A nutritional composition and method is provided in which telomerase expression can be safely activated in living cells. The nutritional composition can induce TERT mRNA or h-TERT mRNA and telomerase in vitro and in vivo while at the same time inhibiting potential side effects, helping to prevent certain types of cancer, and slowing the growth of any cancer cells that may exist in vivo. The method entails exposing cells to L-carnosine concentrations in the range of 51-100 mM or to a combination of L-carnosine and L-fucose in which the concentration of L-carnosine is 30-100 mM and the concentration of L-fucose is in the range from 0.1 micromolar to 100 mM.
