This Delicious Food Regenerates Stem Cells For Longevity | Dr. William Li

Summary

This script delves into the health benefits of dark chocolate, highlighting its ability to double stem cells in the bloodstream, aiding cardiovascular health. It further explores the gut microbiome's influence on metabolism and immune system communication, emphasizing the importance of a balanced diet for gut health. The discussion also touches on DNA's role in environmental protection and the significance of telomeres in cellular aging, suggesting that certain foods like green tea, coffee, and leafy greens can positively impact telomere length. Lastly, it underscores the immune system's potency in combating diseases, including cancer, and how foods like blueberries and broccoli sprouts can enhance immune function.

Takeaways

• 🍫 Dark chocolate, especially high in flavanols, can double the number of stem cells in the bloodstream, which can improve blood vessel function in people with heart disease.
• 🧬 Our DNA is not just our genetic code but also acts as a self-defense mechanism against environmental damage, with the ability to repair itself from such damage.
• 🌱 The gut microbiome plays a crucial role in metabolism, brain communication, and immune system health, with 70% of our immune system residing in the gut.
• 🌿 Certain foods can support or harm the gut microbiome, affecting overall health and conditions like autism, Alzheimer's, and schizophrenia.
• 🧠 Gut bacteria can signal to the brain through the gut-brain axis, potentially affecting mood and social behaviors.
• 🧬 Telomeres, the protective caps on the ends of chromosomes, shorten with age and stress but can be lengthened by certain foods like green tea, coffee, and leafy greens.
• 🛡️ The immune system is a powerful defense against invaders, including cancer cells, and can be boosted by foods like blueberries, broccoli sprouts, and the stems of broccoli.
• 🌱 Broccoli sprouts contain 100 times more of the beneficial compounds called sulforaphanes compared to mature broccoli, which can significantly enhance immune response.
• 💊 The script emphasizes the concept of 'food as medicine,' where certain foods have significant health benefits that can be as effective as pharmaceuticals.
• 🧪 The importance of human studies in understanding the effects of food on health, as opposed to relying solely on animal or cellular studies.
• 🌟 The potential of foods to enhance our body's natural health defenses, including stem cells, DNA repair, gut health, telomere length, and immune function.

Q & A

Can you consume too much dark chocolate without any negative effects?

While the script doesn't mention any specific overdose effects, it emphasizes the health benefits of dark chocolate, particularly with high flavanol content. However, moderation is key in any diet, and it's always possible to overconsume even healthy foods.

What is the effect of dark chocolate on stem cells in the bloodstream?

Consuming dark chocolate, specifically 80% High Flavanol chocolate, has been shown to double the number of stem cells flowing in the bloodstream, as demonstrated in a study involving 60-year-olds with heart disease.

What are polyphenols and how do they interact with the body?

Polyphenols, specifically Proanthocyanidins found in dark chocolate, are natural chemicals that trigger a reaction in the body, calling out stem cells, which can improve the resiliency and function of blood vessels.

How does the gut microbiome influence our health?

The gut microbiome, consisting of 39 trillion bacteria, controls our metabolism, communicates with our brain, and plays a crucial role in healing from the inside out. It also has a significant impact on our immune system, which resides largely within our gut.

What is the connection between the gut bacteria and the immune system?

The gut bacteria and the immune system communicate directly through the walls of the gut. This interaction can influence the immune response and even affect mood through the release of social hormones.

How can food impact the health of our gut microbiome?

Certain foods can support the gut microbiome's ecosystem, while others can harm it. A balanced diet promotes a healthy gut, which in turn supports overall health and immune function.

What role does DNA play in protecting us from environmental damage?

DNA acts as a self-defense mechanism, capable of repairing itself from environmental damage such as ultraviolet radiation or chemical exposure, reducing the risk of diseases like cancer.

What are telomeres and why are they important for cellular aging?

Telomeres are the protective caps at the ends of our DNA strands, similar to the plastic tips on a shoelace. They shorten as we age, and when they're gone, the cell can no longer function properly. Certain foods can help slow down this process and even lengthen telomeres.

