Supplements

50+ longevity supplements, from NAD+ and creatine to the latest polyphenols. Which earn their place on the shelf, and which are expensive urine.

Energy & Mitochondria

Treatment	Evidence	The honest take
Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALCAR)	Mixed / Early	ALCAR is a reasonable, well-tolerated option with the most credible support in older adults and for mental energy. For a healthy young person chasing laser
Alpha-Lipoic Acid (ALA)	Promising	ALA is a cheap, well-studied antioxidant with real, moderate support for nerve comfort and healthy blood sugar, more than most antioxidants can claim. Its
CoQ10 / Ubiquinol	Promising	CoQ10 is one of the more evidence-backed supplements in this book, especially for heart health and for people taking statins or past middle age. It won't t
Creatine	Strong	Creatine is the closest thing to a sure bet in this book: cheap, safe, exceptionally well studied, and genuinely useful for strength, muscle, and increasin
D-Ribose	Thin / Hype	D-ribose has a tidy mechanism and a loyal following, but for healthy people the controlled evidence mostly comes up empty. It may be worth watching for spe
NAD+ Boosters (NMN / NR)	Mixed / Early	NAD+ boosters are one of the most fascinating ideas in longevity and one of the most over-promised. They safely raise a molecule that matters, but the huma
PQQ	Mixed / Early	PQQ has one of the most exciting mechanisms in this section and one of the thinnest human evidence bases to match it. It's low-risk and might offer a subtl

Brain, Mood & Adaptogens

Treatment	Evidence	The honest take
Alpha-GPC	Mixed / Early	Alpha-GPC has a logical mechanism and works fast, but the human evidence for sharper thinking or bigger lifts in healthy people is thin and inconsistent. I
Ashwagandha	Strong	Ashwagandha is one of the few herbal supplements with genuinely solid human evidence, specifically for taking the edge off stress and supporting sleep. If
Bacopa Monnieri	Promising	Bacopa is one of the better-evidenced memory herbs, with several real human trials behind it. The catch is patience: it works slowly, modestly, and only wi
L-Theanine	Promising	L-Theanine is a cheap, safe, fast-acting way to take a little edge off stress and smooth out caffeine. Don't expect a dramatic transformation, its charm is
Lion's Mane	Mixed / Early	Lion's Mane is one of the more plausible natural nootropics, with a real mechanism and a few promising small trials. But the human evidence is still early
Magnesium L-Threonate	Mixed / Early	Getting enough magnesium is a smart, well-supported move for most people. Whether the premium-priced threonate form does anything extra for your brain is s
Rhodiola Rosea	Promising	Rhodiola is a reasonable bet if your main complaint is stress-related fatigue and mental tiredness. The evidence there is genuinely promising, even if it i
Saffron	Promising	Saffron is one of the more credible natural options for supporting mood, with a respectable run of human trials behind it. The catch is cost, the need for

Longevity Molecules & Senotherapeutics

Treatment	Evidence	The honest take
Apigenin	Thin / Hype	Apigenin is a cheap, gentle flavonoid that may help you wind down, but its starring role in NAD-focused longevity stacks rests on lab data and hype rather
Calcium Alpha-Ketoglutarate (Ca-AKG)	Mixed / Early	Ca-AKG pairs a sensible "restore what declines with age" rationale with eye-catching mouse data, but its human evidence is still thin and shaky. It is low-
Fisetin	Mixed / Early	Fisetin is one of the most intriguing supplements in the longevity world, riding a genuinely exciting senescent-cell mechanism. But the human evidence is n
Pterostilbene	Mixed / Early	Pterostilbene is a smarter-on-paper version of resveratrol, with absorption that finally makes sense. But the human evidence has not caught up to the chemi
Quercetin	Mixed / Early	Quercetin is a cheap, safe flavonoid with modest everyday benefits and a borrowed senolytic spotlight. The exciting longevity data belongs mostly to a pres
Resveratrol	Mixed / Early	Resveratrol is the cautionary tale of longevity supplements: a thrilling animal story that ran far ahead of the human evidence. It is cheap and safe enough
Spermidine	Promising	Spermidine is one of the more credible longevity compounds, backed by a respected mechanism and consistent animal data. The human evidence is promising rat
Urolithin A	Promising	Urolithin A is among the more credible newer longevity supplements, with genuine human trial data behind its muscle and mitochondrial claims. The benefits

