Discover Curcumin's Anti-Aging Powers

This post contains affiliate links. Click here for the full disclosure statement.

By Al Sears MD


Dear Health Conscious Reader,

Most people in the West have heard about the health benefits of turmeric by now.

Studies prove this incredible root may treat every one of the diseases we link to aging. That the active compound in turmeric — curcumin — helps reverse Alzheimer's… heart disease… diabetes… and even cancer.¹ 

But when it comes to anti-aging, turmeric does even more…

It's also a powerful rejuvenating force for your skin.

When I was in Bali, my friend Lelir showed me how she uses turmeric to make an anti-aging facial scrub. Lelir is a fifth-generation Balian — a traditional healer. Balians have been using turmeric for thousands of years for both its health and anti-aging properties.  

They know it works, even if they don't know the science behind it…

But science shows that curcumin protects your telomeres. Those are the protective caps at the ends of your chromosomes. They prevent DNA strands from unraveling.   

As cells in your body divide, the caps burn down. When your telomeres get too short, your cells stop dividing. New cells stop replacing the old ones. And you're left with older, tired skin cells.

Telomere shortening is a big culprit in skin aging. Skin cells are the fastest-dividing cells in the human body. Every time they divide telomeres get shorter. That means your skin is extremely sensitive to telomere loss.

Short telomeres lead to lines, wrinkles, dull dry skin, under-eye bags, and all the other annoying signs of aging. One study of Dutch twins showed that shorter telomeres can make you look as much as 10 years older.²

New research shows that curcumin, the yellow pigment in turmeric, helps stop your telomeres from shortening. And it may actually help your telomeres grow longer.

You see, when you were young, you had a natural enzyme called telomerase that preserved your telomeres. It even helped rebuild them. Unfortunately, we don't produce it when we're adults.

But curcumin activates telomerase.³ That helps preserve and lengthen telomeres so your aging process slows down. Your skin stays biologically younger. 

Longer telomeres translate to moist and dewy skin like you had in your 20s. It means lines and wrinkles appear smoother, and skin looks more firm and tight. 

In Bali, India and many other countries, turmeric is an essential part of beauty treatments.  Traditional healers may not know about telomere science, but they can see the real results of this healing plant.

When applied to the skin, turmeric can help stop inflammation. It has been used to treat acne, eczema and rosacea. It can also help soften the look of fine lines and wrinkles.

That's why I often recommend a once-a-week turmeric mask to my patients. It's easy to make:

• Combine two tablespoons each of dried turmeric, organic honey and yogurt in a bowl. 
• Mix until it forms a paste. Add more yogurt if it's too thick. 
• Apply the paste to clean skin and leave on for 20 minutes. 
• Wash off with warm water. 

Just be careful when you work with turmeric. The intense color will stain your clothes if it drips.  You may even notice a slight orange tinge to your skin. But that will fade quickly. 

To get all of the other anti-aging benefits of curcumin, I recommend cooking with turmeric every day. Add it to soups, stews, stir-fries, mayonnaise, salad dressings or scrambled eggs.  

Still, I find most of my patients don't eat enough turmeric. They do better with a supplement. But don't waste your money on one that doesn't really work.

Look for a supplement standardized to 90% or more "curcuminoids." It should also contain piperine, a black pepper extract that increases absorbency. (The ingredient label may say BioPerine.)

Take at least 500 mg a day, or 1,000 mg if you want to see even better benefits. 

I believe so strongly in the anti-aging power of curcumin, I've included it my new supplement.  

To Your Good Health,

Al Sears, MD, CNS

1. Sordillo PP, Helson L. "Curcumin and cancer stem cells: curcumin has asymmetrical effects on cancer and normal stem cells." Anticancer Res. 2015;35(2):599-614.
2. Kaare Christensen, et al. "Perceived age as clinically useful biomarker of ageing: cohort study," BMJ 2009;339:b5262.
3. Xiao Z, Zhang A, Lin J, et al. "Telomerase: a target for therapeutic effects of curcumin and a curcumin derivative in aβ1-42 insult in vitro." PLoS One. 2014;9(7):e101251.

