November 14, 2015
Click here for the full written transcript of this podcast episode.
From Regenokine treatments to edible phytoplankton drops to NFL players traveling to Europe for stem cell injections that would be illegal in the USA, it seems that stem cells are the hot new arrival on the recovery and anti-aging scene.
I distinctly recall my first experience with injecting cells into the human body. I was a young, bright-eyed hip and knee surgical salesman, and the company I worked for at the time (Biomet) had just developed a post-surgical procedure called Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP). This PRP process involved collecting and then centrifuging a patient's blood to separate the platelet-poor plasma and red blood cells.The platelets are concentrated about five-fold, and then re-injected into the wound site to speed up healing. I later thought this was such a cool process for other issues, like knee and elbow pain, that I partnered with a physician to purchase a PRP machine for treating the athletes and clients who I worked with, many of whom had uncanny and “miraculous” injury and inflammation reversals.
But compared to PRP, stem cells are a whole new animal, and in this podcast with my guest Shawn Stevenson, we dive into the legality, the conflicts, the long-term health the potential for doping, the alternatives, the costs and much more.
Shawn (pictured right) is a bestselling author and creator of The Model Health Show, which is often featured as the #1 Health podcast in the country on iTunes. A graduate of The University of Missouri – St. Louis, Shawn studied biology and kinesiology, and went on to be the founder of Advanced Integrative Health Alliance, a company that provides wellness services for individuals and organizations worldwide. Shawn has been featured in Men's Health magazine, Entrepreneur magazine, ESPN, FOX News, and many other media outlets.
During our discussion, you'll discover:
-The crazy story of how Shawn's hip broke while he was running, and the broken medical system that nearly destroyed his entire gut while fixing his hip…
-How Shawn regenerated his spine, which doctor's told him was “the spine of an 80 year old man”…
-The four different types of stem cells, and which ones work best for killing pain, healing injuries and decreasing inflammation…
-The two surprising ways you can find and harvest stem cells without using embryos…
-How new human body parts can literally be regrown after being injured…
-How Shawn skipped any blood centrifuging, bone marrow injections or stem cell therapies and instead used specific foods to increase stem cell growth in his own joints…
-The exact ingredients of Shawn's most potent medicinal tea recipe…
-Why both Ben and Shawn stuff mushrooms into vodka bottles…
-And much more!
Resources from this episode:
–Man's Finger Grows Back After Treatment With Pig's Bladder Powder
–Platelet Rich Plasma injections
–Aloe Vera Gel (and research on medical aloe)
Do you have questions, comments or feedback about stem cells, stem cell therapy, alternatives to stem cells and how stem cells work? Leave your thoughts, comments and feedback below.
Hi Ben, I have degenerative disc in my lower back as well as osteoarthritis in my knee. The doctor said I might need knee replacement at some point. I’d like to know what Shawn’s exact foods and supplements were that allowed him to fully regenerate his spine? Please and thank you.
Regenerative medicine is likely to be the future. I use PRP on a daily basis for my patients to help with a number of issues. Furthermore, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are being researched as we speak for a multitude of diseases and conditions. For example, earlier this year, there were several papers and studies done for erectile dysfunction (ED). A couple of years ago began the first of many different studies for hair loss. The potential for these treatments is exciting! Just ensure your doctor is maintaining appropriate safety precautions and has good clinical accumen.
Hi Ben,
Not really sure about the best way to ask a question. I really enjoyed this episode. I’ve been taking many of these supplements for about a month now. (Colostrum, Chlorella and Spirulina, Tumeric, Collagen, MSM, Creatine, Vitamin C, and a Vitamin D/Calcium Supplement) I’ve also been putting Aloe Vera in my smoothies. I’m a guitar player full time and I just got an MRI a few months ago. I was told I had a slight labrum tear and bursitis on the lateral part of my shoulder. They suggested surgery to fix it all. I’ve been doing PT for over 6 months now. What would you recommend? A surgery is tough because I wouldn’t be able to work for around 2 months it sounds like. Can supplementation fix something like this? Is there anything you might add to what I’m doing?
Thanks for the great content!