Which foods are known to help lengthen telomeres?

Green tea, coffee, and leafy greens are examples of foods that contain compounds which may help slow down or even lengthen telomeres, potentially contributing to a longer, healthier life.

How does the immune system function as a defense against diseases and cancer?

The immune system acts like an army of specialized cells that patrol the body, identifying and eliminating invaders such as bacteria, viruses, and even microscopic cancers.

What are some foods that can boost the immune system's function?

Blueberries, broccoli sprouts, and the stems of broccoli are foods that have been shown to enhance immune system function, particularly by boosting natural killer cells and the beneficial response to vaccinations.

Outlines

00:00

🍫 Dark Chocolate and Stem Cells

This paragraph discusses the health benefits of consuming dark chocolate, particularly its impact on stem cells. The speaker, a scientist, explains that dark chocolate with a high percentage of cacao can double the number of stem cells in the bloodstream, as evidenced by a study involving 60-year-olds with heart disease. The polyphenols in dark chocolate, specifically Proanthocyanidins, trigger a reaction that mobilizes stem cells, potentially improving blood vessel function and overall cardiovascular health. The emphasis is on the scientific research supporting the consumption of dark chocolate as a health-promoting food.

05:00

🌱 Gut Microbiome and Health

The second paragraph delves into the importance of the gut microbiome, which is home to 39 trillion bacteria that influence metabolism, communication with the brain, and immune system health. The gut bacteria are integral to our overall health, as 70% of our immune system resides within our gut. Poor diet can negatively affect this balance, leading to potential health issues. The speaker also touches on the gut-brain axis, where certain gut bacteria can signal the brain to release social hormones, affecting mood. The paragraph highlights the connection between gut health and conditions like autism, Alzheimer's, and schizophrenia, and the role of diet in maintaining a balanced gut microbiome.

10:00

🧬 DNA Defense and Repair

This paragraph explores the role of DNA as a protective mechanism against environmental damage. DNA has the ability to repair itself from damage caused by ultraviolet light, chemical fumes, and other environmental factors, thus preventing diseases like skin and lung cancer. The speaker introduces the concept of telomeres, the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes that shorten as cells age, and which certain foods can help preserve or even lengthen. The paragraph emphasizes the self-healing properties of DNA and how lifestyle choices and environmental exposures can impact our genetic health.

15:02

💪 Boosting the Immune System

The final paragraph focuses on the immune system as a critical health defense mechanism. The speaker describes the immune system as an army of specialized cells that protect against both external invaders like bacteria and viruses, and internal threats such as cancer cells. The paragraph highlights the power of the immune system to fight cancer even in older individuals, given the right conditions. It also discusses foods that can enhance immune function, such as blueberries, broccoli sprouts, and the stems of broccoli, which contain compounds that can boost the immune system's ability to respond to vaccines and potentially starve cancer cells.

Keywords

💡Dark Chocolate

Dark chocolate is a type of chocolate that has a high percentage of cocoa solids, typically above 70%. It is known for its rich, less sweet flavor compared to milk chocolate. In the video, it is discussed as a healthful food due to its high flavanol content, which has been shown to increase the number of stem cells in the bloodstream, potentially improving cardiovascular health.

💡Stem Cells

Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that have the potential to develop into many different types of cells in the body. They are crucial for growth, repair, and the regeneration of tissues. The script mentions that consuming dark chocolate can double the number of stem cells in the bloodstream, which may contribute to better blood vessel function and overall health.

💡Polyphenols

Polyphenols are a group of over 500 different compounds found in plants that have antioxidant properties. They are known for their potential health benefits, including anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects. The script specifically mentions proanthocyanidins as a type of polyphenol found in dark chocolate that triggers a reaction in the body to release stem cells.

💡Gut Microbiome

The gut microbiome refers to the collection of microorganisms living in the digestive tracts of humans and other animals. It plays a significant role in health, including metabolism, immune function, and even mood regulation. The script discusses the importance of a healthy gut microbiome and how certain foods can influence it positively or negatively.

