Fisetin – a Natural and Powerful Way to Destroy “Zombie” Cells
They’re no longer truly alive, but they refuse to destroy themselves – like “decent” old cells are supposed to.
That’s why they’re called “zombie” cells.
Technically, they’re “senescent” cells.
What’s worse, they secrete inflammatory compounds called senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) to annoy and irritate their neighbors.
They drag down your energy, your metabolism and your immune system – weakening you into old age – and increasing your risk for many chronic diseases.
That’s why, in recent years, medical research has begun looking for ways to reduce the risk.
When our cells become old or damaged so they’re no longer useful, the body signals them to destroy themselves – called apoptosis. Senescent cells disobey this command to fall on their swords to clear the way for younger, stronger healthier cells to replace them.
They’ve reached the end of their life cycle, thanks to the Hayflick Limit or stress, but they refuse to go quietly into the Big Night. Yet, they no longer reproduce or function.
In the normal course of events, they would completely die, so your body could reuse and recycle the minerals and biochemicals that comprise them.
Not only are they a drag on your energy, they excrete SASP that make life more difficult for your normal cells.
They can be created by a large number of stressors, including reactive oxygen species (free radicals), abnormal cell growth and more.
Having a large number of these senescent cells contributes to human aging. When you have so many cells that don’t pull their weight, but instead complain a lot, bringing normal cells down with their negative vibes, you become frail and weak. Your nerves degenerate.
In other words, you look, act and feel “elderly.”
Modern medical research has known for over two decades chronic inflammation is the root cause or factor for perhaps all chronic diseases, from cancer to diabetes to heart problems to Alzheimers’ to arthritis – and many more.
Senescent cells are certainly not the only cause of chronic inflammation, but they’re certainly a major factor contributing to it.
That’s why senolytics have become a major area of anti-aging research.
What if We could Destroy All Those Zombies?
Senolytics are substances that get rid of senescent cells, and they’re a focus of research and clinical trials.
Nobody can say for certain how valuable they are, but it’s believed they’ll have a major impact treating cancer, frailty, Alzheimer’s, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, diabetes and more.
The medical establishment is looking at the effects of senolytics on specific diseases, but it’s obvious that, if effective, they could have a profound impact on overall aging.
That is, they might keep us younger and stronger, for longer.
One of the Major Candidates is Fisetin
And you don’t have to wait for the end of clinical trials or even for a prescription.
YOu don’t have to pay the huge price some medicine company will someday charge by coming out with an altered version they can legally claim is their intellectual property.
No, fisetin belongs to everybody.
It’s a flavonoid which you’ve no doubt eaten.
Fisetin has Many Health Benefits
It activates sirtuins. Basically, sirtuins regulate cellular hormesis. That is, they help your cells remain healthy even when faced with stress.
And whose cells are not faced with a lot of stress?
When your sirtuins are activated, they help your cells remain healthy and in balance.
Fisetin is structurally similar to quercetin and resveratrol. Quercetin is another flavonoid being investigated for its senolytic potential.
Resveratrol has been promoted for over two decades as an anti-aging supplement.
These compounds have been used to extend the life of yeast cells by activating the SIRT1 sirtuin.
But fisetin’s real importance is, it’s a powerful senolytic. It reactivates the apoptosis-switch in senescent cells, so they die 100% – making way for new, young and healthy cells.
Studies have shown it’s almost as powerful as the well-known combination of quercetin and the cancer medicine dasatanib – but without dasatanib’s side effects.
The studies have mainly been done on animals, but they’re promising. Elderly mice given fisetin lived 10% longer than the control group.
How to Consume Fisetin at No Extra Charge
Fisetin is present in many plant foods, including grapes, cucumbers, persimmons, tomatoes, kiwis, peaches, apples and onions.
But it’s highest in . . . strawberries.
Scientists estimate people naturally consume an average of 0.4 mg of fisetin per day.
This is far less than the supplements you can find on Amazon or other places.
Some claim the lowest “theraputic” dose of fisetin is 250 mg, which you can’t get from eating fruits.
And fisetin is mostly broken down in your digestive tract.
But this raises interesting questions, partly because fisetin is also an antioxidant.
The taking of high-dose antioxidants has actually proven dangerous. Studies of people taking Vitamin E and beta carotene supplements show they actually live shorter lives than people who don’t take such supplements. In high doses, fisetin’s cousin lycopene may actually work as a pro-oxidant. Real foods contain many phytonutrients, many of which haven’t even been studied. Selectively separating them prevents us from reaping the real benefits of the synergy of taking them all in natural combination.
One study compared the senolytic effects of many different common flavonoids. Fisetin was the strongest for reducing senescent cells, but all of the flavonoids have some beneficial effect.
What will be the longterm effects of taking huge amounts of senolytics such as fisetin?
Nobody really knows.
Obviously, the average person is continuing to accumulate senescent cells and to go downhill with age despite consuming 0.4 mg of fisetin.
But what if you consistently ate large amounts of fruit, especially strawberries?
If you decide to take fisetin as a supplement, know that it seems to be most effective when taken intermittently, not on a daily basis. And you might want to also take other natural senolytics such as quercetin and theaflavins (from black tea).
https://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2021/6
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjjtZuKtbb4
https://www.elysiumhealth.com/en-us/science-101/why-sirtuins-are-important-for-aging
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JY5Uuniol_4
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3689181/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fisetin
https://www.nature.com/articles/nrd.2017.116
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7405395/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellular_senescence
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4214092/
https://nutritionfacts.org/video/tomato-sauce-vs-prostate-cancer/