Evolution of the Zone

First and foremost, Dr. Sears is a leading medical researcher. He’s the author of more than 50 scientific publications. He holds 14 U.S. patents in diverse areas, including intravenous drug delivery technology for cancer treatment, cardiovascular disease treatment, and insulin resistance reduction. He also has academic appointments at the University of Miami Medical School, Arizona State University, and the University of Cartagena in Columbia. For a complete scientific background on Dr. Sears, click here.

Dr. Sears' early research career had little to do with nutrition. He founded one of the first biotechnology companies in Massachusetts in 1976. Dr. Sears' first biotechnology company focused on developing lipid-based cancer drug delivery systems. One of his patents led to the first and only approved nanotechnology cancer drug (Doxil®), with over $10 billion in sales to date, and it continues to have annual sales of over $500 million. Those identical lipids Dr. Sears invented for cancer treatment nearly 40 years ago also made it possible to manufacture the various mRNA COVID-19 vaccines used today.

Dr. Sears’ research direction began to change in 1982 when the Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded for understanding the role of dietary omega-6 fatty acids in producing powerful pro-inflammatory hormones known as eicosanoids. He reasoned that he could potentially use his knowledge of lipids to develop a dietary system to reduce the levels of these powerful inflammatory eicosanoids associated with many chronic diseases. If successful, it would represent a quantum leap in medicine. His initial human studies were conducted with elite athletes who live in a world of constant inflammation by choice due to the intensity of their training. One of Dr. Sears’ early studies was undertaken with the Stanford University swimming teams. The Stanford swimmers he worked with won seven gold medals in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Not bad for one country, but remarkable for one university. Dr. Sears' early work with elite athletes was the foundation for developing his concept of Metabolic EngineeringTM.

The public awareness of the concept of the Zone began with the publication of his 1995 #1 New York Times bestseller, The Zone. The scientific foundation of Metabolic EngineeringTM was outlined in 1999 with the publication of The Anti-Aging Zone.

Dr. Sears has continued publishing ground-breaking books throughout the years. The OmegaRx Zone, published in 2001, started the fish oil revolution in the U.S. In 2005, The Anti-Inflammation Zone described the role of insulin resistance in many chronic disease conditions. The Mediterranean Zone, published in 2014, explained the role of polyphenols in reprogramming metabolism. His most recent book, The Resolution Zone, published in 2019, described how Metabolic EngineeringTM can reprogram the body’s ability to heal and repair inflammatory damage.

More than six million of his Zone books have been sold in the U.S. In addition, his books have been translated into more than 20 foreign languages.

Dr. Sears’ current research focuses on using Metabolic EngineeringTM to alter gene expression and slow aging. He continues his ongoing clinical research in Metabolic EngineeringTM at the non-profit Inflammation Research Foundation .