Simon Cowell is opening up about the unconventional wellness procedure that he claims is helping him age backwards — one that “rinses” and “filters” his blood before returning it to his body.

Although the music mogul, 66, didn’t specify which particular procedure he undergoes, the description is similar to apheresis, which is a medical procedure that draws blood from the body, spins it to separate and remove certain elements, then returns it to the body, according to Cleveland Clinic.

“I go to this place, this wellness clinic, where they actually take your blood, they rinse it, they filter it and then they put it back into your body,” Cowell, 66, told The Sun in the interview. “You do all these tests, and they tell you your age, so I’ve actually aged backwards by eating better, more exercise, less stress and certain supplements. My brain is still there, I still have the energy.”

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The “X Factor” judge has previously shared other procedures he has undergone, including filler and Botox, but stated in 2022 that he “might have gone a bit too far” and has since stopped getting filler.

“For me now, a lot of it comes down to healthy eating and drinking tons of water,” he told The Sun at the time.

What to know about blood treatments

EBOO — which stands for extracorporeal blood oxygenation and ozonation — is an alternative wellness treatment in which a person’s blood is circulated outside the body, exposed to medical-grade ozone and oxygen, run through a filter and then returned to the bloodstream, according to clinics that offer the service.

While older forms of ozone therapy have been used to treat autoimmune conditions, the newer EBOO method has been touted for potential anti-aging benefits — although experts warn that evidence of its effectiveness is lacking.

Ralph Montague, longevity expert from The Longevity Clinic in London, shared with Fox News Digital why this procedure is gaining attention as a potential longevity-booster.

“Celebrities have turned to EBOO, which filters the blood using advanced technology, helping them to age backwards,” he said. “For many people, it’s not about adding a few years to their life — it’s about living healthier and better.”

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Montague claimed that EBOO has been shown to increase energy and boost the immune system while improving mood and sleep.

“Many people who do this also describe the improvements in mental clarity, mood stability and general well-being,” he added.

Risks and regulations

Montague noted that the EBOO treatment is not for everyone.

“Those who have blood-clotting or bleeding disorders are typically advised to stay away from this medical method, as there’s a potential that it could increase the risk of clotting happening,” he warned.

“It’s essentially a ‘reset’ for the bloodstream.”

Ozone therapy can also create oxidative stress, which may lead to the breaking down of red blood cells, according to Montague. 

People with G6PD deficiency — a hereditary enzyme deficiency that makes red blood cells more fragile and more easily damaged — are especially vulnerable to this, so they should avoid treatments like ozone therapy, he said.

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“Those with heart problems are also advised to get advice from a doctor beforehand, particularly those who have had a recent heart attack or been diagnosed with severe heart failure, as this treatment can shift blood pressure levels,” Montague noted.

“There’s also insufficient evidence that this is fine to do for those who are pregnant or breastfeeding, and it’s better to be safe than sorry if you’re in that category.”

The treatment should only be performed in medical environments after getting consent from a doctor.

The Food and Drug Administration only approves apheresis (blood filtering) devices for specific medical indications, such as autoimmune disorders, certain blood cancers and plasma exchange for specific diseases.

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They are not approved for anti-aging, detox, microplastics removal or wellness purposes.

“The device is not FDA-approved for the treatment of any disease or condition,” the Department of Health and Human Services confirmed to Fox News Digital.

Doctors weigh in

Medical experts widely caution that ozone-based blood cleansing procedures remain unregulated, unproven and potentially unsafe. 

Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, warns against these procedures, calling them “dangerous.”

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“The process could hemolyze red blood cells, leading to organ damage, blood clots and other issues,” he told Fox News Digital.

“I’m also concerned about metabolic derangements (abnormalities or disruptions) that could occur, including high potassium.”

Siegel said he believes these treatments are “ineffective” and don’t have any effect on the pace of aging, noting that the liver and kidneys are designed to naturally filter waste.

Other doctors are proponents of the technique, including Dr. Brett Osborn, a Florida neurosurgeon and longevity expert. At Osborn’s longevity practice, Senolytix, he offers “therapeutic apheresis,” which separates and filters blood plasma while returning the red blood cells to the patient. 

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“It’s essentially a ‘reset’ for the bloodstream, removing inflammatory proteins, antibodies and other harmful factors,” he told Fox News Digital.

Some potential benefits include lower blood pressure, reduced iron load (a powerful oxidant believed to accelerate the aging process) and reduced inflammatory cytokines, according to the doctor.

“Nutrition, strength training, sleep and stress mitigation remain the foundation of longevity.”

Osborn agreed that this practice should be performed by physicians to ensure safety.

“The main risk is mild — transient hypotension from a so-called ‘citrate reaction’ — which we monitor for and treat immediately,” he said. “Otherwise, modern apheresis is a well-established medical procedure used to treat autoimmune, neurological and metabolic diseases.”

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While the procedure can remove inflammatory cells that drive aging and chronic disease, Osborn said it’s not a “magic bullet” — and not a replacement for personal responsibility.

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“Nutrition, strength training, sleep and stress mitigation remain the foundation of longevity,” he said. “But in a world where Americans increasingly seek proactive, preventive care, plasma filtering represents a modern refinement of an ancient medical instinct.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Simon Cowell’s representatives for comment.

The first study to evaluate the link between Alzheimer’s disease and body weight found a significant association.

Researchers at Washington University Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri, discovered that Alzheimer’s blood biomarkers increased 95% faster in people with obesity than in non-obese individuals.

The study, which was presented Tuesday at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) in Chicago, investigated five years of data from 407 participants from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, including PET scans (medical imaging) and blood samples.