💡Gut-Brain Axis

The gut-brain axis is the bidirectional communication system between the gastrointestinal tract and the central nervous system. It involves various signaling pathways, including hormonal, neural, and immune pathways. The script mentions that gut bacteria can signal to the brain and affect mood, highlighting the interconnectedness of gut health and mental well-being.

💡DNA

DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is the molecule that carries the genetic instructions for the development, functioning, growth, and reproduction of all known living organisms. The script explains that DNA is not only our genetic code but also a protective mechanism against environmental damage, with the ability to repair itself.

💡Telomeres

Telomeres are the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes that prevent the ends from fraying or sticking to other chromosomes. They naturally shorten as cells divide, and their length is associated with aging and cell death. The script discusses how certain foods can help to lengthen telomeres, potentially slowing down the aging process.

💡Immune System

The immune system is a complex network of cells, tissues, and organs that work together to defend the body against harmful pathogens, such as bacteria, viruses, and other foreign invaders. The script emphasizes the power of the immune system to fight off diseases, including cancer, and how it can be supported through diet.

💡Broccoli Sprouts

Broccoli sprouts are the young, edible shoots of the broccoli plant. They are rich in compounds called glucosinolates, which have been studied for their potential health benefits, including cancer prevention. The script highlights a study showing that a shake made with broccoli sprouts significantly boosts the immune response to a flu shot.

💡Blueberries

Blueberries are a popular fruit known for their high antioxidant content, which can help to protect the body from oxidative stress and support overall health. The script mentions blueberries as a food that boosts the immune system, particularly the natural killer cells that help fight off infections and cancer.

💡Food as Medicine

The concept of food as medicine refers to the idea that certain foods can have therapeutic effects on health, potentially preventing or treating diseases. The script discusses various examples of how specific foods, such as dark chocolate, green tea, and broccoli sprouts, can have beneficial effects on the body's health defenses.

Highlights

Dark chocolate consumption can double the number of stem cells in the bloodstream, as shown in studies with 80% High flavanol chocolate.

Polyphenols in dark chocolate, specifically Proanthocyanidins, can trigger a reaction that releases stem cells.

A study at UCSF found that dark chocolate improved the function of blood vessels in 60-year-olds with heart disease by stimulating stem cell activity.

The gut microbiome, with 39 trillion bacteria, plays a crucial role in metabolism, brain communication, and immune system support.

Gut bacteria communicate with the immune system, which resides in the gut wall, impacting overall health.

Certain gut bacteria can signal the brain to release social hormones, affecting mood and the gut-brain axis.

Food can help regulate gut health, acting as an ecosystem where certain foods support or harm the gut microbiome.

Conditions like autism, Alzheimer's, and schizophrenia are being linked to gut bacteria, suggesting a deeper connection between gut health and mental well-being.

DNA acts as a self-defense mechanism, capable of repairing itself from environmental damage.

Telomeres, the protective caps of DNA, shorten with age and stress, but certain foods can help lengthen them, slowing cellular aging.

Green tea, coffee, and leafy greens are foods that can positively influence telomere length and cellular aging.

The immune system is powerful enough to fight cancer, even in older individuals, given the right support.

The immune system works as an army of specialized cells that patrol the body, identifying and eliminating abnormal cells, including cancer.

Blueberries, broccoli sprouts, and the stems of broccoli are foods that can significantly boost the immune system.

Broccoli sprouts contain 100 times more of the beneficial compound sulforaphane than mature broccoli, which can enhance the immune response to vaccinations.

Consuming a broccoli sprout shake can increase the beneficial immune response to a flu shot by 22 times, demonstrating the power of food as medicine.

