According to a landmark study in Israel, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) reduces two key biological signs of aging in humans. It is the first study ever to prove that it is possible to target and reverse the aging process at the basic cellular-biological level.
Because of this research, scientists now have a valid foundation to study how to slow the aging process. In this breakthrough study, patients aged 64 and older underwent a series of HBOT treatments. Multiple blood tests conducted during the study showed that HBOT reversed the shortening of telomeres and the accumulation of senescent cells.
Telomeres are the ends of our chromosome cells that protect the cells from deteriorating. As we age, the telomere naturally shorten. In the HBOT study, “some telomeres increased by more than 20% in length” 1which can be interpreted as reversing the aging process.
Senescent cells prevent cells from growing and their increase contributes to aging. Again, in the HBOT study, “senescent cells decreased in number by as much as 37 percent”2 which also shows a slowing the aging process.
Scientists Call It the “Holy Grail” of the Biology of Aging
This innovative study is part of an ongoing comprehensive aging research program in Israel. A different 2020 study also showed that HBOT also improves cognitive functions of memory and processing speed, among other areas.
These studies have been conducted for more than a decade of research by Dr. Shai Efrati, who is the director of the Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Research at the Yitzhak Shamir Medical Center. Efrati called telomere shortening “the ‘Holy Grail’ of the biology of aging.” The unique hyperbaric oxygen protocol from this study is available in the United States only at Aviv Clinics at the Center for Advanced Healthcare at Brownwood in central Florida.
Try Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy at Our Mind and Body Spa.
Now that you know the age-rejuvenating benefits of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, you can actually take advantage of this therapy yourself. At our Mind and Body Spa, we offer a unique HBOT chamber that allows you to relax and breathe in higher levels of oxygen. This enables more oxygen to reach your cells, improving your overall sense of well-being and more.
Our session rates for first-timers only are:
Hyperbaric $50 for a 50-minute session. HBOT Blog Deal. (One hour option only, not ½ hour)
1, 2 Per Dr. Hadanny, co-author of the study. Source: Aviv-clinics.com article “For The First Time, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Proven to Reverse Biological Aging in Humans”
Did you know that magnetic fields have been used therapeutically since as early as 4000 BCE? And, that over the centuries, our understanding of why magnetic therapies work has dramatically evolved to the point that it is used in healthcare today?
Fact is, there is growing evidence that supports the magnetic stimulation of the body—using high intensity pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) to enhance wellness.
In this blog article, we’re going to discuss how these PEMFs help enhance our health. Let’s start by discussing why this type of therapy is possible.
We’re Naturally Electromagnetic First, it’s important to know that the human body is electromagnetic in nature. And, that the earth’s electromagnetic fields interact with our body’s own magnetic fields on a cellular level.
The cell membrane has its own voltage and channels in which the electromagnetic energy runs through. These channels can be open or closed based on the magnetic polarity of the membrane. When the channel is closed, it’s in its “resting potential,” and when it’s open, it’s in its “action potential” which can carry the electrical charges through.
Action potential happens in our excitable tissues, such as nerve or fiber muscles, specifically when the changing resting position reaches a firing threshold. This process is an “all or none” action—either it happens or it doesn’t. So the nerve stimulus process is fairly simple—basically 5 steps according to the chart.
Our cell membranes also require a charge to open the channels, which is a process that allows ions to flow into the cells (and increase the membrane’s potential, prompting more channels to open.)
This process produces the movement of charge, which is another non-nerve form of electric current—and which creates the resulting magnetic field—across the cell membrane.
Once all the channels are open, the membrane potential is so great that its polarity reverses, making those channels close, which then makes the exit channels open. This is the full cycle of the process, which creates an ebb and flow of energy—and which is the basis for all organisms being alive.
The main point to remember is this: Since our cells and their electromagnetic charge potentials are what allows cellular communication and processes to happen, they can be influenced by magnetic fields.
So what is PEMF Therapy?
It’s important to know that Pulsed Electromagnetic Therapy (PEMF) is different from electrical stimulation. Electrical stimulation applies currents to the body’s tissues, while PEMF therapy induces or creates current in the tissues.
