I would say that personal experience is the best indicator. In nine years of using TA-65 and now Recharge, I have yet to develop cancer, the hair on my head has no grey, and my bucket handle tear on my right medial meniscus resolved without surgery.

I haven’t grown horns or a tail, so that ‘s good. I will note that my skin has no keratoses, new pigmented lesions, and that my hair and nails grow quickly. I can eat junk food at 3000cal/day and not gain weight, which is nice. The one odd thing that I have noted (first pointed out by Bill and Ben, the 83yo identical twins from this podcast) is that occasionally the hairs on my arms grow to triple length but not consistently nor in the same locations. My AARP card (for 50+) comes in July and I just hope I feel as good when I’m in my sixth decade as I do now!

Every time I speak with one of the 1,300 or so patients that take TA-65 or Recharge, we compare notes. Most of them have tried stopping for a while and then restarted after noting that they felt more tired and didn’t recover from stress and exercise as quickly. Most take note of the softer signs of fewer colds, faster nail growth, better mood, clear thoughts, optimism, and vivid dreaming with brief awakenings.

What does it feel like to not feel older in nine years? It doesn’t feel like much. What astonishes me is how many very active patients I have in their 60s and 70s who also don’t feel like they’re getting older. They take it for granted that every feels the same and they wonder if it is working, if other things that they’re doing are responsible, and if it is worth the money.

Then, they bump into a friend who hasn’t seen them for years who wonders what they’re doing or they go to a high school reunion and see everyone in an advanced state of deterioration and wonder, “what would I look and feel like if I hadn’t taken this for x years?”

Until we have access to autologous stem cell therapies with diagnostics and possible genetic editing, we won’t have a true cure for aging. But if adaptogens are merely improving the quality of our lives, then for most of the chronic users, that is enough consolation.

I am constantly uplifted by the level of activity, enterprise, and optimism in my patients. They are an inspiration and even if most of the benefits they are reaping are from a placebo effect and the intention of staying young, we believe the adaptogens give us that extra edge to live life with more capacity for performance, optimism, and joy.

Doug Malewicki, the subject of this blog just won the 70+ division of an 18K wearing a bib that featured his age of 77, which is also just a number. He turns 78 in March and has been taking Recharge only for 8 months, getting stronger every day.

He recently asked me if I ever heard of gums growing back. Yes, a few people have mentioned it over the years and I’m sure many others have never thought to check.

“Here is the story.  I had my dental cleaning back then.  In the far back 4 corners I always had depth measurements of 8 through 10.  This time it was more like 6 through 8’s!!  I know this is not simple measurement error because the measurements were done by the same super thorough dental tech lady at the periodontal office.  I know I have not all of a sudden changed my improved brushing/flossing habits, I started after I had periodontal surgery some 5 years ago.  Possibly Recharge helping?  Is this just weird and totally anecdotal or have you heard such from other Recharge fans?”

He’s been taking Recharge for only 8 months and I really believe the great results are mostly from his amazing exercise regime. But not everyone benefits from exercise at his age and that is the difference.

Is the body capable of regenerating? Absolutely! If you don’t believe me, check out this chart from my patient, Rocky, whose chiropractor published a case report about how his discs had regenerated. She didn’t mention he was an early adopter of TA-65, but as we know, success has many mothers whereas failure is an orphan. To watch the entire video on back pain, click here.

Could we be seeing massive placebo effects in all of my 1,300 deluded patients? Maybe. But ask yourself whether 112yo Soledad even knew she was going to have hundreds of black hairs appear after taking TA-65 for a few months. Does it matter if we know what to expect in our placebo effect? I asked Soledad what her secret to longevity was…I think she inadvertently gave us the answer- to sing, to laugh, to love. Thank you, Chole!