A patient recently asked me if he should consider taking the following supplements for “longevity:”
- Fisetin
- Ketone BHB Beta-Hydroxybutyrate
- Growth Hormone
- KB-500
- Magnesium L-Threonate
- Ion Water
Despite being overweight and prediabetic with high cholesterol, he wanted to know what supplements he could take to live longer.
Questions like these highlight why I cringe at the word longevity and where our understanding of longevity has gone wrong.
Why I Hate the Word Longevity
Nowadays, the idea of living longer is being co-opted by what I call the longevity industrial complex. This is an industry built on for-profit supplements, biohacking, expensive testing, IV lounges, peptides, stem cells, wearable devices, etc whose sole purpose is to sell you cake labeled as caviar. Most of these trends and supplements are unproven and simply don’t work the way they are marketed.
What’s worse is that many of these companies promoting longevity products are selling these products by taking advantage of patients’ medical naivety. Instead of promoting testing and therapeutics that can actually help you live longer, the longevity industrial complex now sells the illusion that aging can be hacked by simply buying the right supplement pack, injection, hormone protocol, wearable device, or subscribing to a clinic membership.
Reality of Aging Science
As with many things in life, we find that the truth to living longer in reality is far less glamorous. There is no magic pill, supplement, injection, or biohacking protocol that can dramatically extend human lifespan. However, there is good evidence supporting aging and longevity interventions that can help you live longer.
What Actually Works
Here are some healthy aging interventions that actually work and that are worth incorporating into your lifestyle:
- Maintaining a healthy body weight
- Consistent strength training
- Sleep optimization
- Recovery management
- Diet optimization
- Avoiding harmful chemicals (Tobacco, PFAS, Pro-Inflammatory substances)
- Limiting alcohol
- Stress mitigation
- Preventive health screening
- Optimizing Mental Health
The Hard Truth & Redefining Healthy Aging
While none of the above are as flashy as peptides or ion water, the interventions listed above are the things that will truly result in longevity.
The fact of the matter is that longevity is not about chasing the latest wellness trend. It is about building a body and lifestyle that allows you to remain functional, active, independent, and mentally sharp decades from now. This requires consistency and discipline that many in the longevity industrial complex can’t sell you on.
Shifting the Question
The real question is not:
“What can I take to live longer?”
The real question is:
“How do I maintain my strength, mobility, cognition, independence, and overall health for as long as possible?”
That may not sound as exciting as the latest longevity trend, but it is far more honest and evidence-based.
These are the things I highlight and share with you through my research, writing, and consultations.