Since PEMF induces the charge in tissues, the tissues can only produce as much charge as it is capable of—so it can’t overcharge or burn as it can with an electrical charge, which is actually electrocution. This is why PEMF therapy is considered safer that electrical therapy.
Some Basic PEMF Definitions
Before we can get into some of the health benefits of PEMF therapy, let’s go over a few of the main keywords and their definitions so you can better understand how PEMF works.
Frequency – All of life of our planet oscillates or lives in a certain vibration level. Color is a vibration and sound is a vibration, for example. So, cells have its own unique vibration level, too. Frequencies are measured in HertZ (1 HZ) which is one cycle per second. And PEMF systems that are used for health are at extremely low frequencies. All you need to know here is that PEMFs can affect cells by interactive with the cells frequency level.
Modulation – Modulation is basically the manipulate the frequency of a PEMF. It bundles frequencies into packets or groups, allowing a repetition of frequency in phases. Many higher frequency PEMF systems use modulation to increase the ability penetrate tissues.
Wavelength – Wavelength refers to the length of the wave itself. This is an important part of understanding frequencies used in healing magnetic field therapy. The higher the frequency, the shorter the wavelength. Most health magnetic frequencies have very long wavelengths. Frequencies under 10Mhz are longer than six feet. The goal for any PEMF therapy is to completely pass through the body. A magnetic frequency wave of HZ is about 9000 miles long. So, most healing PEMFs have long enough wavelengths to penetrate the entire body.
Waveform – Waveform is the actual physical shape of the wave itself. There’s a wide variety of waveform in the body, nature and PEMFs. Here are the most common.
All you need to know here is that certain types of waveforms are stronger than others when it comes to providing a level of magnetic field intensity.
Intensity – Intensity is the measurement of strength or power of a magnetic field.
Amplification – Amplification of PEMFs can happen in the body, and what happens here is that many more molecules or tissues get impacted than just the molecules at the original point of stimulation. This is why even treating only the foot with a PEMF has effects on the rest of the body. So ultimately, amplification can lead to changes in the tissue, unblocking neutral flows and returning the body to its natural state of flow.
In Summary
I hope you enjoyed this basic introduction to PEMFs and how they work on a very basic level. Consider Part I as the primer, so you can better understand the next blog post, How PEMFs Affect the Body!”
In the meantime, I invite you to try out our own PEMF Relaxation Chair now available at our Mind and Body Spa! I’m providing a Fall Special—four 20-minute sessions for only $100—it’s our PEMF Blog Special for first-timers only. To see all of our great rates and services, visit the our Brain and Body Spa page.
After all, now that I’ve filled mind with all this great scientific information, you deserve to relax and enjoy the benefits of this amazing holistic and naturopathic treatment!
Until next time, be in good health!
Dr. Marianne Nielsen
Resource Material: “Power Tools for Health—How Pulse Magnetic Fields (PEMFs) Help You” by William Pawluk, MD MSc & Caitlin J Layne; Publisher: Friesen Press
We all know that walking is good for us, and many have a step count on their phone or smart
watch. But how do you decide what a good goal for a daily step count is?
A group of researchers recently published the results of a decades long study.
They followed almost 5000 people. They measured how many steps they took a day and then
followed their health over the next 10+ years.
They discovered that the more steps you take a day the less likely you are to die, and they
even broke it down into cancer and cardiovascular disease.
This is their graph:
As you can see on the graph- the people that only walked 2000 steps a day was more than 4
times more likely to die compared to people that walked 12.000 steps a day. The cancer and
cardiovascular graphs look similar.
For cardiovascular and cancer as well as overall mortality, it shows that the higher the number
of steps we take in a day- the less likely we are to die. More than 12,000 steps a day does not
seem to change the rate much.
They did not find any difference in how fast people walked or even ran, so taking a leisurely
stroll is just as beneficial as running or walking fast.
That is not to say that there are no additional benefits to getting your heart rate up and enjoying aerobic exercise. There are many studies supporting that.
