An alarming trend stemming from unhealthy lifestyle habits and excessive dieting is heightening the risk of diseases such as cancer and dementia due to the emergence of ‘zombie cells,’ an expert has cautioned.
The human body is a complex system composed of approximately 30 trillion cells, tirelessly working to sustain life.
These cellular dynamos generate energy, repair tissues, transport oxygen, and combat infections.
Each cell boasts its unique structure, function, and lifespan, typically adhering to a natural cycle known as apoptosis. During this cycle, cells that are either old or damaged undergo a programmed death, making way for new, healthy replacements.
However, on occasion, certain detrimental cells, referred to as senescent or ‘zombie cells,’ defy this natural process. These aged, impaired, or malfunctioning cells persist in the body instead of naturally expiring.
Zombie cells release pro-inflammatory substances that can harm nearby tissues, potentially triggering cancer. Their accumulation is also associated with accelerated aging, manifesting as skin wrinkles, diminished energy, organ degradation, and cognitive decline.
‘The best analogy would be, if I’m driving an old car, it still runs, but you may end up in a life-threatening accident because the brakes don’t work,’ Dr John Lewis, an expert in molecular biology and nutrition, told the Daily Mail.
‘So the same thing happens to the senescent or zombie cell.’
Dr John E Lewis said foods like strawberries, apples and onions, have phenolic compounds in them that counteract zombie cells
A close-up view of Zombie cells. They are old, damaged or dead cells that linger in the body and sprout arm-like tentacles
As we age, some cells live longer than they should and, instead of being cleared away, linger in the body
A sedentary lifestyle, poor diet, alcohol use, smoking and chronic stress can all contribute to this overflow of gnarly toxins, Lewis said.
Over time, this can spike the risk of age-related diseases, including cognitive decline, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
‘If we are drinking alcohol every day or if we are smoking or if we are being sedentary or if we are eating poorly, then it affects not only our brain, but every organ in the body,’ added Lewis, the founder and president of Dr Lewis Nutrition.
‘Having a preponderance of zombie cells could lead to more of a risk of neurodegeneration, like having some form of dementia or Alzheimer’s, or having heart disease, cancer or diabetes – all these things that are the common killers of Americans today.’
He said the best way to combat the zombie cell epidemic is quite simple: a healthy diet and balanced lifestyle.
Extreme fasting or crash dieting is often mistaken for ‘healthy,’ but it can shock the body. Repeated cycles of binging and severe restriction may fuel inflammation and unhealthy cell activity.
‘I think people just tend to overdo it,’ he continued. ‘Rather than starting out for maybe just a few days, they want to just go too rapidly into a very extreme swing from, again, eating 5,000, 6,000, 7,000 calories a day to almost nothing.’
Lewis revealed simple foods you can eat every day to help fend off these unwanted cells. Strawberries, apples and onions, for example, ‘have phenolic compounds in them like thiazide that have been shown to help counteract cells becoming senescent.’
Regular exercise, staying hydrated, getting about eight hours of sleep and limiting or avoiding alcohol are key to fending off zombie cells
Aloe and rice bran polysaccharides, he added, help activate natural killer cells – part of the immune system that targets damaged cells.
When it comes to taking GLP-1 drugs to shed pounds, Lewis said there are currently few studies showing whether they contribute to the zombie cell growth. But, he noted, the shots have been linked to a range of harrowing side effects.
‘We know that [GLP-1s] decrease appetite, but then they also have this tendency to create stomach paralysis,’ the expert told the Daily Mail.
‘I’ve even read some reports now about people having eyesight issues, even a few reports of people having blindness and taking these drugs.’
While there are some supplements that may help protect the body from the dying and dead cells, regular exercise, staying hydrated, getting about eight hours of sleep each night and limiting or avoiding alcohol are key, Lewis added.
‘Thirty years ago in the 1990s, people were led to believe that it was healthy to drink a glass of red wine with dinner every night because you’re getting resveratrol,’ Lewis said.
‘Well, what the alcohol industry failed to tell people was that you’d have to drink 200 glasses of red wine every day to get the same amount of resveratrol in the red wine that was equivalent to the doses that were being studied in the research. I mean, how big of a lie was that?’
Over time, zombie cells can spike the risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease and dementia
Resveratrol is an antioxidant found in the skins of red grapes, berries, peanuts and red wine.
Some studies suggest resveratrol may help lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease, linking it to the idea that red wine could support heart health.
‘In other words, in your one glass of red wine, you’re getting almost no resveratrol, but you are getting the alcohol that’s a known neurotoxin and that is known to increase the risk of cancer, especially in women, for breast cancer,’ Lewis claimed.
This comes from the French Paradox, a theory from the 1980s noting that French people, despite eating rich, fatty foods and drinking red wine, appeared to have relatively low rates of heart disease.
However, other research has found that resveratrol does not significantly protect against heart disease, and more studies are needed to understand its true effects.
A 2017 study of senescent cells in mice found that clearing zombie cells went as far as improving fur density, kidney function and overall fitness for the rodents.
In comparison images, two mice of the same age were shown, but the one cleared of these cells appeared noticeably younger and healthier.
These results have led scientists to explore drugs called senolytics, which target and remove senescent cells.
Two mice, which are the same age, appear vastly different. The mouse on the right looks younger because researchers have removed its senescent cells
Lewis is the founder and president of Dr Lewis Nutrition – which offers a supplement line, Daily Brain Care, that is designed to boost the immune system’s natural defenses
Senolytics are drugs that specifically target zombie cells by inducing apoptosis of senescent but not non-senescent cells, effectively sparking the death of aging, damaged or unwanted cells.
However, a 2022 study found that ‘certain senescent cell populations play a beneficial role in acute wound healing, so eliminating them could be detrimental to the healing of acute wounds.’
The study said that further research is needed to investigate how senescent cells can be removed without disrupting the overall healing process.
Overall, Lewis said there is no shortcut for wellness, and that maintaining it requires consistent habits over time.
‘There’s no such thing as a magic bullet when it comes to protecting your health,’ he told Daily Mail.
‘It’s a holistic, comprehensive approach to being healthy. It’s not just one thing or another.’
