, we obtain all of this information from a simple blood test.
The good news is that the opening of our new state of the art regenerative medicine clinic is just around the corner.
We will be offering a wide variety of tests, treatments, protocols and procedures that will make correcting many of the abnormalities found on the SOS test easier.
- Dr. P
Up until recently there haven’t been any quality methods that I trust to analyze the NAD+ levels found in the body. Fortunately, I have access to a number of brilliant scientists who are also very interested in anti-aging strategies. As a whole, this group has a very high regard for a company that is now offering testing for NAD+ levels called Jinfinity Precision Medicine.
I want to make a note here that I have a personal connection with this company, having met the CEO and chief scientist Dr. Jin-Xiong She.
In order to begin to understand why I believe this test is so important, let’s review why NAD+ levels are so important. In the simplest terms, NAD+ levels can determine one’s health and health span.
Besides aging, many factors can affect your NAD+ levels in the near term, such as disease, excessive stress, alcohol, jet-lag or sun exposure, insufficient sleep or lack of exercise.
What we need to be cognizant of when measuring NAD+ levels is the fact that we need to look at NAD+ on two different levels.
We have to look at the intracellular NAD+ levels versus the circulating NAD+ levels.
NAD+ is synthesized inside cells and a small portion of the NAD+ is found in the blood. At present, we are not sure what the function of the NAD+ in the blood is. To cover our bases, the NAD+ testing we perform will measure both intracellular and blood levels of NAD+.
While we are still studying what an optimal level of NAD+ is, we do know that its overall presence decreases significantly with age. Research indicates that a level in the range of 50-75uM is a good target.
One interesting fact about circulating NAD+ is that it is secreted by cells all over the body into the blood circulation and it is measured in plasma or serum samples. Although intracellular and circulating NAD+ do show good correlations in most people, major differences are observed in many people. It is therefore useful for us to test both intracellular and circulating NAD+ to gain a complete picture of your NAD status.
Now that we’ve gone over what the tests will measure, let’s run down a few common causes of low NAD+ efficiency.
1. Not Enough Building Blocks to Make NAD+
The body creates new NAD+ from dietary or supplementary sources of tryptophan or niacin. The body can also recycle consumed NAD+ using a salvage pathway. When cells don’t have enough building blocks, NAD production is limited. If this is the root cause of low NAD+, then providing the building blocks should raise your levels.
There are many products available to accomplish this, but it is important to test your NAD+ before and after trying these products to know their efficacy.
Some of these supplements are NMN (nicotinamide mononucleotide), NR (nicotinamide riboside), Nicotinamide + Ribose, and niacin, and they come in oral or intravenous forms. Everyone has a different metabolism and may require different supplements, doses, and consumption methods.
2. Not Enough Enzymes
You may have enough building blocks to produce NAD+, but if the enzymes that catalyze NAD+ production aren’t active or abundant, then you cannot convert your building blocks into NAD+.
3. Too much NAD+ consumption.
Enzymes like sirtuins and PARPs are essential for maintaining healthy cells. Sirtuins use NAD+ to regulate gene expression and how cells function. PARPs (poly-ADP ribose polymerase) aid in DNA repair.
As we age, we require more maintenance, which may increase sirtuin and PARP activities, thereby depleting NAD. CD38 is an enzyme that increases with inflammation, senescence, and age, and is thought to be a major cause of NAD+ depletion. CD38 may be inhibited with apigenin or quercetin supplements.
4. Daily Assaults on NAD+
Besides aging, many factors can affect your NAD+ levels in the near term, such as disease, excessive stress, alcohol, jet lag or sun exposure, insufficient sleep or exercise.
THE NAD+ TEST:
The NAD+ test is relatively simple. We collect a few drops of blood on a special test strip and then add a fixing buffer to stabilize the NAD+.
This is then placed in an envelope and sent to the lab.
Results are obtained in 7-10 days.
Click here to schedule your NAD+ optimization test or treatment.
In my research over the last year, I have come across more and more articles discussing the value and importance of prolonged and intermittent fasting as it relates to regenerative medicine.
While studies on intermittent fasting, or IF, as it’s known in shorthand, are published in scientific journals, the results and the benefits are steadily making their way into the mainstream.
I recently read an article in Longevity.Technology that compared prolonged fasting with IF that piqued my interest and I wanted to share some of the finer points with you.
ONE: How does fasting work?
