30/10/2025
Cue the Walking Dead theme music: zombie cells may be standing between you and healthy aging.
Like the zombies we see on screens, zombie cells are “undead cells” that wreak havoc on the body, releasing molecules that may trigger inflammation associated with aging.
According to the National Institute on Aging, our ability to remove zombie cells declines with age—partly because mitochondrial function also drops—which can speed up aging when too many of these cells accumulate.
Fortunately, there are ways to get rid of zombie cells naturally:
✨Fasting: Intermittent fasting activates cellular cleanup pathways that slow aging and trigger autophagy—the body’s way of clearing damaged cells. Research suggests 24 hours to start.
✨Exercise: A 12-week exercise program reduced cellular aging markers in older adults by enhancing autophagy and reducing inflammation.
✨Urolithin A: Produced in the gut after eating polyphenol-rich foods like pomegranates, berries and nuts, this compound shows promise in preclinical studies for counteracting cellular aging.
Learn more: https://bit.ly/47v1tpE
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Sources:
Pietrocola, Federico, et al. “Metabolic Effects of Fasting on Human and Mouse Blood in Vivo.” Autophagy, vol. 13, no. 3, 2017, pp. 567–578. https://doi.org/10.1080/15548627.2016.1271513
Englund, D.A., et al. “Exercise Reduces Circulating Biomarkers of Cellular Senescence in Humans.” Aging Cell, July 2021. https://doi.org/10.1111/acel.13415
Liu, S., D’Amico, D., Shankland, E., et al. “Effect of Urolithin A Supplementation on Muscle Endurance and Mitochondrial Health in Older Adults: A Randomized Clinical Trial.” JAMA Network Open, January 2022. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.44279
