C60 – Carbon 60
At around the same time Indigo Herbs founder and director Steve Mckewon began his research into longevity, a new product was causing a stir in cutting edge health circles. C60 or Carbon 60 suspended in olive oil was breaking onto the market, with much being written in various forums and websites about the many benefits of this remarkable substance.
The C60 molecule was discovered in 1985 by a group of scientists who named it “buckminsterfullerene”, (also known as “buckyball”). They isolated the atom clusters now known as C60 due to it being comprised of 60 carbon atoms. It resembles as hollow football and is the only molecule of a single element to form a spherical cage. The C60 molecule is the subject of much research due to its unique structure and unparalleled physiochemical properties.
From around 1993, numerous studies on the newly discovered C60 molecule were showing all sorts of exciting things. For example, in the now infamous “Baati Rat Study”, rats who were given C60 suspended in olive oil had an increase in life expectancy of 90 percent.
A comprehensive overview of C60 can be viewed here, however, it is its anti-aging possibilities that are the focus of this article.
Super Antioxidant
Oxidative stress occurs when there is an imbalance of antioxidants and free radicals in the body. If the antioxidant status is low, free radicals can wreak havoc, causing damage to tissues and cells, thus accelerating aging.
Free radicals are molecules with one or more unpaired electron. Oxygen in the body splits into single atoms with unpaired electrons. Electrons like to be in pairs, so these atoms, called free radicals, scavenge the body to seek out other electrons so they can become a pair. It is this that causes damage to cells, proteins and DNA.
Antioxidants neutralise free radicals by donating an electron, protecting the body from the oxidative stress that damages cells and can cause premature aging.
C60 is possibly one of the most powerful antioxidants known. It is the oil in which the C60 is suspended that allows it to sit in the lipid bilayers of the cell walls, where it is able to continuously neutralise the free radicals that reach the cells or mitochondria. The magic of C60 is its ability to accept and donate electrons without being rendered inactive, unlike traditional antioxidants which become inactive after neutralising a free radical.
Telomeres and Cellular Aging
The phenomenon of cellular aging was first noted by Professor Lenhard Hayflick in 1961. He discovered that cells cannot divide beyond a specific number of times. This is called the “Hayflick Limit”. Cells reaching this limit become old. Although Professor Hayflick discovered this important scientific principle, he had no idea what caused it.
It took almost 30 more years before the role telomeres play in cellular aging was finally understood. In 1990, Calvin Harley at McMaster University in Canada and Carol Greider at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in the USA, discovered that telomere shortening goes hand-in-hand with the aging process and is the direct cause of cells reaching the Hayflick Limit.
Telomeres have no genetic function; they are simply stretches of DNA (repeats of base pairs) that protect the rest of the chromosome. These little bits of DNA are critical to healthy cell function and have been likened to the plastic tips on shoelaces because they prevent the chromosome from fraying.
Telomeres become progressively shorter each time the cell divides. When they get too short, cells reach replicative senescence and can no longer divide. The result can be the various conditions associated with old age.
Scientists have only recently begun to understand the critical importance of shortened telomeres. Research has shown that people over 60 who have long telomeres experience greater heart and immune system health than their age-matched counterparts with shorter telomeres. Thus, it is becoming well-understood that maintaining telomere length is preventing age-related decline.
Whilst peer reviewed scientific research has yet to be undertaken, Ken Schwartz, a scientist who founded the American company “C60 Purple Power”, has been testing subjects who have been taking C60 for two years or more. He theorises that, “C60 awakens the mitochondria and triggers apoptosis in senescent cells and then signals the stem cell to begin replacing lost cells. Stem cells are greatly stimulated by C60 and because C60 increases signal clarity by getting rid of the oxidative burden, molecules can communicate clearly without being degraded by oxidative radicals.” Ken explained that as an outcome of this process, telomeres probably become longer.
Steve’s Experience of C60
Intrigued by C60, Steve ordered some from the USA (at this time it was only available from the States) and began to experiment on himself. Initially taking it internally, he immediately felt an increase in energy levels and overall physical and mental well-being was enhanced. He began to add C60 to homemade skincare products and applying it to his bald patch. To his (and his barber’s) surprise, his hair began to grow back. His skin also showed signs of scars fading and it started to regain its elasticity.
Japanese studies with C60 found that when C60 fullerenes were added to skincare products, a significant decrease in wrinkles occurred. They also found it contributed to a reduction in acne pimples.
With this research in mind, Steve decided to create his own skin cream which you can try for yourself here:
Anti-Aging Skin Care Recipe with Cacao and Coconut
The same Japanese studies experimented with haircare products and reported that after 6 months of using a tonic containing 2 percent C60 fullerenes, the hair growth rate of test subjects became 16 percent faster.
After taking the recommended dose of C60 for the first year, he decided to up the dose. He now takes 4 ml C60 in Coconut Oil daily and feels even more benefits. These include:
- More energy and feeling stronger when exercising
- An overall increase in stamina
- Old scars starting to fade and heal
- Grey hairs on head and body are turning darker – beard is now “salt and pepper” whereas it was fully grey before
- Stronger immune system – staying well when others in the family are down with viruses
These remarkable results led Steve to source C60 to make it available and affordable to Indigo Herbs customers. He succeeded in finding one of the best suppliers in the industry and became the first to bring C60 to the market in the UK.
**Don’t miss Part 3 – Ancient wisdom and modern knowledge meet in a protocol of longevity herbs and anti-aging supplements.**
Sources for this article:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22498298
https://www.personalcaremagazine.com/story/9443/fullerene-topical-application-for-acne-treatment