Anti-Inflammatory & Polyphenols

Treatment	Evidence	The honest take
Astaxanthin	Mixed / Early	Astaxanthin is a safe, interesting antioxidant whose best human evidence is for supporting skin health and resilience, promising but not proven, and built
Berberine	Promising	Berberine is one of the more genuinely active compounds in this section, with real human support for blood-sugar and cholesterol markers. But it's potent,
Citrus Bergamot	Mixed / Early	Citrus bergamot is a promising, plant-based way to support healthy cholesterol and metabolic markers, backed by several encouraging but still-small trials.
Curcumin (Turmeric)	Promising	Curcumin is one of the more credible anti-inflammatory supplements, with the best evidence pointing toward joint comfort and lower inflammation markers, no
EGCG (Green Tea Extract)	Mixed / Early	Drinking green tea is a low-cost, low-risk habit with reassuring population data behind it. The concentrated EGCG capsules are a different story, modest be
Omega-3 Fatty Acids (Fish Oil)	Strong	If you're going to take one supplement from this section, omega-3s have the strongest case. The evidence is genuinely good for triglycerides, inflammation,
Sulforaphane	Mixed / Early	Sulforaphane has one of the cleanest mechanisms in this whole category and is worth getting from cruciferous vegetables regardless. As a targeted supplemen

Foundational Vitamins & Minerals

Treatment	Evidence	The honest take
Boron	Mixed / Early	Boron is a cheap, low-dose curiosity with a plausible role in bone and mineral health and some intriguing but preliminary hormone data. A small dose is low
Iodine	Mixed / Early	Iodine is essential, and a small, sensible intake prevents real problems, but it is emphatically not a "more is better" nutrient. If you use iodized salt o
Magnesium (Glycinate)	Mixed / Early	Magnesium glycinate is a low-cost, low-risk supplement that genuinely helps the many people who run short on this mineral, especially for sleep and tension
Selenium	Mixed / Early	Selenium is essential but needed only in trace amounts, and the safe window is narrow. If your diet is adequate, you likely do not need a supplement; if yo
Vitamin B12 & Folate	Mixed / Early	If you eat little animal food, are older, or test low, B12 and folate are among the most worthwhile supplements you can take. If your levels are normal, ex
Vitamin D	Mixed / Early	If you are deficient, vitamin D is one of the best-value corrections you can make. If you are already sufficient, more pills are unlikely to help and very
Vitamin K2	Mixed / Early	K2 has an elegant, plausible role and a clean safety profile for most people, which makes it a reasonable companion to vitamin D. Just keep expectations ho
Zinc	Mixed / Early	Zinc is essential and worth correcting if you are low, and lozenges may help at the first sign of a cold. But this is a mineral where chronic overdosing ge

Structural, Sleep & Everyday

Treatment	Evidence	The honest take
Collagen	Promising	Collagen is one of the better-supported "beauty" supplements, with real if modest evidence for skin elasticity and hydration. Treat it as a useful protein
Glucosamine & Chondroitin	Mixed / Early	A low-risk, low-cost option that helps some people and does nothing for many others. Given the mixed evidence, treat a 2–3 month trial as an experiment: if
Glycine	Promising	Cheap, safe, and genuinely promising for sleep quality, one of the better low-risk experiments in this book. The glutathione and longevity angles are intri
Hyaluronic Acid	Mixed / Early	As a topical, it is a genuinely good, low-risk hydrator, just expect cosmetic, not structural, results. The oral version has modest, early support for skin
Melatonin	Mixed / Early	For jet lag and resetting a shifted sleep schedule, melatonin is one of the best-supported tools in this book, but use it as a low-dose timing signal, not
NAC & Glutathione	Mixed / Early	NAC is a credible, affordable way to support your body's own master antioxidant, with solid underlying biology. But the sweeping anti-aging and skin-bright

Gut, Metabolic & Hormonal

Treatment	Evidence	The honest take
Electrolytes	Strong	For athletes, heavy sweaters, and people doing keto or fasting, electrolytes are a cheap, well-justified win that can quickly fix low-energy slumps. For se
Fadogia Agrestis	Thin / Hype	Fadogia is a striking example of hype racing far ahead of evidence: human data is essentially nonexistent, and the animal studies behind the hype also flag
Inositol	Promising	Inositol is cheap, safe, and has genuine human support for metabolic and hormonal balance in certain groups, making it one of the more reasonable "soft" su
Probiotics	Mixed / Early	For a specific job, surviving a round of antibiotics or calming an irritable gut, the right strain can genuinely help. As a daily longevity ritual for an a
Psyllium Fiber	Strong	If you only take one thing on this list for the unglamorous fundamentals, psyllium is a strong candidate. It is cheap, proven, and supports cholesterol, re
TMG (Betaine / Trimethylglycine)	Promising	TMG is cheap and genuinely lowers homocysteine, which is a reasonable reason to consider it, especially if your levels run high. Just be clear-eyed that th
Tongkat Ali	Mixed / Early	Tongkat Ali is one of the better-studied vitality herbs, with modest support for stress and libido, but the testosterone hype outruns the data, and the lac

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