In the simplest form, fasting works by activating a process called ketosis. Ketosis occurs when you haven’t eaten for an extended period of time and your body doesn't have enough carbohydrates to burn for energy. Instead, it burns fat and produces ketones, which it can use for fuel. This is called being in “ketosis”.
TWO: What is the difference between IF and prolonged fasting?
Prolonged fasting occurs when you choose to not eat for a long period of time; anywhere from 24 to 48 to 72 hours. You consume water and occasionally some nutrients during this time, but little to no calories. As you can imagine, this strategy of fasting is too difficult for many people to attempt or maintain.
Thankfully, practicing IF allows you to obtain many of the benefits of prolonged fasting with a much more manageable eating schedule. The sweet spots for these IF regiments is typically between 18 and 24 hours, which is why the 16-hour fast followed by an 8-hour eating window is so popular. Many who follow this schedule begin their fast at 8pm and don’t eat until the following day at 12pm.
During that eating window starting at 12pm, people practicing IF eat all of their meals for the day. You may feel like you can loosen up on your diet since you just fasted, but I would not recommend that. I’d still limit or ban sugars altogether and cut carbohydrates down to a bare minimum.
THREE: Does fasting affect longevity?
Whether you choose to try IF or prolonged fasting, both methods affect nutrient sensing pathways. One such pathway is called the AMPK pathway which helps drive glucose into the cells and thus decreases glucose levels. Stimulation of the AMPK pathway definitely is associated with longevity. At the same time, fasting also down-regulates the mTOR pathway.
FOUR: What are the other benefits of IF?
One very important aspect of intermittent fasting involves the process of autophagy. Just as important as the weight loss aspects of IF, autophagy has tremendous health benefits as well.
Autophagy plays a housekeeping role in removing improperly folded or aggregated proteins, clearing damaged organelles (intracellular structures), such as mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum, both of which are important in energy production.
In addition to the elimination of intracellular aggregates and damaged organelles, autophagy promotes cellular senescence and cell surface antigen presentation, which protects against genome instability and prevents necrosis.
Taking things one step further, autophagy plays a key role in preventing diseases such as cancer, neurodegeneration, cardiomyopathy, diabetes, liver disease, autoimmune diseases and infections.
In conclusion, IF may provide a host of health benefits and for many people it is certainly worth practicing.
- Dr. P
This is the recent article that I found valuable:
https://longevity.technology/lifestyle/intermittent-vs-prolonged-fasting-which-is-better-for-weight-loss/
I am always on the lookout for new arrows we can place in our regenerative medicine and anti-aging quiver, and I’m thrilled to announce that The Institute now offers intravenous methylene blue (MB) treatment!
The reason this is such an important announcement is because MB may improve your overall health in a number of ways, from boosting ATP production and pumping up the health of our mitochondria, to its nootropic traits, including improved memory, learning and overall brain function.
Methylene blue can also be paired with several of our other treatments, including red light therapy, NAD+ and EBO2 procedures to enhance their effectiveness and potentially increase the benefits.
A Brief History of Methylene Blue
Methylene blue is a blue dye developed by scientists in the 19th century for the textile industry. In addition to being a brilliant blue dye for fabric, surprisingly, it was soon discovered to be useful in the scientific laboratory and in medicine.
Its most common use in medicine is for the treatment of methemoglobinemia. Methemoglobinemia is a blood disorder in which too little oxygen is delivered to your cells. As you know, oxygen is carried through your bloodstream by hemoglobin, a protein that’s attached to your red blood cells. When functioning properly, hemoglobin releases oxygen to cells throughout your body.
However, there’s a specific type of hemoglobin known as methemoglobin that carries oxygen through your blood but doesn’t release it to the cells. If your body produces too much methemoglobin, it can begin to replace your normal hemoglobin.
The unfortunate result is that the cells become starved for oxygen, thus causing a patient to suffer from methemoglobinemia. Methylene blue is an FDA-approved medicine to treat methemoglobinemia, as well as a host of other ailments, and it has a long safety history and profile with the agency. It has been evaluated for decades and is safe to use to treat a variety of issues.
How Methylene Blue Works
Methylene blue acts on multiple cellular targets and mechanisms, but many of its potential beneficial effects are ascribed to be mitochondrial (remember that the mitochondria are the organelles in our bodies that produce ATP).
But the real mechanism of action concerns the ability of methylene blue to donate electrons. I realize my explanation below will get a bit technical, but it’s important to understand why and how MB is so potent and important to regenerative medicine.