What this study teaches us however is the importance of checking how many steps we take
overall, and try to find a routine that gets us close to 12.000 steps a day.
Dogs are great motivators, parking in the farthest corner of the parking lot is a good way to get
extra steps in too. Getting out in nature has many additional benefits, but a treadmill will do if
that is the most practical setup. Lets start counting steps!
How can you be prepared to meet the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
I am sure you have heard about a million different supplements to take to protect yourself from the COVID-19 /SARS-CoV-2 virus. They are probably all helpful, but it gets a little overwhelming sorting out what to take when, and how much. Understanding what you are trying to support in each phase of your immune system’s response is important—especially as we are about to emerge from sheltering in place and will have more exposure.
We do not know if there will be an effective vaccine or treatment for a long time, so understanding what is needed to support your immune system is the best defense you have currently. This is a complex topic for sure. The most elegant explanation I have found is in this paper that was recently published in the journal “Integrative Medicine” :
I will summarize the important and practical points of that paper. The graph above shows that your immune system (yellow) — if ready and capable — will suppress the (orange) virus and the disease is milder (red). On the other hand, if the immune system does not react in a timely manner, and not have quite enough of a response, you are more likely to end up with the more severe disease.
The amount of inflammation in your body when the virus is encountered is also very important.
The figure above illustrates how if we have low levels of inflammation, we can deal with the inflammatory response to the virus (green line). If however, we start out with high levels of inflammation in our bodies, the burden of fighting the virus (red line) may put us close to or above the fatality risk threshold (Line on top) — meaning we are more likely to experience ARDS, septic shock, heart or kidney failure, etc.
The authors break the disease into 4 phases:
1. PREVENTION
This is what we can do right now and should continue doing as long as this virus is among us.
2. INFECTION
If you get the virus, you need support in fighting it.
3. ESCALATING INFECTION
This is when the immune response gets out of control — often because of underlying inflammation, and people end up in the hospital.
4. RECOVERY
Sounds simple, but 20% of people that recover from COVID 19 have a fibrotic disease 9 months later, so keeping the inflammation low is important to prevent organ dysfunction over time.
How can you support your immune system and keep inflammation low? There are 5 target areas of support to consider:
1. FOUNDATIONAL SUPPORT
DISINFECTION AND ISOLATION This is where we started this journey, but it is still how we slow the spread most efficiently. Keeping distance, wearing masks and hand washing are still important measures to take.
SLEEP Healthy sleep promotes sound immune response — specifically Th1 response. Disordered sleep promotes inflammation and lowers Th1 response. If you are not getting 8 hours of restful sleep every night, now is the time to work on sound sleep hygiene practices. Let me know if you need help with that. MELATONIN can be very helpful, and not only with sleep — it also decreases airway inflammation and has been shown to specifically help fight SARS-CoV-2.
STRESS
We all know it is not healthy. Cortisol is elevated in chronic and acute stress, and is known to cause inflammation and suppress the immune system. Reducing stress can be a tall order with everything going on in the world currently, but take whatever steps you can to be less stressed. Turning off the news is a good start. Stay informed but don’t spend any more time than necessary on stressful news. Find a peaceful spot in nature and spend some time just sitting there. This can be your back yard, front porch or wherever you can easily get to outdoors.
My friend, Josh Lane just published a wonderful book “Conscious Nature: The Art and Neuroscience of Meditating In Nature.” Ask me if you are interested in taking a look — I have a copy at the office. Meditate, get a massage, go to the beach, listen to relaxing music, take a walk, exercise, get neuro-feedback, get adjusted… The list is endless, but make sure to have something in place that you can do on a regular basis. Adaptogens like GINSENG or ASHWAGANDHA are some herbs that help reduce stress.
GLYCEMIC CONTROL
You have probably heard that diabetics are at higher risk for more severe COVID-19 outcomes, and that is because of the associated higher inflammation. This is also true if you have impaired glucose tolerance or insulin resistance. What that may look like is: if you are irritable, if you miss a meal, crave sweets, depend on coffee to get going, get tired after a meal, etc. Lab tests will help you determine if you have increased levels of inflammation, and it may be worth checking. This can be more complicated to control but generally avoiding foods with a high glycemic index is a good place to start.