Hi Todd, I have some info on bursitis here: https://bengreenfieldfitness.com/transcripts/epis… but for somethign like this I would recommend booking a consult. BenGreenfieldFitness.com/coaching Also, consider posting to the Kion Community. Facebook.com/groups/GetKion
Be please explain the mushroom recipe. Chunks of medicinal mushroom and coconut milk/glutamine sounds like a slimy pudding kind of thing not a pancake?how do you actually make this?
There are many species of Aloe. Which one(s) support stem cell growth?
Just catching up on some older podcasts. I have 2 friend that have gone to the Center for Traditional Medicine and had stem cell injections- one for shoulder and one for her leg (hip maybe?) either way- they each said it helped with the pain. And insurance paid for part of it…..
We’ve come a long way baby!!
Ben’s team.
Good morning.
Done the lot, 0-300+ podcasts. Ben Greenfield, Dave Asprey. Robb and The Fat Burner
Chris Kessler. et al. In all this where is the Potassium ? as in Sodium / Potassium pump. Ben did the bicarb with sodium. Has any-one got any ideas how to get the daily requirement of potassium with food? given that potassium salts are soluble and leach. On a paeleo note, how about a teaspoon of wood ash daily for those hard to get minerals? sure the ancestors got them that way?
Regards
Tom
This would be a GREAT question for the podcast, can you call it in? Speakpipe.com/bengreenfield
Very interesting idea ( wood ashes ) . I put wood ashes on some plants as a supplement. Next time I see fallen branches from a hundred year oak I’m bringing it home. I’m guessing some of that hundred year wisdom could be harvested as ash. At least minerals from deep in the Earth might be available ??
Hey guys great show. I wanted to start adding aloe vera, colostrum and spirulina to my daily routine. What amounts do you suggest I take. Thanks.
Piggybacking on the above question – I have taken aloe vera juice for years (thought it would help with dry skin) but is the juice the "meat" from the plant itself?
Response from Shawn: Well, on the aloe juice, it's basically like blending the internal gel and straining out the pulp.
The other question on the aloe, colostrum, and spirulina amounts can very a lot. I'd just say that the minimum are often times a bit higher than most people would think (but, of course, start off small).
Aloe (fresh) – I'd say a 2 square inch piece is a good place to be.
Colostrum – Start with 1 tbsp to make sure you're not weirdly reactive in some way. Then get around 2 to 4 heaping tbsp per day.
Spirulina – 1 tbsp is a nice place to be (spread out through the day would be easiest).
Hey Ben, I recently heard your podcast and it was quite fascinating. One thing that did catch my attention was when you talked about water and the importance of clean water. I too am a athlete, to obstacle racing, and know the importance to clean water. I bought a eSpring water filter that claims to be the worlds largest selling brand of kitchen filtration systems, reduces more than 140 contaminates and uses UV light to treat water. You may have a system that works for you but I thought I'd share it with you. http://www.amway.ca/at-home/eSpring?pwsID=Jerimie…
I find when I'm on the go I use Perfect water. Empowered drinking water which goes through a 15 step process of being purified, remineralized, reverse osmosis, and ozonated.
Here is the link to product info http://www.drinkperfectwater.com/index.php
The cool thing about it is if you are traveling around the globe doing races you can have it shipped right to the hotel you are staying and I found that shipping is pretty quick. If this would have any value to you, you can purchase it here http://www.amway.ca/Shop/Search/SearchResults.asp…
Hey Shaun/Ben
Amazing podcast… timing could not have been better for me. I have had a similar path to Ben of doing a lot of weights when i was younger and then switching to ironman and half ironman distance triathlons over the past 3 years. Clearly after reading Ben's Beyond Training book, i now understand the importance of looking after your body and avoiding stupidly long runs and "pounding the pavement".
I pulled what felt like my calf muscle on the running track about 4 weeks ago. First time anything like that had happened to me. I went to see a sports doctor and they sent me for an MRI of my calf and lower back. When the results of the scan came back, they told me i had bulging discs and serious degeneration issues in my lower back. They suggested a course of steroids to settle the inflamation, but also told me that the steroids could cause sleep issues so told me to take another pill that was basically an anti depressant in small doses to help sleep. After that, they told me to come back and i would get 2 cortizone injections in my back.
I walked out of the office thinking "I have just gone in for what i thought was a torn calf muscle and come out with medication for steroids, anti depressants and cortizone… WTF". So i pretty much tore the script up and started looking for a more natural treatment. I listen to Ben's podcasts religiously anyway, so the timing of this is perfect.
