An Up Close Look at Stem Cell Treatments

Many people have heard about promises made by advocates of stem cell treatment. There are many clinics that are dedicating themselves to IV vitamin therapy, stem cell therapy and hyperbaric oxygen therapy in an effort to enhance the lives of people who are getting on in years.

No one has ever said that death can be avoided, but research and experience seem to indicate that old age can be made more comfortable by a combination of healthy living and therapy of one sort or another. Are the treatments safe and effective?

There are different stem cells that are formed at different times in one's life or come from different parts of the body. Embryonic stem cells are existent only in the early stages of life; there are various stem-cells that stay with the individual for life that first appear in fetal development.

The human body makes use of specific, tissue related stem cells to fit a specific purpose. They are limited in their potential and are usually resulting from the cells from which they came. As a simple example, the cells found in bone marrow are the cells that are required to make blood, while cells in the brain, called neural cells, make more brain cells. A neural cell may not necessarily make blood no more than a stem cell from bone marrow make brain cells. It has yet to be proven that stem cells can solve all problems.

It is unlikely that a single cell can be harvested that can solve all problems, embryonic stem cells, however, are showing promise but unfortunately there is still a great deal of social stigma associated with the research. The most promising treatment in the meantime is with stem cells harvested from bone marrow. These cells have proven to be beneficial in treating immune system disease and show promise for treating bone, skin and corneal disease and injuries. Stem cell treatment is considered safe by the medical community.

Myer's Cocktail: the Father of All Vitamin Drips

Despite the (mostly) unsavory publicity that IV vitamin therapy has been receiving lately, it still deserves a second look. Why? Because despite the current media hype on these so-called party girl drips, IV vitamin treatment is in fact an old and trusted remedy that's already been in use for decades.

The early form of this treatment is called the Myer's Cocktail. It was developed more than 30 years ago by John Myers, a doctor who lived and practiced in Baltimore. This pioneering IV vitamin cocktail contains magnesium, selenium, calcium, vitamins B5, B6, and B12, as well as an average of 25 grams of vitamin C.

Myer's nutrient concoction was originally used to address chronic fatigue syndrome with or without the Epstein-Barr virus; chronic depression; migraine; the ill effects of narcotic withdrawal; some respiratory issues; and sinusitis. Currently, this type of IV vitamin therapy is used against pimple breakouts, uneven skin tone, fatigue, insomnia, diminishing sex drive, dull skin, flaky skin, and eczema.

The secret to this impressive list is of course, in the mega-dosage of vitamins and nutrients the injectable cocktail can deliver. Vitamin C has a beneficial effect with allergies, it can also boost immunity. The combination of Vitamins C and B5 (pantothenic acid) can be stored in the adrenal glands to help maintain high energy levels throughout the day.

Magnesium relaxes smooth muscles in the lungs to help relieve asthma, hypertension and angina. IV magnesium is also associated with the relief of migraine pains as well as nausea and vomiting. Magnesium, in combination with calcium, vitamin C, and B complex vitamins, can treat fibromyalgia and myofacial pain. Calcium helps alleviate asthma, whereas selenium aids in detoxification of heavy metals. The B vitamins, on the other hand, have a positive effect on the body's energy levels.

Supporters of vitamin drips say that the more effective transfer of nutrients from the blood to the cells is what makes injectable vitamins more effective than the usual oral vitamins.

Stem Cell Treatment and IV Vitamin Therapy: Best Beauty Options

At present, there is an observable rise in the number of Beverly Hills anti aging clinics. This rise can be traced back to the current societal aesthetics norms and demands; that is, maintaining a youthful appearance. For the rising demand, modern science is doing its best to keep up by creating a variety of ways by which people, especially women, can maintain society's aesthetic standards. Although science is offering a variety of options, it is important to note that most of these beauty interventions are superficial and can only therefore provide short term solutions to the aging problem.

Taking into consideration not just the external appearance but also the health of people, science has provided society with various alternatives that aim to beautify and rejuvenate from within, such as IV Vitamin Therapy and stem cell treatments.

The IV Vitamin treatment is designed to introduce a cocktail of vitamins to the body through the veins instead of the typical oral intake. This way, the body will get what it is designed to absorb with minimal wastage of the necessary nutrients. Taking the vitamins orally is neither as efficient nor as effective as the IV intervention because much of the designated vitamins will be lost to misapplication and digestion. By receiving the vitamins intravenously, a patient's body will be resilient to diseases, physical and mental illnesses and various health discomforts – and effects are immediate.

Just like IV therapy, stem cell therapy is designed to improve an individual's aesthetics and health through internal rejuvenation. The concept behind this is the reinforcement of the existing stem cells of the body. The body has various naturally-occurring stem cell lines which keep it young and energetic. Aging and disease kicks in when this stem cell line thins out. The treatment is intended to reintroduce stem cells to the body thereby reinforcing the body's stem cell lines, and rejuvenating it and reviving its regenerative capabilities to guard against aging, disease, and injury. Upon receiving the treatment, a patient will observe general improvements in his health and wellbeing as well as in his aesthetics.

Scientists have designed many interventions for keeping people's youthfulness, energy, and beauty. However it is important to note that these treatments will prove superfluous if the health and the general wellbeing of a person are not equally maintained. This fact is the greatest advantage of the two discussed health and beauty interventions when compared to others is that they maintain your beauty and provide you with longevity to enjoy it.

What Is Stem Cell Technology?

The definition of a stem cell is very simple; it is an immature cell that can be a specialist cell for use in different parts of the body. Stem cell technology has come a long way since the scientific breakthroughs of the late 90s, but it all circles around the types of stem cells that exist; adult and embryonic. Embryonic stem cells form during the early division of newly fertilized egg and they can be made to change into any type of cell. The use of embryonic stem cells is quite controversial.

The use of the term adult stem cell is a misnomer because they are nothing but cells which are already in use in developed tissue, so they are found in infants and children as well. Adult stem cells may best be thought of as mature stem cells and they act as the body’s repair kit – dividing on a regular basis to take the place of cells that die or are lost. Adult stem cells have been found in blood, skin, muscle and bone. Adult stem cells are hard to harvest but recent developments make it easier and easier to get them from bone marrow and use them for stem cell therapy in the battle against leukemia, lymphoma and other diseases of the blood, as well as some tumors.

Because stem cells are found in all the different tissues in the body, they have the potential of being utilized for anti aging therapy as well as having applications in treating many health related problems. Studies are ongoing and new breakthroughs are happening in the treatment of Parkinson's disease, heart disease, Alzheimer's, arthritis and many ailments often associated with aging.

One of the original success stories was a bone marrow transplant, where the stem cells of the patient's bone marrow were replaced with healthy stem cells from a matching donor. Once treatment begins the stem cells’ migrate into the bone marrow of the cancer sufferer and the production of healthy new replacement cells begins. Stem cells are in the blood as well, but they are far more difficult to process because, although they are easier to harvest, there is far less of them.

A byproduct of giving birth is the umbilical cord which was at one time simply discarded. It has been found in the research labs that the umbilical cord blood is rich in stem cells and treatment with umbilical cord stem cells shows great promise.