The Science
NutraStem® Science "Based on Science not Science Fiction"
NutraStem®’s patented formula has been scientifically studied and has been proven to support the normal growth and function of adult stem cells. Research demonstrates that the combination of ingredients found in NutraStem® helps to promote stem cell nutrition and the natural growth of adult stem cell populations commonly found within the body. NutraStem® contains a blend of wild blueberry extract, Vitamin D3, green tea extract and carnosine.
In research that was published in a peer-reviewed journal article we examined the effects of several natural compounds that have been shown to promote healing for their ability to increase the health and normal division of human adult stem cells when grown in culture.
- We exposed three different types of adult stem cells, which are commonly found within the body, to natural compounds that are known to promote healing and measured the growth of these cells (Figure 1).
- Our results demonstrate a significant growth in the cells exposed to blueberry extract, green tea, catechin, carnosine and Vitamin D3, and that a specific combination of these ingredients at certain doses could promote even more growth of these stem cells.
- The control that was used to compare these effects was human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (hGM-CSF) which is used in humans to increase the numbers of stem cells in the blood.
The process of aging is linked to oxidative stress, microglial activation, and proinflammatory factors, which are known to decrease cell proliferation and limit neuroplasticity. These factors may lead the transition from normal aging to more severe cognitive dysfunction associated with neurodegenerative diseases. We have shown that natural compounds such as polyphenols from blueberry and green tea and amino acids like carnosine are high in antioxidant and antiinflammatory activity that decreases the damaging effects of reactive oxygen species (ROS), in the blood, brain, and other tissues of the body. Furthermore, we have shown that the combination of these nutrients (called NT-020) creates a synergistic effect that promotes the proliferation of stem cells in vitro and in vivo. In the current study, we examined the effects of NT-020 on neurogenesis and performance on a Morris water maze (MWM). Aged (20-month-old) male Fischer 344 rats were treated with 135.0 mg/kg per day (n = 13) of NT-020. Young (3-month-old) (n = 10) and aged (20-month-old) (n = 13) control male Fischer 344 rats were treated with water by oral gavage. All groups were treated for a period of 4 weeks. Although there was no difference in performance in the MWM when comparing all aged rats, when the data for aged impaired rats were compared, there was a significant difference between groups on the last day of training with the treatment group performing better than controls. Using the cell cycle-regulating protein (Ki67), doublecortin (DCX), and OX6 antibody markers, cell proliferation, neurogenesis, and microglial activation were estimated in the dentate gyrus (DG) of young and aged animals. Cell proliferation was also examined in the subventricular zone (SVZ). A decreased number of OX6 MHC II-positive cells, increased neurogenesis, and increased number of proliferating cells were found in rats treated with NT-020 in comparison with aged control rats. In sum, NT-020 may promote health, proliferation, and maintenance of neurons in the age animals and exert antiinflammatory actions that promote function in the aged stem cell niche.
Figure 1Bickford et al., 2006;
Stem Cells and Development
HGM-CSF-control
BB-blueberry
CH-catechin
Ca-carosine
GT-green tea
D3-vitamin D3
When the ingredients in NutraStem® are combined together there is a synergistic effect, which means that our proprietary formulation has an effect larger than simply adding together the effects of the individual ingredients (Figure 2) Bickford et al., 2006; Stem Cells and Development.
Figure 2NutraStem® also has been shown to protect bone marrow stem cells from oxidative insult as demonstrated in an in vivo study in the journal of Rejuvenation Research.
Animals were fed NutraStem® in their food for 2 weeks, then the bone marrow was removed and grown in culture, and exposed to H202 (oxidative insult) which resulted in cell death in control animals that did not ingest NutraStem®.
Bone marrow cells from animals that ingested NutraStem® at the high dose showed a decrease in cell death (greater than 50%) and at the low dose (greater than 25%) compared to control animals (Figure 3).
Figure 3In addition, NutraStem® has displayed protection against ischemic stroke in an animal model as demonstrated in the journal of Rejuvenation Research (Yasuhara et al., 2008).
One group of animals were given a daily oral dose of NutraStem® (NT-020), while a second group of animals were given vehicle (control solution not containing NT-020), for two weeks. On Day 14 all animals underwent stroke surgery; middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO)
Both groups of animals were subjected to behavioral testing before stroke and on Day 14 post-stroke. The NutraStem®-treated stroke animals showed significantly less abnormalities in neurologic (24.4% reduction) and motor asymmetry (11.8% reduction) tests compared to vehicle-treated stroke animals (Figure 4).
Figure 4Moreover, a significant 75% decrease in the stroke glial scar area (scar tissue resulting from stroke) was observed in the ischemic striatum of the NutraStem®-treated stroke animals compared to that of the vehicle-treated stroke animals (Figure 5).
Figure 5Quantitative analysis also revealed that NutraStem® induced neural differentiation, with an increased tendency towards neuronal over glial lineage (Figure 6A & B).
Figure 6 A&B