A new study in the journal Molecular Medicine Reports has identified several natural compounds that significantly increase telomerase activation in humans and may lead to longer life and healthy aging.
Human blood cells treated with a compound containing Centella asiatica extract — from the medicinal plant also known as gotu kola — saw a nearly nine-fold increase in telomerase activity compared with untreated cells.1
The scientists also confirmed the effectiveness of several already known telomerase boosters, including astragalus extract, which produced a 4.3-fold increase in telomerase activity compared with untreated cells.
Exciting new research like this makes me realize how far we’ve come in our understanding of telomere biology and human aging. You see, 20 years ago, virtually no one in mainstream medicine believed it was possible to reverse aging at the cellular level, let alone in human tissues.
I was one of the exceptions. I worked with Geron Corporation in the year 2000 when they were able to isolate two molecules derived from the astragalus plant, called astragaloside IV and cycloastragenol. We were able to demonstrate that by activating the enzyme telomerase, these natural compounds could, in fact, reverse aging in human cells and tissues.
A few years later, Geron sold the rights to these activators to TA Sciences, which used them to develop a compound called TA-65. I became the first physician in the U.S. licensed to administer TA-65, at that time the only commercially available treatment shown to lengthen human telomeres.
As you know, telomeres are the protective caps at the ends of each strand of DNA. Each time a cell divides, it loses a bit of its telomeres. The enzyme telomerase can replenish the telomeres, but most of our cells do not express this enzyme.
Shortened telomeres change gene expression for the worse, resulting in cell aging and eventually cell death.
In fact, cellular aging underlies everything we associate with the process of biological aging, from hair loss and wrinkles to increased risk of chronic diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s.
And that’s why this new research is so exciting. It suggests there are natural telomerase-boosting compounds that may be even more powerful than some of the ones we’re already familiar with. Here are two ways you can take advantage of these new findings:
- Gotu kola (Centella asiatica) is an ancient herb used in Ayurvedic medicine. When choosing a gotu kola supplement, look for one with more of the active components. Select one that is standardized to the asiaticosides or asiatic acid. I recommend taking 300 mg a day.
- Astragalus root is one of the most revered herbs in traditional Chinese medicine. I recommend taking 500 mg of a concentrated astragalus extract three times a day.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD, CNS
1. Tsoukalas D, et al. “Discovery of potent telomerase activators: Unfolding new therapeutic and anti-aging perspectives.” Mol Med Rep. 2019;20(4):3701–3708.