First, if you recall your high school science classes, ATP (adenosine tri-phosphate) is the body’s energy currency. ATP is produced in a number of ways: glycolysis, the Krebs cycle, and the electron transport chain - where a majority is created. The production of ATP is called cellular respiration.
With methylene blue, we are especially interested in the electron transport chain. On this note, think of ATP like a rechargeable battery. When ATP loses a phosphate bond it gives up energy and becomes ADP. ADP is short for adenosine di-phosphate + phosphate. When a cell needs energy, the phosphate molecule is released and the energy that had been holding on to the phosphate molecule is now available to do work for that cell. This is how energy is given to the cells.
ATP and Methylene Blue
The real mechanism of action in regards to ATP concerns the ability of methylene blue to donate electrons. This happens when low-dose methylene blue stimulates mitochondrial respiration by donating electrons to the electron transport chain. This makes methylene blue unique among chemicals for several important reasons.
First and foremost, it has an auto oxidizing property that allows MB at low concentrations to form an equilibrium by cycling electrons (i.e., serving as both an electron donor and acceptor). This property permits the cycling of electrons from chemicals inside the mitochondrial matrix to electron transport proteins in mitochondria.
These transport proteins act as acceptors for electrons donated by methylene blue in mitochondria. The final acceptor of electrons in the respiratory chain is oxygen, which is obtained from oxyhemoglobin transported in the circulation.
Molecular oxygen is then reduced to water in a reaction catalyzed by the mitochondrial enzyme cytochrome oxidase (Complex IV, cytochrome c oxidase which has the abbreviation Cyt c). Methylene blue enhances the function of cytochrome oxidase (complex IV), making it work faster and more efficiently. This leads to increased oxygen consumption and increased ATP production, especially in the most metabolically active cells like the nerve cells in memory regions of the brain.
Methylene Blue and the Brain
Methylene blue concentrates in tissues with the most mitochondria (e.g. the brain where it readily crosses the blood brain barrier, the heart, the liver, and kidneys). In this regard, methylene blue does a few different things.
First, MB is a blood-brain barrier-permeable antioxidant, which makes it extremely unique because many antioxidants never make it into the brain. Methylene blue, on the other hand, quickly crosses the blood-brain barrier. It also improves mitochondrial efficiency and respiration, acts as an antioxidant, and increases brain cell lifespan, resulting in improved memory and mood.
At low dosages, methylene blue is used to enhance mitochondrial function, increase cerebral blood flow, and acts as an antidepressant. Methylene blue’s uncanny ability to selectively target diseased tissues (especially aging in the brain) is related to the health of our mitochondria.
Because of this, methylene blue holds great potential to combat a variety of neurological conditions including stroke, traumatic brain injury, depression, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s.
Methylene blue also improves memory by increasing brain cell respiration, or how the brain cell utilizes oxygen. It increases ATP production to provide more cellular energy for better overall brain function including cognition, mood, and memory.
Methylene Blue: A Strong Brain Nootropic
If you haven’t heard of the word before, a ‘nootropic’ is a substance capable of enhancing brain or mental function. Nootropics can help you boost memory, learning and overall brain capability. Nootropics, often called “smart drugs,” are a class of substances that are studied for their ability to aid brain performance. They are sometimes called cognition enhancers or memory enhancing substances.
Prescription nootropics are medications that have stimulant effects. The Air Force dispenses a “go to” pill, used by pilots to stay sharp called Provigil. Provigil is already renowned for its ability to keep people awake. Lately, however, the drug is getting attention for doing more than that. It seems that a lot of people are taking Provigil to try to increase intelligence. Methylene blue fits in the same category.
Methylene blue’s high reward, low-risk profile makes it one of the most exciting supplements in the biohacking world. Case in point, a recent study of 26 healthy volunteers aged 22 – 62 participated in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial involving MB.
The purpose of the study was to measure the effects of methylene blue on working memory and sustained attention. Study results showed that a single low-dose of MB resulted in an increase in short-term memory ability.
In this randomized study, low-dose MB increased functional MR imaging activity during sustained attention and short-term memory tasks and memory retrieval.
One Caution with Methylene Blue: Serotonin Syndrome
One drawback of methylene blue is that it can potentially cause serotonin syndrome.
This is a rare but potentially dangerous health condition caused by excess levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin.
