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Simon Cowell says he’s ‘aging backwards’ thanks to controversial blood-rinsing procedure

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Simon Cowell says he’s ‘aging backwards’ thanks to controversial blood-rinsing procedure

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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.

Simon Cowell admitted to getting a lot of treatments done, including a placenta facial. (Photo by PG/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)

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.

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“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. (Getty Images)

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.

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“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. 

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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.”

Dr. Brett Osborn, a Florida neurosurgeon and longevity expert (pictured with his team at Senolytix), offers “therapeutic apheresis,” which separates and filters blood plasma while returning the red blood cells to the patient. (Senolytix)

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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.

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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.”

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EBOO 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. (iStock)

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.

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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.

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The Best Time To Take ‘Nature’s Ozempic’ Berberine for Weight Loss and Blood Sugar Control, According to an MD

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Study reveals why chewing gum might actually help with focus and stress relief

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Study reveals why chewing gum might actually help with focus and stress relief

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Humans have been chewing gum for thousands of years, long after the flavor fades and without any clear nutritional benefit.

The habit dates back at least 8,000 years to Scandinavia, where people chewed birchbark pitch to soften it into a glue for tools. Other ancient cultures, including the Greeks, Native Americans and the Maya, also chewed tree resins for pleasure or soothing effects, National Geographic recently reported.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, William Wrigley Jr. transformed chewing gum from a novelty into a mass consumer habit through relentless and innovative marketing. His brands, including Juicy Fruit and Spearmint, promoted gum as a way to calm nerves, curb hunger and stay focused.

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“Are you worried? Chew gum,” an article from 1916 said, according to Kerry Segrave’s book, “Chewing Gum in America, 1850-1920: The Rise of an Industry.” “Do you lie awake at night? Chew gum,” it continued. “Are you depressed? Is the world against you? Chew gum.”

Advertisements have long framed chewing gum as a tool for stress relief and mental sharpness. (Keystone View Company/FPG/Archive Photos/Getty Images)

In the 1940s, a study found chewing resulted in lower tension but couldn’t say why. 

“The gum-chewer relaxes and gets more work done,” The New York Times wrote at the time about the study’s results.

Gum became an early form of wellness, and companies are trying to revive that idea today as gum sales decline, according to National Geographic.

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But only now are scientists finally beginning to understand the biology behind those long-standing beliefs.

Chewing gum may briefly affect attention and stress-related brain activity, according to studies. (iStock)

A 2025 review by researchers at the University of Szczecin in Poland analyzed more than three decades of brain-imaging studies to examine what happens inside the brain when people chew gum. Using MRI, EEG and near-infrared spectroscopy research, the authors found that chewing alters brain activity in regions tied to movement, attention and stress regulation.

The findings help clarify why the seemingly pointless task can feel calming or focusing, even once the flavor has faded.

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Chewing gum activated not only the brain’s motor and sensory networks involved in chewing, but also higher-order regions linked to attention, alertness and emotional control, the review found. EEG studies found brief shifts in brain-wave patterns linked to heightened alertness and what researchers call “relaxed concentration.”

Humans have chewed gum for pleasure for thousands of years, according to reports. (iStock)

“If you’re doing a fairly boring task for a long time, chewing seems to be able to help with concentration,” Crystal Haskell-Ramsay, a professor of biological psychology at Northumbria University, told National Geographic.

The review also supports earlier findings that gum chewing can ease stress, but only in certain situations. In laboratory experiments, people who chewed gum during mildly stressful tasks such as public speaking or mental math often reported lower anxiety levels than those who didn’t.

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Chewing gum did not, however, consistently reduce anxiety in high-stress medical situations, such as immediately before surgery, and it offered no clear benefit when participants faced unsolvable problems designed to induce frustration.

Some studies suggest chewing gum can reduce stress in mild situations but not extreme ones. (iStock)

Across multiple studies, people who chewed gum did not remember lists of words or stories better than those who didn’t, the researchers also found, and any boost in attention faded soon after chewing stopped.

Gum may simply feed the desire to fidget, experts suspect.

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“Although these effects are often short-lived, the range of outcomes … underscores chewing gum’s capacity to modulate brain function beyond simple oral motor control,” the researchers wrote.

“However, at this time, the neural changes associated with gum chewing cannot be directly linked to the positive behavioral and functional outcomes observed in studies,” they added.

A 2025 review analyzed decades of MRI, EEG and near-infrared spectroscopy studies on gum chewing. (iStock)

Future research should address longer-term impacts, isolate flavor or stress variables and explore potential therapeutic applications, the scientists said.

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The findings also come with caveats beyond brain science. Although sugar-free gum may help reduce cavities, Fox News Digital has previously reported that dentists warn acids, sweeteners and excessive chewing may harm teeth or trigger other side effects.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the study’s authors for comment.

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The Best Time To Take Turmeric for Weight Loss and How To Maximize Results

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