$1 Cure for All Disease

By Al Sears, MD Dear Health Conscious Reader, When I first wrote about the "$1 Cure for All Disease," the first thing many of you asked was, "Where can we buy it?" Well, I wasn't selling it. I was simply sharing groundbreaking news about a powerful spice that was healing all kinds of diseases in people all around the world, because that's what I do. It's my mission to make sure you know about the latest in alternative treatments, and hear the truth that you won't get from mainstream doctors or Big Pharma. Which is why I was shouting the praises of curcumin from the rooftops — long before it became "famous." But there's a problem with most curcumin supplements. As powerful as the spice is, if your body can't absorb it, it won't do you any good. And as more and more manufacturers hopped on the bandwagon, more and more ineffective supplements flooded the market. I realized that if I was going to keep preaching about this incredible wonder pill, I had to make sure my readers had the best curcumin product available to them. Because the wrong curcumin supplement won't do you a bit of good. So, my researchers and I set about formulating the most powerful curcumin supplement in the world. And I believe we did it. Not only does it harness the power of curcumin and amplify it beyond compare, it also contains three other ingredients that you won't find in combination in any other curcumin supplement. One of them — galangal — was so rare I had to go find it myself so the manufacturer could put it in the formula. This is what five pounds of curcumin looks like. When I think about the healing power I'm holding in my hands, it's almost overwhelming! Now I have these beautiful golden capsules in my hands, and I'm racing to get it to all of my employees and patients at the Sears Institute for Anti-Aging Medicine. Because EVERYONE can benefit from this incredible pill. It has over 615 health benefits, supported by more than 6,600 scientific studies. It's that powerful. And it's finally here. If anything has ever been worth the wait, it's this golden miracle pill. I have a lot more to tell you about this powerful supplement. I've already talked about its power over cancer and diabetes… tomorrow I'm going to tell you the incredible things it can do for your brain. To Your Good Health, Al Sears, MD, CNS

Is Curcumin A Telomerase Regulator?

This post contains affiliate links. Click here for the full disclosure statement.

The smartest spice in your kitchen

By Al Sears MD

Dear Health Conscious Reader,

Big Pharma has a huge arsenal of cancer drugs. But they all have one fatal flaw. They kill healthy cells along with the cancer cells.

That's why chemo drugs result in such toxic and devastating side effects. They can't tell a good cell from a diseased cell.

Nature doesn't have the same blind spot. Let me give you just one example.

Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a healing plant that's been used for over 4,000 years. It's the foundation of the ancient Ayurvedic system of medicine in India. 

I've seen traditional healers in India, Bali, Jamaica and Africa use this one root to treat the common cold and allergies… liver disease… sore joints… fevers… and earaches.  And I saw how strong — mentally and physically — their village elders were. Modern research proves why. 

Studies show turmeric helps reverse many of the chronic illnesses we associate with aging, including Alzheimer's… heart disease… diabetes… and even cancer.¹And it works by protecting your telomeres. 

You know by now that telomeres are like little fuses at the ends of your chromosomes. They prevent DNA strands from unraveling.   

As cells in your body divide, the fuses burn down. When your telomeres get too short, your cells stop dividing. New cells no longer replace damaged ones. And you begin to develop the symptoms and diseases of old age.

New research shows that curcumin, the yellow pigment in turmeric, helps stop your telomeres from shortening. And it may actually help your telomeres grow longer.

You see, curcumin activates the enzyme telomerase that helps preserve and lengthen telomeres.² So your aging process slows down. And you avoid many of the diseases of aging.

But there's another side to the telomere story. In cancer cells, telomerase also helps maintain telomere length.³ It can help unhealthy cells — like cancer — keep from dividing and spreading.

And this is why I call turmeric the smartest spice in your kitchen. Curcumin knows the difference between a healthy cell and a cancer cell. A recent study from Singapore found that curcumin works differently in cancer cells. It inhibits telomerase activity and leads to telomere shortening in cancer cells.⁴

In other words, curcumin is a telomerase regulator. It turns on telomerase in normal cells, but turns it off in unhealthy cells. 