Transcripts

dark chocolate oh you're speaking my

language now okay so

dark can you eat can you eat too much

dark chocolate that's the question you

know I I have never seen anything about

an overdose of cacao but I will tell you

that caca has been shown to actually

double the number of stem cells flowing

in your bloodstream just by having two

cups of hot chocolate made with 80% High

flavanol chocolate dark chocolate come

on

yeah it's been done in people 60 year

olds with heart disease so wait what

happens when you when you drink or you

you eat this dark chocolate what happens

yeah the polyphenols in this dark

chocolate that we we know what they are

they're called Pro entho in so I'm a

scientist so my job is to actually know

what are what the inside chemicals

actually are these are natural chemicals

all right most people don't need to know

that but you drink it and it tastes good

that's all you need to know but but I'll

tell you these these natural chemicals

found in cacao actually trigger a

reaction in your body so that they call

out the stem cells so it is literally

like bees flying out of a hive can

double the number of stem cells and

what's the what's the Practical impact

well there was a study done uh at UCSF

in San Francisco that looked at

60-year-old men with heart disease so

these are people whose blood vessels

were already not doing so well and

they're blood flow wasn't going so well

either and their blood vessels were kind

of sick that's kind of the definition of

heart disease by having the stem cells

coming out they were able to actually

double the resiliency the function of

their blood vessels so they they got

better rebound they better agility um

their their blood vessels are in better

shape because their stem cells are

regenerating their circulation wow so

this is human studies right like most

most of the time you hear about

scientists talking about rats or mice or

cells I'm talking about human studies

and that's kind of where we are with

food is medicine it's not the kind of

like the guesswork like we can do

serious research to get down to exactly

what's actually happening at the human

level so that's the second Health

defense systems okay third one third one

is our gut microbiome now people have

been talking about gut health and

microbiome it's almost like a buzzword

these days and people are saying well we

can actually scoop your poop and we can

actually measure your microbiome and we

can tell you what you need to eat and

what you don't need to eat again I'm a

scientist so I will tell you that there

are 39 trillion bacteria in our in the

typical body that's more stars than in a

night sky all right wow so we barely

understand uh the gut bacteria but what

we do know is that this gut bacteria

actually controls our metabolism

communicates with our brain um actually

can help us heal from the inside out and

very importantly our gut bacteria

basically lives if you if you think of

your gut like a like a garden hose it's

a tube and you were to cut a garden hose

in half and you look inside it there's a

lining okay uh the bacteria is inside

the hose but inside the wall of the

garden hose that's where your immune

system 70% of our immune system lives

inside our gut so our gut bacteria 7% so

so if you're feeding your gut a lot of

bad foods it's po you're poisoning your

immune system you're preventing your gut

bacteria now I'll tell you what's

interesting about the gut bacteria your

gut bacteria talks to the immune system

right through the walls of the of your

gut immune system is in there 70% right

like a jelly roll like a like the jelly

and a jelly roll and the gut bacteria is

inside so think about like a college

student in a freshman dorm they talking

to their Roommate by pounding on the

wall right what do you want what kind of

pizza do you

want all right and they can answer you

and that's basically what our gut

bacteria says to our uh our immune

system so we got to keep that gut

healthy by the way interestingly uh and

I've done research on this um certain

gut bacteria uh can actually signal to

your brain it's a gut brain axis and

cause your brain to release social

hormones wow okay and can affect your

mood so you know when you've got a

crappy gut and you feel crummy in your

gut I guarantee you like it's not just

because you're irritated it's affecting

your brain as well that's crazy yeah we

had uh we had Dr Emer uh mayor on who

always got the gut I think it's the gut

brain connection or the gut immune

connection or something like that so

he's he's got a lot of great research on

that yeah so well the key thing though

is that food

can actually help right size your gut

health think of it like an ecosystem the

gra barer Reef so certain foods can

support the ecology the ecosystem the

gra Berry reef and certain ones actually

kill the coral all right and so our

continuously want to keep it in good

shape all the way through our lives and

by the way even conditions like autism

Al Alzheimer's and schizophrenia are all

now seemingly connected to our gut

bacteria really yeah now is there a way

if someone has those are they pretty

