Big Pharma regards telomere therapy as a direct threat to its multibillion-dollar drug business. And conventional doctors, well-meaning as most of them are, usually just go along with the flawed and self-serving research handed out by drug company reps.
Unfortunately, the biggest loser in all of this is you.
Not only are you being denied the latest life-saving advances in medical science, but you’re also being deprived of the opportunity to naturally defend your own body from the ravages of the pandemic.
Sadly, mainstream medicine continues to ignore the connection between your telomeres and your immune system for more than 30 years.
But finally, a small group of researchers from Johns Hopkins is starting to understand this link.
In a breakthrough study, they found that people with abnormally short telomeres have immune system cells that resemble those of people who are decades older.1
Researchers found their immune cells age, and even die, prematurely.
As you know, telomeres are the tiny caps at the end of each strand of DNA that control how your cells age. Simply put, the longer your telomeres are, the younger your cells behave.
Unfortunately, each time a cell divides, a little bit of telomere is eroded. Gradually, telomeres get shorter until the cell is no longer able to renew itself, and it dies.
As that happens, you become more vulnerable to “old age” and the “diseases of aging” – like cancer, heart disease, hypertension, and Alzheimer’s, as well as diabetes, depression, and obesity.
And… at the same time, your immune system weakens, and diseases strike.
If you’re a regular reader, you know that you can activate telomerase to regrow short immune cells.
Regrow Immune Cell Telomeres
In one of several study trials, researchers tested the effects of a telomerase activator called TA-65 on the immune system’s white blood cells – and the results were truly astonishing.
These white blood cells are a key part of your immune system, helping your body defend against invading viruses and bacteria, as well as chronic diseases like cancer and cardiovascular disease. They include T and B cells, as well as Natural Killer (NK) cells.
The researchers measured the number of white blood cells that looked old, and the number that looked young for hundreds of participants in two groups. One group started taking the telomerase activator while the other group took a placebo.
After three months, the group taking the activator had a much larger number of immune system cells, more typical of people who were 20 years younger.2
In another study, researchers found the telomerase activator significantly reduced the number of cells with short telomeres and dramatically boosted immune system strength.3
I was privileged to become the first doctor in the U.S. licensed to administer TA-65. It has been available for almost 15 years, and not a single adverse side effect or event has been reported.
The active ingredient in TA-65 is a unique molecule called cycloastragenol, which is found in the root of astragalus membranaceus.
While astragalus has a long history in traditional medicine, you can’t just dig up astragalus root and chew it. The cycloastragenol needs to be isolated and extracted.
I’ve included cycloastragenol in a formula I use to treat patients at the Sears Institute for Anti-Aging Medicine. But it’s not the only telomerase activator that increases immunity.
Boost Your Immunity With “Telo-Nutrition”
Several nutrients also act as telomerase activators. I call this “telo-nutrition.” It’s one of the most important – yet largely ignored – areas of anti-aging medicine.
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- Supplement with this South American berry: Vitamin C has long been known to play a key role in your body’s defense against viral pathogens. Not only does it protect cells and telomeres from free radical damage, but it also acts as a signaling molecule that activates immune system defenders. In one study, researchers also found that cells treated with vitamin C had longer telomeres, reduced secretion of inflammatory cytokines, and improved integrity of the cell’s nucleus.4 With 60 times more vitamin C than citrus, camu camu is one of the best sources of this nutrient. I like adding the dried powder to smoothies or yogurt. Start with one teaspoon a day.
- Boost your Bs. B vitamins are essential for telomere integrity. A recent study looked at the telomeres of 60 older patients. Researchers found those with low B-vitamin intake had shorter telomeres than those who often ate vitamin B-rich foods.5 But vitamins B6 and B9 (folate) also counter the effects of homocysteine, your telomeres’ worst enemy. This damaging amino acid causes chronic inflammation, and it has been shown to triple the amount of telomere shortening during cell division. Grass-fed beef liver is your best choice for these vitamins. But, since it’s hard to get what we need from food today, I recommend supplementing. I suggest getting 800 mcg of folic acid and 2.5 mg of B6 every day for telomerase activation.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD, CNS
References:
1. Wagner C, et al. “Short telomere syndromes cause a primary T cell immunodeficiency.” J Clin Investigation.J Clin Invest. 2019 Dec 3;128(12):5222-5234. doi: 10.1172/JCI120216. Epub 2018 Oct 22.
2. Harley C, et al. “A Natural Product Telomerase Activator As Part of a Health Maintenance Program.” Rejuvenation Research 2011
3. Harley C, et al. “A Natural Product Telomerase Activator As Part of a Health Maintenance Program: metabolic and cardiovascular response.” Rejuvenation Research 2013.
4. Li Y, et al. “Vitamin C alleviates aging defects in a stem cell model for Werner syndrome.” Protein Cell. 2016;7(7):478-88.
5. Rane G, et al. “Association Between Leukocyte Telomere Length and Plasma Homocysteine in a Singapore Chinese Population.” Rejuvenation Res. 2015;18(3):203-10.