Zombie Cells, Gut Health and Skin Ageing: What's the Connection?

We usually think about skin ageing from the outside: moisturisers, serums, SPF and the ingredients we put on our skin. But some of the most interesting ageing research is looking in a very different direction – at our immune system and even our gut.

At the centre of that research are so-called “zombie cells”. They're real, they become more common as we get older, and too many of them may contribute to some of the changes we associate with ageing skin.

The bad news? There's no face cream proven to simply get rid of them. The good news is that your body already has its own clean-up system – and looking after your gut and immune health may be more relevant than you think.

Your body has its own zombie-cell clean-up crew

Here's the clever part: your body already has ways of dealing with zombie cells.

Your immune system can recognise many senescent cells and remove them. Several types of immune cells are involved, including natural killer cells, macrophages and T cells.

You can think of them as part of the body's housekeeping team – spotting cells that are no longer behaving normally and helping to clear them away.

As we get older, however, this clean-up process may become less efficient. Some senescent cells can also become better at avoiding the immune system. That can allow more of them to accumulate.

What does your gut have to do with zombie cells?

This is where things get particularly interesting.

Your digestive system is home to trillions of microorganisms, collectively known as your gut microbiome. Far from simply helping with digestion, these microorganisms have a close relationship with your immune system.

Your gut and immune system are constantly communicating. The bacteria living in your gut can break down parts of the food you eat and produce substances that interact with the immune system and help influence inflammation throughout the body.

Researchers are now studying how changes in the gut microbiome may be connected with ageing, inflammation and the build-up of senescent cells.

The basic idea is surprisingly simple:

So what should you eat?

The reassuring answer is that you don't need a special supplement, expensive powder or “anti-ageing detox”.

Much of what we know about supporting a healthy gut comes back to eating a varied diet with plenty of plant foods.

• Eat plenty of different plants – vegetables, fruit, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, herbs and wholegrains all count.
• Get enough fibre – fibre provides food for many of the beneficial bacteria living in your gut.
• Think variety – different plants provide different types of fibre and plant compounds, so don't rely on one supposed “superfood”.
• Try fermented foods if they suit you – foods such as live yoghurt and kefir can be useful additions to a varied diet.
• Look at your overall diet – what you eat regularly matters much more than occasionally adding a fashionable ingredient.

And eat your colours

Fruit, vegetables, herbs, nuts, tea, coffee, cocoa and olive oil contain plant compounds called polyphenols.

These are particularly interesting because your gut bacteria help break down many polyphenols, while polyphenols can also influence which bacteria thrive in your gut.

Berries are a good example. They're rich in colourful plant compounds as well as providing fibre. But there's no need to obsess over blueberries – eating a wide variety of colourful plant foods is the more useful goal.

Can diet actually influence zombie cells?

Possibly, but this is still an emerging area of research.

Scientists are studying whether diet and particular nutrients can influence the processes involved in cellular ageing. Some human studies have found changes in markers linked with cellular senescence, but the evidence isn't yet strong enough to recommend a particular anti-zombie-cell diet.

For now, the sensible message is much simpler: eat well to support your gut, immune system and overall health rather than trying to eat specifically for zombie cells.

Where does that leave your skincare?

Skincare still has an important role. It's simply doing a different job.

A good moisturiser can hydrate and soften your skin. Plant oils can provide useful fatty acids and help reduce moisture loss. Serums can contain antioxidants and other ingredients chosen to improve the appearance of fine lines, uneven tone and texture.

And sunscreen helps protect against UV exposure – one of the best-established causes of premature skin ageing.

What we can't currently say is that an ordinary face cream can find and remove zombie cells in the way your immune system can.

Think inside-out as well as outside-in

The most useful thing about zombie-cell research may be the reminder that healthy-looking skin isn't only about what comes out of a bottle.

Your skin is connected to the rest of your body. So rather than looking for one miracle anti-ageing ingredient, it makes sense to approach ageing from both directions.