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The researchers assessed the association between Alzheimer’s biomarkers and body mass index (BMI), according to a press release.

When the participants were first measured, a higher BMI was associated with lower Alzheimer’s blood biomarkers due to blood dilution, since people with higher body weight often have larger blood volume.

But when the researchers followed the same participants over a longer period, they found that those with obesity developed a greater Alzheimer’s disease burden than those without obesity.

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In analyzing how the Alzheimer’s biomarkers matched up with PET scan results, they noted a buildup of amyloid plaques in the brain — a central hallmark of the most common type of dementia.

In an interview with Fox News Digital, the study authors discussed the impact of these findings.

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“Our study shows that over a five-year period, obesity is associated with a steady increase in Alzheimer’s-related pathology,” said lead author Dr. Soheil Mohammadi, a post-doctoral research associate at the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, part of WashU Medicine.

“What surprised me was how sensitive the blood biomarkers were in detecting this relationship. They captured subtle changes even better than brain imaging.”

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Senior study author Dr. Cyrus Raji, associate professor of radiology and neurology at Washington University, noted that the progression of Alzheimer’s is “influenced by pathologies happening overall in the body, such as obesity.”

“It is critical to preserve brain health by optimizing body health as well,” he said.

Recent clinical trials (EVOKE and EVOKE+) have explored whether GLP-1 drugs such as semaglutide (Ozempic) could slow cognitive decline in people already diagnosed with early Alzheimer’s disease. 

“While the recent Evoke trials failed to show an effect of Ozempic for the treatment of Alzheimer’s dementia, our work should motivate future trials to determine if this class of drugs can help prevent Alzheimer’s by treating obesity earlier in life,” Raji said. “Caretakers and clinicians are key partners in making such trials happen.”

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One limitation of this research, according to Mohammadi, is the fact that not all body fat carries the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

“Our prior work shows that belly fat, rather than fat under the skin, drives much of obesity’s impact on the brain,” he said. “Future studies should distinguish between these fat types instead of treating obesity as a single category.”

“Our prior work shows that belly fat, rather than fat under the skin, drives much of obesity’s impact on the brain.”

Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel, who was not involved in the research, said he considers this a “very important study.”

“I think this finding makes complete sense, because obesity leads directly to inflammation and insulin resistance, which provoke neuro inflammation — one of the pillars of Alzheimer’s development,” he told Fox News Digital.

The study did have some limitations, the researchers noted.

The study sample was relatively small and specific, and may not represent the general population. Also, the BMI measurement can’t distinguish between fat and muscle mass or reflect differences in fat distribution that may influence Alzheimer’s risk.

The study also relies on observational data, which can reveal associations but can’t prove that obesity directly causes faster Alzheimer’s pathology, the researchers noted.

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Other risk factors that often coincide with obesity — such as diabetes, hypertension and inflammation — may also contribute to Alzheimer’s biomarker changes. 

This initial research sparks the need for larger studies in more diverse populations with longer follow-ups.

A consistent bedtime may play a meaningful role in lowering blood pressure, according to new research examining how sleep timing affects cardiovascular health.

While most people think primarily about getting enough hours of sleep, experts say when you sleep also has an important effect on heart health.

Dr. William Lu, medical director at Dreem Health in San Francisco, told Fox News Digital that sleep duration and sleep timing work together, and that consistency is a key part of supporting cardiovascular wellness.

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“Both matter, but growing evidence shows regularity — going to sleep and waking at roughly the same times night-to-night — is an independent predictor of cardiovascular risk even after accounting for total sleep time,” Lu said.

Recent findings have supported that connection. In a study published in the journal Sleep Advances, adults with high blood pressure who kept a consistent bedtime for two weeks saw modest but meaningful improvements in their readings, even though they did not sleep longer hours.

Participants reduced their night-to-night bedtime variability from about 30 minutes to only a few minutes, and researchers said that simple change helped restore healthier blood pressure overnight.

Even a modest nighttime drop in systolic pressure can lower cardiovascular risk, experts say.

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The concept is supported by research into circadian rhythms and the body’s natural blood-pressure patterns.

“Consistent bed and wake times keep your internal circadian clock synchronized to Earth’s day-night cycle,” Lu said.

A steady sleep schedule helps the body release important hormones, like melatonin and cortisol, at the right times, which supports the natural rise and fall of blood pressure throughout the day and night, according to the doctor.

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Disruptions in sleep timing can affect blood pressure more quickly than many people realize, Lu warned. While some people assume that shifting their bedtime on weekends or staying up late occasionally has little impact, the expert said the body responds almost immediately.

For people trying to build a more consistent sleep routine, Lu recommends starting with the morning wake-up time.

“Start with a fixed wake time every day, including weekends, and anchor the schedule with morning light exposure — then set a consistent bedtime that gives you enough sleep before that wake time,” he advised. “Pick a wake time you can sustain and get 30 minutes of morning light after waking up.”

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He also recommends adding a brief wind-down routine before bed and cutting back on stimulants and screen use in the evening.

Improving sleep timing is a low-risk change that may help lower blood pressure, Lu said, adding that consistent bedtimes should be used in addition to anti-hypertensive medications, not as a substitute.

Potential limitations

The study did have some limitations, the researchers acknowledged.

The sample size was relatively small, consisting of 11 middle-aged adults with obesity and hypertension. It was also a two-week period, which means researchers could measure only short-term changes.

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The study also lacked a control group or randomization, so it couldn’t prove that the blood-pressure improvements were caused by more consistent bedtimes or by other lifestyle factors, such as diet, stress or medication changes. Larger, longer-term studies are needed to confirm the findings.

Anyone considering changes to their sleep schedule for blood-pressure benefits should first speak with a doctor.