DIET
What we eat greatly affects the inflammation in our system. In addition to high glycemic index foods, processed foods, sugar, trans-fats, oxidized fats and chemicals also increase inflammation. An anti-inflammatory diet consisting of foods rich in healthy fats and phytonutrients (multicolored vegetables) is very important. Mediterranean diet, plant-based diet and ketogenic diets all show a decrease in inflammation. AIP paleo diet is specifically designed to decrease inflammation. What is true for all the diets is that you need to eat a lot of good quality vegetables and a wide variety. Try to pack as many different veggies into your diet as possible.
LUNG and GASTROINTESTINAL MICROBIOME. If the lung and GI microbiomes are disrupted, we are more susceptible to lung disease and viral infection. A diet hight in fiber and polyphenols (found in fruits, vegetables, seeds, whole grains, red wine, chocolate) is important. Taking PROBIOTICS and PREBIOTICSis helpful, as is Vitamin A, D and NAC. It is important to avoid smoking and air pollution. And eating many different foods works wonders here, too.
EXERCISE
Exercise is more important than ever. Moderate exercise decreases inflammation—and Intense exercise does not decrease inflammation—so it is important to find the right intensity. Doing anything but sitting in front of a screen is good. Take a walk, do yoga, swim, ride a bike — anything that gets you moving helps.
VITAMINS, MINERALS AND BOTANICALS THAT SUPPORT IMMUNE FUNCTION AND REDUCE INFLAMMATION VITAMIN D, 5-10,00IU VITAMIN A, 5-10,00IU ZINC 60mg VITAMIN C, 1 gram QUERCITIN, 500mg FISH OIL, 3 grams
2. NATURAL KILLER CELL SUPPORT
Natural killer cells and Th1 cells are immune cells that are extremely important in fighting SARS-CoV-2 virus, as this virus seems to destroy the macrophages that usually engulf and kill viruses. NK and Th1 cells support the macrophages and thereby increase the chance of killing the SARS-CoV-2.
Specific supplements to help natural Killer cells are: ASTRAGALUS 500mg ANDROGRAPHIS 400mg REISHI MUSHROOM 400mg
GLUTATHIONE and NAC are important in both supporting the immune system and the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant systems in the body. These can both be used in a nebulizer as well as taken in liquid or pill form.
If you need help finding any of these supplements, I have most of them in the office—and I also have an online store you can look at. I have put a list together that has most of these. You will need to first sign up, then I can give you the list. https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/mnielsen
Hello! I’m Dr. Marianne Nielsen. I’m a chiropractic neurologist and owner of the Chiropractic Neurology center featuring the new Brain and Body Spa in Los Gatos, California. I have a passion for sharing information about brain and body health, so I will be posting tips and insights right here!
A few tips on boosting your immune system. There is a lot of information going around about the coronavirus currently, and it can get overwhelming sorting it all out.
Get plenty of sleep and eat healthy. What we do know for sure is that supporting your immune system is very important. Getting enough sleep and eating nutritious food should be on top of the list of things you are doing to support your immune system. Junk food and sugar does weaken the immune system, so even though we are camped out next to the fridge these days, avoiding those foods is more important than ever.
Take invigorating walks. With all the restrictions on public spaces, getting your daily exercise is certainly a bit of a challenge, but it is very important that you find a way. There are lots of exercise programs online, but taking a brisk walk around the neighborhood is an excellent way to get some exercise in. Make sure to swing your arms as you are walking to activate your brain as much as possible.
Try some vitamins. As for supplements to take, Vitamin D, A and E are important for the immune system as is Zinc and Selenium. NAC or glutathione is also important . There are many more , but those are a good start.
Questions? Feel free to contact me! Let me know if you have trouble finding any of these, as immune supporting supplements are selling out fast everywhere. I have a button on the website for Fullscript – you can purchase supplements off that site and they often have hard to find items available.
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