A few months ago, one of my colleagues recommended that I look into live stem cell therapy after I complained about fatigue. I’d never heard of cell therapy supplements prior to this and was intrigued so I started reading up online on what this is all about.
The premise of live stem cell therapy is that time takes its toll on our own adult stem cells, which naturally decline as we age. Therefore it is important we keep them activated. Adult stem cells are our master cells of the body that have the ability to maintain, self-renew and repair cells, tissue and muscle throughout our entire life time.
Having your own adult stem cells working at optimal levels provides the platform for many cumulative health benefits. Benefits of taking cell therapy supplements include much improved energy, super charges the immune system, supports anti-inflammatory relief and provides rapid repair and recovery after illness, injury and surgery.
One exciting tidbit that I discovered is how many rich and famous personalities would go to Switzerland for placenta injections to delay aging. These are done in exclusive clinics, highly customised and tailored to the individual and generally cost USD30k upwards. The results are allegedly dramatic. Uh-huh.
These placentas are usually fresh, sterilized and frozen for injection. The shelf life of these placentas is rather short, but with improved manufacturing techniques, it is now possible to freeze-dry the placenta to preserve the cells so that they remain “live” even 3-4 years later as long as it is stored correctly. Giving placenta injections must be administered under medical supervision as complications can occur such as allergic shock and sometimes sepsis.
Taking oral supplements has been said to produce similar effects at much lesser cost and also safer. A nutritional live stem cell supplement can stimulate the production of stem cells integral for repairing the body. New research suggests that a commercially-available supplement can increase the blood circulation of hematopoietic stem cells, which can give rise to all blood cells, and endothelial progenitor cells, which repair damage to blood vessels.
The couple of supplements that I looked at are Purtier Placenta and Zell-V.
Purtier Placenta is a live cell therapy that contains deer stem cells that can differentiate to other cells to rejuvenate the body. The deer placenta live cells, specifically sourced from New Zealand, are extracted from the afterbirth and there is no sacrifice of deer life. These cells are then freeze-dried to preserve them.
There are altogether 9 ingredients that formed Purtier Placenta: deer placenta, lycopene, aloe vera, xanthones, squalene, borage oil, marine collagen, evening primrose oil and avocado oil. Price: 60 enteric-coated capsules per set at S$490.
ZÉLL-V Cellular Therapy is made from exclusive Swiss and German formulation to supply the human body with young and active cellular material obtained from sheep foetal cells or placenta. The brand claims that it is free from unwanted substances such as blood, hormones, toxins and allergens – made possible by high-tech filtration system from Switzerland and Germany.
Additionally, ZÉLL-V is manufactured in accordance to the highest pharmaceutical and laboratory safety standards of MedSafe New Zealand, and has garnered numerous accreditations. Every capsule contains concentrated active materials extracted from fresh sheep placenta, shark liver oil and grape seed oil. Price: 30 enteric-coated softgels per pack at S$350.
There are other brands out there, which I didn’t get to compare and contrast. But while doing my research, there’s one interesting skincare product backed by a potent anti-aging innovation derived from non-embryonic human stem cell research that came up on my radar.
Blue Horizon Special Skin Serum is a serum specially formulated with Cytokine action, epidermal growth factors (EGFs), short and long-chained hyaluronic acid and ceramides combat the effects of aging and deliver unique skin benefits without surgery. Promising 23% better skin in just 2 weeks, this product is made in Germany and the company is a division of Blue Horizon International that conducts clinical research and provides regenerative stem cell therapies. Price: 30ml bottle for US$295.
Incidentally, after my mom was hospitalised due to a sudden unexplained fever a couple months back (we suspect dengue). One of her friends had also suggested live stem cell supplements to rebuild and maintain her health.
Does Live Stem Cell Therapy Work?
So my mom begun taking Purtier Placenta, while I tried it for about three months. The recommended initial dosage is 4 capsules per day followed by 2 capsules daily after the first month. The skeptic in me feels it’s excessive and it’s some money-making trickery to get consumers to spend and buy more. I haven’t gotten feedback from my mom so I can’t say whether the product is doing what it claims to do. I went for an obligation-free cell check through blood analysis at Zell-V which indicated that my cells are degenerative — *gasps*, so I’m deducing that Purier Placenta could just be a placebo.
I’ve just begun taking one Zell-V capsule this week BUT in order to see an improvement and healthy red blood cells, the advised therapy duration is 3 to 4 months after which another cell check will be conducted. I only have 30 day supply, so it’s impossible for me to determine whether the product actually works. :|
Last but not least, I used Blue Horizon Stem Cells Special Skin Serum and I hate it. Reason being, it smells like bleach and neither the packaging nor the product feels luxurious at the slightest. Costing nearly three Benjamin Franklins, it’s too much money spent on a chlorine-smelling lotion. I’m also not convinced it worked.
Conclusion: Consumer-level stem cell products, including oral supplements, are pricey. I am skeptical about claims of their efficacy. TL;DR: a basket of bulls$h!ttery and in my opinion a waste of money. I’m rather spend my money on skincare products instead or getting IV drip treatments.
Have you tried live stem cell therapy products before?