None of Big Pharma's drugs can do what curcumin can. But your doctor will never prescribe it. It's all natural and they can't make a profit.

I recommend this miracle root to all my patients. I buy fresh turmeric root in an Indian specialty shop near my home in South Florida. You can also find it in many health food stores.

I like to use the fresh root in the kitchen. I grate it like ginger and add it to soups, stews, stir-fries, rice or lentil dishes. I try to use some every day for the anti-aging benefits.

You can also buy ground turmeric, but make sure it's all turmeric and not mixed with curry. Here's a recipe I use for a dry rub for lamb and chicken. It's delicious!

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin	• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander	• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric	• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garam masala	• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder	• Pinch of sea salt

In this country we don't use enough turmeric in our food to get the full health benefits of curcumin. That's why I recommend curcumin supplements to my patients. But don't waste your money on one that doesn't really work.

Curcumin is the main beneficial component of turmeric root, so look for at least 90% or greater "curcuminoids." And most curcumin supplements are not absorbed well. Find one with piperine (an extract from black pepper). It increases the bioavailability by 2,000%.

Take at least 500 mg, or 1,000 mg if you want to see even better benefits. 

To Your Good Health,

Al Sears, MD, CNS

---

1. Sordillo PP, Helson L. "Curcumin and cancer stem cells: curcumin has asymmetrical effects on cancer and normal stem cells." Anticancer Res. 2015;35(2):599-614.
2. Xiao Z, Zhang A, Lin J, et al. Telomerase: a target for therapeutic effects of curcumin and a curcumin derivative in aβ1-42 insult in vitro. PLoS One. 2014;9(7):e101251.
3. Shippen-Lentz, D. and Blackburn, E.H. "Functional evidence for an RNA template in telomerase." Science. 1990; 247: 546–552
4. Khaw AK, Hande MP, Kalthur G, Hande MP. "Curcumin inhibits telomerase and induces telomere shortening and apoptosis in brain tumour cells." J Cell Biochem. 2013;114(6):1257-70.

What Is Stem Cell Cancer? The root of tumor formation and malignancy.

This post contains affiliate links. Click here for the full disclosure statement.