I guess my issue at the moment is wondering what to do with my training for now. I am based in Melbourne, Australia and have signed up to do 3 * 70.3 ironman events in the next 6 months where my goal was to try to qualify for the 70.3 world championships (which are going to be in Australia next year in September). Clearly as an age group athlete, my long term health is more important to me that a short term athletics goal, but at the same time, i feel i am pretty close to the qualifying time and would be a big tick in my bucket list to qualify for the worlds. Do you have any links as to potential (if any) time periods before evidence of regeneration occurs using both diet, and also stem cell treatment.
Thanks guys… Ben, you have changed my life big time!! Read Beyond Training and have cut my training hours via Greasing the Goove, better recovery methods and more time for friends while also chopping chunks off my bike and run times via HIIT! Thank you!!
Ben..
Sorry if i’m missing it.. but how long till the transcript comes out for #339? Shawn S. podcast ??
Typically 1-2 weeks after actual show gets released!
Hi Ben,
You were wondering if anyone else has managed to regenerate bone. When I was 23 I found out that I had osteopenia – not quite osteoporosis but I remember a doctor telling me it was like my bones were about 80 years old and I had better quit mountain biking or any extreme sports because I was likely to get fractures. (I saw 9 specialists and not one mentioned any possibility of reversing it, especially with food).
I completely agree with you and Shawn that you only heal when your mind gets in the game and it was only after I decided to take my health in my own hands, stop listening to the doctors and use this as an opportunity to get even healthier, that things started to change.
For a year, I made big changes in nutrition – I was young and didn't know as much as Shawn but eating tons of vegetables, increasing protein and food quality was enough for me. I also backpacked for a year, spent a lot of time on sailboats, ate food from the sea and got lots of vitamin D from sunshine.
When I returned only a year later for my next bone scan, the doctor told me that it wasn't physically possible but somehow my bone density had regenerated and I was now in the normal range! So it is possible if you believe it is and are willing to make the changes your body needs to heal.
Thanks as always for the continuing inspiration!
Shawn & Ben,
Awesome interview. Ben, you beat me to the punch. I was actually heard Shawn on Abel James and wanted to ask if there was validity to Shawn's story of stem cells, stem cell rebuilding, etc. and so forth. I just have not gotten down to log on and ask the question. Thanks for the interview. Shawn hearing your plight and story givs tons a hope. I know you guys hear that all the time, but still I have to reitterate.
To you both, when you discuss consumption of Aloe vera, are you talking whole natural leaf/ stalk, tablespoon or so. I know of commercial bottles that have aloe in them, yet, reluctant to buy that due to the processing of the base product. any recipes that you might want to share.
I ask cause, I'm lil like Giullermo, as a 25 year Army vet, jumpimg from planes, carrying my house on my back ( not like Ben for excersize) ruckin' but as part of out duty, you know that crap takes a toll. Now my back, knees, hips constantly hurts. Ok sorry. haha, anyhow, any info would be great.
Thank you Ben and Shawn
Jeff
(i'll be subscribing to your podcast like I have done with BGFPdcst)
And also I want to thank Shawn for sharing the nutrition but also the mental game. 7 months ago I had a cervical injury playing with my kid on a trampolin. T1 fractured and 2 discs inflammed (which I thought in that moment it was not a big deal). My discs started to put pressure on the spine and all hell broke loose. I have had many many lows but i kept supporting my body in all ways possible (no stone unturned). Finally, 7 months later most of my symptoms are dissapearing… I kinda wanted to cry today listening to the show. I am commited now to not just fully heal (which is happening) but to become (at 35) my best version physically and mentally. Thank you both for healping so many with your example, and for those with severes injuries: you can make it hapen.
Guillermo, wow, thanks so much for sharing that. If anyone understands what you have gone through, it’s me. Thanks for taking action for yourself and being able to speak from experience. We need more examples of people turning their health around so that we can make this the cultural norm and not the exception.
Wishing you all the best!
Hi Ben, could a fertilized (chicken) egg have some stem cell capabilities (for healing)? If so, it could be an easy/affordable bonus food…
Quite possibly. Some interesting research on this here: http://m.pnas.org/content/104/6/1739.full