Supplements for longevity
concept · updated
A short, skeptical shelf. The rule of thumb from the reading: prefer the few well-studied, low-risk supplements; treat the anti-aging hype as unproven.
Well-supported
- Creatine (monohydrate). One of the most-studied supplements (~1,000+ studies); reliably increases muscle mass and supports cognition, with no known health risk (supplements notes). Vegetarians notice more effect (red meat already contains creatine). Caveats: drink plenty of water (kidney-stone risk); it skews the creatinine kidney marker, so tell your doctor; a possible, unconfirmed link to hair loss in DHT-sensitive people rests on one flawed 2009 study.
- Vitamin D — but test first. Standard adult dose ~600 IU; toxicity is real at very high chronic doses. Get a blood test, target 40–60 ng/ml, pair with K2 and magnesium, and expect it to take months to adjust (supplements notes).
Contested / not adopted
- Resveratrol — Sinclair popularized it, but newer studies suggest the mouse results don’t translate to humans, and he may have a financial interest. Flagged as controversial and not taken (supplements notes).
- NMN / metformin / rapamycin / HGH — part of Sinclair’s personal stack (source); noted from the reading but deliberately not adopted. Rapamycin is powerful but toxic; HGH/TRT shortcuts are treated as cautionary, not aspirational.
Buying rule
Only from large, reputable manufacturers; seek >98% purity and a GMP label. The behavioral levers (hormesis, sleep, strength) beat any pill.
Related
Citations
- Creatine — Examine.com
- Vitamin D toxicity — Mayo Clinic
- Resveratrol skepticism — Brad Stanfield
- Lifespan (Talk at Google) — David Sinclair
- Critique of Sinclair’s longevity claims — Charles Brenner
tags: health longevity supplements