easy to reverse though or is that hard

we're we're well listen we're we're just

figuring this out because right now

medically we prescribe medications uh to

try to treat those things and a lot of

times those medications just blunt the

symptoms okay they cover up the symptoms

they don't get at the underlying cause

now we don't know exactly how the gut

bacteria communicates with the brain

completely yet but there's one giant

nerve called the vagus nerve it's like a

giant shoe it's about the thickness of a

shoelace and it hangs from our brain all

the way down into our gut okay goes

right near wraps on our esophagus on the

way down and our we think the gut

bacteria basically sends text messages

up to the brain through this big nerve

okay so the key though is that foods can

actually influence our gut bacteria

either good bacteria or bad bacteria so

that's important uh so that's that's a

Health defense system okay okay so the

fir anog Genesis number one stem cells

number two cells gut microbiome number

three okay the fourth one number four

our DNA now if you watch CSI DNA is just

sort of like a genetic fingerprint a

code that you can find on a crime scene

or if you're actually trying to do

ancestry look for your ancestors you

figure out how much of you is

Neanderthal right I think I was 1%

Neanderthal when I did it yes uh so the

the the key though is it's DNA is a lot

more than our genetic code it actually

protects us from the environment now

what am I what do I mean by that well

you know how if we are exposed to uh we

get sunburn ultraviolet light you damage

your DNA and what happens cancer skin

cancer right um if you inhale Lots of

fumes from a chemical plant it's going

to actually damage your DNA in your

lungs you get lung cancer right but

think about it if you are in Los Angeles

and you're driving on the I 10 or if

you're actually um uh just walking on a

beach uh uh you are actually getting

ultraviolet radiation so how come we

don't get skin cancer all the time

because our DNA is hardwired to fix

itself from damage and so the DNA is a

protective mechanism from the

environment I always tell people when

you're pumping gas if you still drive a

gas vehicle as opposed to an EV um I

always ask people do you stand upwind or

downwind what do you do are you upwind

or downwind do you know I mean up up uh

well upwind right so you're not getting

the the fumes in is that what you mean

right right right yeah well if you're

standing downwind you can smell the

fumes yes right and if you're smelling

the fumes you are poisoning the DNA in

your lung so how come we don't develop

lung cancer after Pump and Gas because

our DNA is hardwire to fix itself and so

our DNA is sort of like a self-defense

mechanism against the environment radon

from your basement okay off gasing from

the from the new car you just got or the

Uber that you're riding in you know or

the furniture that you got right so like

it this is this is this incredible

defense mechanism against our

environment and then and foods can

actually speed up the repair help fix

holes that are in our DNA and then the

other kind of piesta resistance for our

DNA's defense is that there's something

called a tiir I don't know if you've

ever had anybody in your show talk about

tiir telr yeah yes these are these are

they see if you're at the longer the

telr the the the longer you can live or

something or they can right well well

I'll tell you basically what the you

know like to to give a to remind you to

remind your listeners and viewers

basically if your DNA is like a shoelace

the telr is like the little plastic cap

at the end of the shoelace and over time

that little cap kind of wears down just

like in a shoelace and you know when

that when that cap is gone man that your

shoelace just falls apart yeah and

that's what happens to our DNA so we

need that cap that's called the tiir and

it burns down like a life fuse so you

know like Mission Impossible light the

fuse right so this thing is burning down

and when it burns down that's it your

cell's done so what you want to do is to

slow down your cellular aging and

harsh things that you do to your body

smoking cigarettes being in a couch

potato being exposed to damaging

oxidative stress actually just being

stressed out um like we are now with

this freaking pandemic um those things

all shorten our teal they they burn the

fuse faster stress but yeah but foods

can slow it down and some foods can

reverse it and lengthen the teir which

is really cool for from an aging

perspective right what are those what

are those top three foods that help

lengthen the telr green tea is one of

them coffee I got a I got a yeah it's

amazing I got I got a little I used to

live in Italy and I just got into this

habit of drinking espresso H so I got a

little cup here amazingly coffee

actually lengthens your teir come on I I

kid you not it's it's quite amazing um

uh and uh leafy greens some of the

polyphenols and leafy greens can also um

slow down and some of actually look like

they can Len a tiir as well so the key

thing is that we you know we are not

just helpless ponds of Aging we can