Methylene blue causes this because it inhibits an enzyme called monoamine oxidase (MAO). By inhibiting MAO, methylene blue increases our body’s level of serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine – three neurotransmitters that play essential roles in regulating mood.
Too much of one or more of these neurotransmitters can lead to symptoms like rapid heart rate, high blood pressure, sweating, shivering/shaking, nausea and vomiting, confusion and disorientation, agitation, and anxiety.
This is why you should avoid methylene blue when taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), or other MAOIs.
Do not take this medicine with any of the following medications:
bupropion
certain medicines for depression or anxiety
clomipramine
doxepin
duloxetine
fluoxetine
MAOIs like Marplan, Nardil, and Parnate
milnacipran
mirtazapine
rasagiline
selegiline
St. John's wort
trazodone
tryptophan
The Exciting Ways The Institute will Utilize Methylene Blue
As we’ve covered, methylene blue has the potential to be a game changer in regenerative and anti-aging medicine. We will certainly offer it as a stand-alone procedure, but the powerful benefits come when we partner it with other modalities.
One such modality is the use of methylene blue and the red-light sauna room, where MB will be able to increase its effectiveness due to its photosensitivity.
Another exciting protocol is the utilization of MB and intravenous NAD+. This will provide a significant one-two punch for general well being and especially brain health.
Also, we look forward to combining methylene blue and our EBO2 technique, taking this potent treatment to the next level.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg!
The sky is truly the limit with methylene blue!
- Dr. P
For more information on methylene blue or to book your treatment, click here.
I have long been fascinated with the seemingly unlimited power of our mitochondria. You probably remember from your high school biology class that mitochondria are the “powerhouses of your cells”. Their number one function is to turn the calories you consume throughout the day into adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP is the gasoline that fuels your cells, which in turn, gives your body the energy it needs to thrive.
As if that wasn’t enough, according to a new article I recently read in The Guardian, ATP production may be just the tip of the iceberg of what mitochondria are capable of.
According to researchers at Cambridge University’s MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit, our mitochondria may play a vital role in helping to solve many of the important diseases of our time, including Parkinson’s disease and even long Covid.
When it comes to Parkinson’s, researchers believe that people suffering with this disease may have a problem with mitochondrial autophagy, meaning they are not able to replace the damaged mitochondria.
Fortunately, we have a number of methods to increase mitochondrial health, such as NAD+ treatments and EBO2.
Interestingly enough, these treatments, at least anecdotally, seem to help patients with long Covid symptoms as well.
I found this to be a very informative article and I wanted to share it with you all. – JP
Here is the piece if you’d like to read further:
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2022/jun/26/can-our-mitochondria-help-to-beat-long-covid
[Click to learn more about NAD+ and EBO2 treatments.]
We all know that one lucky person who naturally pops out of bed with a smile on their face. They’re fine with five hours of sleep. They have energy. They’re ready to attack the day every day.
Unfortunately, that’s not us. And it’s likely not you either. You like your sleep. Your bed is comfortable. Your sheets are warm. You want to stay there as long as possible, right? We don’t blame you.
But the reality is that we all have to get up and get going. What if, instead of dreading it, you looked forward to it? What if you flipped the script?
No more sleepwalking through your morning or downing unhealthy amounts of coffee. Nope. What if you finally had a plan to feel great every day?
Now you do. We’ve put together a simple three-step routine that you can follow to nurture your mind, body and spirit the minute you get out of bed.
Say goodbye to slow mornings forever:
STEP ONE: Hydration
Here’s a fact: most people wake up slightly dehydrated. Here’s another fact: most people don’t do anything about it, which compounds the problem. Rather than drink liquids that will hydrate and balance your body, too often people turn to a juice that’s high in fructose or a coffee with cream and unhealthy sugar.
Here’s a better option:
Pour yourself a twelve ounce glass of water
Squeeze in the juice from half of a fresh lemon
Then add a quarter teaspoon of sea salt or Himalayan salt
Drink
The water hydrates you while the lemon juice provides vitamin C, aids in digestion, boosts immune function and may help regulate your weight. The salt is filled with electrolytes and minerals, while also replenishing your sodium levels for muscle function. Within a few minutes that sluggish feeling will begin to fade away.
