The body is constantly replacing old, damaged or worn-out cells.
Special cells known as stem cells help with this process.
Stem cells can make new cells when the body needs them. For example, they help produce new blood cells, renew the skin and repair muscles and other tissues.
They are an important part of the body’s natural repair system.
As we age, stem cells may become fewer, less active or less able to produce healthy new cells.
Scientists call this stem cell exhaustion.
The term does not mean that all stem cells suddenly disappear.
It means that the body’s supply of repair cells, and their ability to work properly, may gradually decline.
This can make it harder for tissues to renew themselves.
Cuts may heal more slowly. Muscles may take longer to recover after exercise or injury. The body may also become less able to replace blood cells or repair damage inside organs.
Different tissues have different abilities to renew themselves.
The skin and blood are constantly producing new cells. The heart and brain have a much more limited ability to replace damaged cells.
This is one reason ageing does not affect every part of the body in the same way.
Stem cells are also influenced by the environment around them.
Inflammation, poor blood supply, damage to DNA and problems with energy production may all make it harder for stem cells to work normally.
So the problem is not only the number of stem cells. It is also whether the surrounding tissue gives them the right conditions to repair and renew the body.
Stem cell treatments are often promoted as a way to reverse ageing.
However, there is currently no proven routine treatment that can safely restore every ageing tissue by simply adding stem cells.
Some stem cell treatments are established for specific medical conditions, such as certain blood diseases. This is very different from unproven “rejuvenation” treatments offered to healthy people.
For most people, the practical goal is to protect the body’s natural ability to repair itself.
Regular physical activity helps maintain muscles and supports tissue renewal. Adequate protein and balanced nutrition provide the materials needed for repair.
Good sleep, not smoking and controlling blood pressure, blood glucose and other health risks also help create better conditions for healing and recovery.
We cannot prevent every age-related change in stem cells.
But we can support the tissues and biological conditions that allow the body to continue renewing and repairing itself for as long as possible.