actually do something about it and we

can also fight against our environment

um because look the the tax that we pay

for being on planet Earth is we're

exposed to stuff all the time and we

need to we count on our body's Health

defenses to fix this so that's a fourth

defense and our fifth defense is our

immune system which you know after two

years over the last two years we all

know how important our immune system is

but what have I told you that your

immune system is so powerful that when

it's in its best shape even when you're

80 years old it is strong enough to

fight cancer in fact it can even wipe

out metastatic cancer that's spread all

over your body That's How Strong your

immune system is if you give it the

chance and so here's what theyan system

does it's like an army of super soldiers

so uh Rangers seals as you know uh

Marines Special Forces they're all

they've all got these are all parts of

the immune system all cells of the

immune system and like the Special

Forces they got their own weapons their

own training their own tactics but they

all work together for you know the

collective good and what happens is that

uh when you've got good strong defenses

you can fight off Invaders from the

outside bacteria and viruses for example

and but it's not just outside Invaders

you got inside Invaders as well and

those little microscopic cancers are

inside Invaders and so our immune system

patrols our body okay cops on a be and

they're looking for things that don't

look right and you see that microscopic

cancer that isn't can't grow because it

doesn't have a blood vessel blood

vessels feeding it androgenesis

basically you the immune system goes

there and takes them right out okay and

takes a sniper shot and it's gone and so

that's why we got to protect our immune

system and there are lots of foods that

can actually boost our immunity as well

what would you be those what would be

those top three that boost the immune

system uh blueberries are a food that

definitely boosts the immune system it's

uh in young people as well as older

people uh uh they boost the natural

killer cells which is really cool um

broccoli Sprouts can boost our immune

system now these are the three these are

like the three-day old Sprouts right

okay um okay I mean okay here's

something here's something most people

don't know the big broccoli that when we

eat broccoli we really you know our moms

told us to eat the Treetops right those

they're all same you go to the freezer

section of a grocery store and you buy

some frozen broccoli and they all look

the same they're all the same size

that's not really what broccoli looks

like if you go to the farmers market and

you see a a real broccoli is this

gigantic stem with a little bit of tree

toop okay so what's in a broccoli it's

called sorane so that's what gives

broccoli that unique taste of broccoli

it's a little sulfurous okay so you got

to put a little olive oil a little bit

of garlic you know you could sauté it up

okay so the suor fanes we've done

research now looking at what what's in

the Treetops and it turns out that these

sophanes can starve cancer

anti-androgenic help help your body cut

off the blood supped cancer

broccoli Treet tops have it but guess

what the stock of the broccoli has twice

as much of the good stuff than the

Treetops eat the stocks eat the stocks

so man like if you don't want to eat if

you don't want to sauté the stocks like

a lot of cultures will just cut the

stocks and saute them stick it in a

blender you can make it into a smoothie

or create make a soup out of it you know

and so there's a lot of good things you

can do put a little broccoli stem little

oregano powder you know you can light

light it right up a little turmeric

it'll be really good um smoothie or a

soup however here's the thing so this

imagine this adult broccoli having these

suanes well it turns out that these big

broccoli plants used to be

sprouts and the Sprouts pretty much were

born or sprouted from the seed with all

the sophanes it's ever going to have all

right so when it gets bigger it just

gets distributed with the stock closer

to the ground having more of it of

course but the brol Sprouts have 100

times more wow of the suor of good stuff

as a grownup broccoli so Sprouts

broccoli Sprouts now Studies have been

done to show that if you give people a

flu shot people in a winter should get a

flu shot so you don't get the flu all

right just go to your drugstore to get

one uh turns out that if you uh people

are they did a study looking at people

getting the flu shot and they gave half

the people a little Shake made with

broccoli sprouts and the other group

just got a placebo and the people who

got the broccoli sprout shake and the

flu shot their beneficial response of

their immune system is 22 Times Higher

huh like it totally rocked if they

actually had um a broccoli sprout shake

so that's not food versus medicine that

is food and Medicine which is really

cool right interesting so we never want

to throw we don't want to throw out the

baby with a bath water we want to figure

out how to make everything go work even

better absolutely