The age-related loss of stem cell function can be reversed by a 24-hour fast, according to a new study from MIT biologists. The researchers found that fasting dramatically improves intestinal stem cells’ ability to regenerate, in both aged and young mice, as reported in Cell Stem Cell.

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[–]magnora7 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (4 children)

Yeah it's amazing to me how easily some doctors and people will entirely discount a medial system that has literally thousands of years of trial-and-error behind it. People literally trying to figure out ways not to die and learning from it and passing that culture down. Of course there's some value in that and I think western medicine is silly to think it has all the answers.

[–][deleted] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

Yeah it's quite bizarre. Even if the profit motive is to blame, you'd figure someone would start a traditional chinese medicine franchise and fund some studies and still make a buck off of it. Maybe that'd be asking for a head on encounter with the FDA or something.

[–]magnora7 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

There are probably pharma companies working on extracting the active chemicals from chinese medicine products and putting them in to pill form. I would bet money on it.

[–][deleted] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Yeah I think you're right, that's even the case here:

The researchers found that they could also boost regeneration with a molecule that activates the same metabolic switch.

[–]magnora7 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Hah wow good catch!