STEP TWO: Morning Meditation - 5-Minutes to Declutter Your Brain
The moment you wake up your brain is bombarded with thoughts, feelings, anxiety, to-do lists, mental notes and more. Your mind races to things you forgot the day before, stuff about your family, stuff for work... It’s a deluge you feel like you can’t control and before you know it, you’re overwhelmed and your head hasn’t left the pillow.
Rather than letting your brain run wild, after you drink your lemon water with salt, set a timer on your phone for five minutes and put it on one side of a room.
On the other side, find a comfortable place on the floor to sit cross legged in a traditional meditation pose.
Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Deep breaths in and deep breaths out. Meditation can take years to master, but for your beginner purposes, focus on a single word that you can repeat over and over. If you’re anxious, repeat “relax.” If you’re tired, repeat “energy” and so on.
Try your best to keep all outside thoughts from ruining your mantra. In the beginning, the five minutes will feel like hours. Eventually, it’ll feel like a matter of seconds. Either way, it often takes only five minutes to clear your mind for the day.
STEP THREE: Harness the Cold
With your body hydrated and your mind clear, it’s time to wake up and seize the day. Nothing is quicker and more effective at jolting your body and brain into a ready-state than a cold plunge or cold shower.
We know. It sounds crazy. But quite often, crazy works. In this case, it works very well.
Cold showers have long been studied for their health benefits, which may include increased blood circulation, improved neurological response and a surge of adrenaline that accompanies a feeling of happiness and alertness.
Start out with a 30-second cold shower on the first day. Then add thirty seconds every day after that and build to two or three minutes.
A 3-minute cold shower will do wonders for your energy level, your mood and your mindset.
If you haven’t heard of self-proclaimed biohacker Ben Greenfield just wait. The man is into everything. In no short order he is a former collegiate tennis, water polo and volleyball player, bodybuilder, 13-time Ironman triathlete and professional obstacle course racer. Oh yeah, he’s also written 17 books, including the bestsellers Endure, Fit Soul, Beyond Training, Boundless and more.
Greenfield also has over 300k followers on Instagram and is a coach, speaker, trainer and advisor to some of the highest power people and fitness brands in the world.
The reason we’re highlighting Ben is for his adherence to functional health and fitness. His approach to optimizing the human body blends the newest anti-aging science, longevity studies, mental tactics, psychological tuning and spiritual guidance.
He’s even spoken as the keynote speaker at the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine and the Academy of Regenerative Practices.
Since we’re wrapping up our “Strongest You Ever” month, here are 4 important anti-aging benefits of building muscle by Greenfield from one of his newest posts, titled, “The Best Workouts, Biohacks & Supplements For Muscle Gain, Muscle Recovery, Muscle Maintenance & More!
4 Anti-Aging Benefits of Building Muscle from Ben Greenfield:
Bigger muscles aren’t necessarily better. You want lean, wiry, explosive muscles capable of exerting enormous amounts of force relative to their size.
You can achieve this type of muscle with as little as two strength workouts per week, one super-slow lifting workout, and one explosive 7-minute bodyweight workout.
Weightlifting and load-bearing workouts not only build muscle, but also improve insulin resistance and fat metabolism, and reduce the effects of aging on mitochondria and your telomeres.
You can build muscle and strength with just bodyweight workouts.
For more information on Ben Greenfield, visit: www.bengreenfieldlife.com
Did you know that you can gain muscle when rehabbing by lifting light weights with a tourniquet around your muscle?
We know what you’re thinking: Tourniquet training?
Yes, you read that right.
An exciting form of advanced physical therapy called Blood Flow Restriction Therapy (BFR) has proven to be especially useful after a regenerative cell procedure to strengthen the muscles around an affected joint.
The way it works is quite simple: after partially restricting blood flow using a series of well-calibrated, inflatable Velcro bands (tourniquets), patients perform muscle contractions to increase the size, strength and endurance of healing muscles.
It’s like lifting weights, but with tight cuffs on your arms or legs.
Here’s what you need to know:
BFR training can be performed 2-3 times a week for three works OR 1-2 times a day for less than three week
A good ratio for upper body and lower body is 40% arms to 50% legs (or even 50/50)
BFR is best used with four reps per set, in the following sequence: 30-15-15-15
Maximum wear time for the cuffs is 20 minutes
The ideal loads will be 20% to 50% of a patient’s one rep maximum lift
Repetitions should be slow, up to two full seconds for each positive and negative movement
Rest should be anywhere from 30 to 60 seconds between sets
Click here for Dr. Purita’s extended blog post on the science behind BFR training.