Dear Health Conscious Reader, Why is it that if you're unfortunate enough to get cancer, your only option is to see an oncologist who will almost certainly recommend radiation, surgery or chemotherapy drugs? One reason is that it's all they know. Conventional doctors are only educated to use the tools of modern medical technology. But there's another reason that's very concerning… Chemotherapy drugs are making oncologists very, very rich. You see, most doctors will just write you a prescription for a drug. But not oncologists. They buy these drugs at wholesale prices then sell them to cancer patients at marked-up prices. They're the only specialists in mainstream medicine that are allowed to profit directly from the sale of a drug. And they depend on that money. It's estimated that selling chemo drugs makes up 2/3 of cancer doctors' incomes! Now, I don't want to say they're all crooks. That's a lot of money. And even good people with good intentions can be influenced by that kind of financial incentive. Exclusion of natural therapies is universal. If there are cancer doctors out there who recommend these remedies, I haven't met them. Not a single one. In fact, if you're a cancer patient, they'll likely tell you to toss out any supplements you're taking. When I see a patient with cancer, I often feel like it's a war between me and their oncologist… with the patient stuck in the middle. I understand that getting a cancer diagnosis is scary. And that most people would be willing to pay any price for a cure.   The good news is you don't have to. Mother Nature has powerful cancer-killers that not only destroy cancer cells… butprevent them from ever forming in the first place. And two of the most powerful weapons in her cancer-fighting arsenal are galangaland turmeric. Their ability to wipe out deadly cancer cells is so remarkable, I like to call them nature's "1-2 cancer punch." The root of the galangal plant has been used in Southeast Asian cooking and traditional medicine for thousands of years. And it's loaded with cancer-fighting compounds like beta-sitosterol, galangin and emodin. In studies: Beta-sitosterol decreased cancer cell growth by 24% and induced programmed cell death fourfold in a line of prostate cancer cells.1 Galangin killed human colon cancer cells.2 Emodin suppressed tumors and improved immunity.3 And there's more… One study from Thailand showed that galangal is effective at treating different kinds of throat cancer.4 Another showed that it inhibits the growth of a type of gut bacteria that's been linked to gastrointestinal cancers.5 In England, researchers found that an extract of galangal triggered enzymes that help cells rid themselves of carcinogens. It also killed breast and lung cancer cells.6 If galangal is Mother Nature's jab, turmeric is her right hook. The root of the turmeric plant contains a powerful compound called curcumin. It's what gives Indian curry dishes their yellow color. It's an age-old cure in India for everything from smallpox to sprains! But curcumin's ability to fight cancer is nothing short of extraordinary. In fact, curcumin is known to target 10 separate factors that can lead to cancer. You'd have a good shot at preventing cancer by just eliminating one factor… imagine eliminating 10! Studies have shown that curcumin:7 Triggers programmed cell death in breast cancer cells Targets destruction of cancer-cell mitochondria while leaving healthy cells alone Halts replication of cancerous cells Prevents DNA damage Targets cancer stem cells, which are at the root of tumor formation and malignancy Both galangal and curcumin are loaded with antioxidants, which neutralize and remove dangerous free radicals from your body. They're also great at reducing inflammation. That's the main cause of cancer and the other chronic diseases we face today. So why don't oncologists tell their patients about these two wonder plants? Because they're cheap and readily available. And by giving you a REAL cure, they'd be giving up their cash cow. Get the benefits of galangal and curcumin at home...Order Now! I love to cook with both galangal and turmeric. Both roots make great additions to stir fry dishes and stews. You can get fresh turmeric root at Indian specialty shops. Fresh galangal is available at Asian markets, but I recommend the dried root. It keeps longer. Both are also available in supplement form. For curcumin, look for a turmeric supplement that contains the black pepper extract piperine (also called Bioperine). It increases absorption of curcumin by as much as 2,000%! Also, choose one with at least 90% curcuminoids. I recommend 500-1,000 mg taken twice daily. Galangal is available in capsule form and as a powder. You can also find it in tinctures mixed with ginger. Take 100 mg twice a day. I believe so strongly in the cancer-fighting powers of galangal and curcumin, I'm putting them both in a new supplement. Look for more information very soon… To Your Good Health, Al Sears, MD, CNS 1. von Holtz RL, Fink CS, Awad AB. Beta-Sitosterol activates the sphingomyelin cycle and induces apoptosis in LNCaP human prostate cancer cells. Nutr Cancer. 1998;32(1):8-12. PMID 9824850 2. Ha TK, Kim NE, Youn JH, Bae SJ. Galangin induces human colon cancer cell death via the mitochondrial dysfunction and capase-dependent pathway. Exp. Biol Med (Maywood). 2013 Sep; 238(4): 1047-54. 3. Xuemei J, et al. Emodin suppresses pulmonary metasis of breast cancer cells accompanied with decreased machrophage recruitment and M2 polarization in the lungs. Breast Cancer Res. Treat. 2014 Nov; 148(2): 291-302. 4. Wiratchanee M, et al. Cytotoxic activity of Thai medicinal plants against human cholangiocarcinoma, laryggeal and hepatocarcinoma cells in vitro. BMC Complement Altern. Med. 2010; 10:55. Published online 2010. Sept. 28. 5. Bhamarapravati, S. et al. Extracts of spice and food plants from Thai traditional medicine inhibit the growth of human carcinogen Helicobacter pylori. In Vivo. 2003, Nov-Dec.; 17 (6):541-4. 6. King's College London. Thai curry ingredient has anti-cancer properties. 03 Feb 2005. 7. Life Extension Magazine. How Curcumin Protects Against Cancer. March 2011.