Modern Longevity Supplements Commonly Used

#1 Vitamin B₁₂

This is the most obvious and least controversial longevity supplement because every physiology needs it, and vegans and other vegetarian often don’t get enough. It is vital for cell health, and a lack of this vitamin can lead to serious consequences, such as pernicious anemia.

Scientific Evidence in Animals: A

Scientific Evidence in Humans: A

Cost: Reasonable, but sometimes high

References

• Green R, Allen LH, Bjørke-Monsen AL, Brito A, Guéant JL, Miller JW, Molloy AM, Nexo E, Stabler S, Toh BH, Ueland PM, Yajnik C. Vitamin B₁₂ deficiency. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2017 Jun 29;3:17040. doi: 10.1038/nrdp.2017.40. Erratum in: Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2017 Jul 20;3:17054. PMID: 28660890.
• Gana W, De Luca A, Debacq C, Poitau F, Poupin P, Aidoud A, Fougère B. Analysis of the Impact of Selected Vitamins Deficiencies on the Risk of Disability in Older People. Nutrients. 2021 Sep 10;13(9):3163. doi: 10.3390/nu13093163. PMID: 34579039; PMCID: PMC8469089.

# 2 Vitamin D

If you don’t go out in the sun, you may have a problem with Vitamin D, which is essential for the absorption of calcium and phosphorus for the maintenance of bones and teeth. It also helps with the functioning of the immune system and it is thought to play a beneficial role with certain physical and mental disorders. The form known as vitamin D₃ is usually recommended, but D₂ is also effective. The big question is the dose. When taking Vitamin D supplements, it is possible to take too much and elevate calcium levels so high that you create unwanted side-effects. Check with your health expert and be tested regularly.

Scientific Evidence in Animals: A

Scientific Evidence in Humans: A

Cost: Reasonable, but sometimes high

References

• Roth DE, Abrams SA, Aloia J, Bergeron G, Bourassa MW, Brown KH, Calvo MS, Cashman KD, Combs G, De-Regil LM, Jefferds ME, Jones KS, Kapner H, Martineau AR, Neufeld LM, Schleicher RL, Thacher TD, Whiting SJ. Global prevalence and disease burden of vitamin D deficiency: a roadmap for action in low- and middle-income countries. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2018 Oct;1430(1):44-79. doi: 10.1111/nyas.13968. Epub 2018 Sep 18. PMID: 30225965; PMCID: PMC7309365.
• Touvier M, Deschasaux M, Montourcy M, Sutton A, Charnaux N, Kesse-Guyot E, Assmann KE, Fezeu L, Latino-Martel P, Druesne-Pecollo N, Guinot C, Latreille J, Malvy D, Galan P, Hercberg S, Le Clerc S, Souberbielle JC, Ezzedine K. Determinants of vitamin D status in Caucasian adults: influence of sun exposure, dietary intake, sociodemographic, lifestyle, anthropometric, and genetic factors. J Invest Dermatol. 2015 Feb;135(2):378-388. doi: 10.1038/jid.2014.400. Epub 2014 Sep 11. PMID: 25211176.

# 3 Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a well-known antioxidant with many important functions for healthy aging. Studies confirm, for example, that it reduces the severity and duration of a cold. Another study of elderly adults showed that those with higher blood levels of vitamin C performed better on mental tasks involving attention and memory.

Scientific Evidence in Animals: A

Scientific Evidence in Humans: A

Cost: Reasonable, but occasional high

References

• Hemilä H, Chalker E. Vitamin C for preventing and treating the common cold. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013 Jan 31;2013(1):CD000980. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD000980.pub4. PMID: 23440782; PMCID: PMC8078152.
• Hemilä H. Vitamin C and Infections. Nutrients. 2017 Mar 29;9(4):339. doi: 10.3390/nu9040339. PMID: 28353648; PMCID: PMC5409678.
• Travica N, Ried K, Sali A, Hudson I, Scholey A, Pipingas A. Plasma Vitamin C Concentrations and Cognitive Function: A Cross-Sectional Study. Front Aging Neurosci. 2019 Apr 2;11:72. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2019.00072. PMID: 31001107; PMCID: PMC6454201.
• Pham-Huy LA, He H, Pham-Huy C. Free radicals, antioxidants in disease and health. Int J Biomed Sci. 2008 Jun;4(2):89-96. PMID: 23675073; PMCID: PMC3614697.
• Kim MK, Sasazuki S, Sasaki S, Okubo S, Hayashi M, Tsugane S. Effect of five-year supplementation of vitamin C on serum vitamin C concentration and consumption of vegetables and fruits in middle-aged Japanese: a randomized controlled trial. J Am Coll Nutr. 2003 Jun;22(3):208-16. doi: 10.1080/07315724.2003.10719295. PMID: 12805247.

#4 Zinc

Zinc is an essential trace mineral, acting as a cofactor for over 300 different enzymes, and plays a critical role in many important functions in the body. Zinc deficiency has been associated with both disease and aging.

Scientific Evidence in Animals: A

Scientific Evidence in Humans: A

Cost: Reasonable

References

• Hou R, He Y, Yan G, Hou S, Xie Z, Liao C. Zinc enzymes in medicinal chemistry. Eur J Med Chem. 2021 Dec 15;226:113877. doi: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2021.113877. Epub 2021 Sep 30. PMID: 34624823.
• Prasad, Ananda S.: “Discovery of Human Zinc Deficiency: Its Impact on Human Health and Disease”, March 6 2013, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3649098/
• Afzali A, Goli S, Moravveji A, Bagheri H, Mirhosseini S, Ebrahimi H. The effect of zinc supplementation on fatigue among elderly community dwellers: A parallel clinical trial. Health Sci Rep. 2021 May 19;4(2):e301. doi: 10.1002/hsr2.301. PMID: 34027128; PMCID: PMC8133867.

# 5 Multivitamin and Mineral Supplements

A good supplement which includes the recommended daily dose of vitamins and minerals is helpful to ensure better health and aging. We have covered some of the basic vitamins and minerals, but there are, of course, more.

Scientific Evidence in Animals: A

Scientific Evidence in Humans: A

Cost: Reasonable, but sometimes quite high

References

• Moyer VA, U. S. Preventive Services Task Force. Vitamin, mineral, and multivitamin supplements for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer: U.S. Preventive services Task Force recommendation statement. Ann Intern Med. 2014;160(8):558–64. PMID: 24566474. 10.7326/M14-0198
• Fairfield KM. Vitamin supplementation in disease prevention. Seres D, ed. Waltham, MA: UpToDate. http://www​.uptodate.com. Accessed December 7, 2018: 2020.
• National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health. Vitamins and Minerals. https://nccih​.nih.gov/health/vitamins. Accessed: July 31, 2020.

# 6 Antioxidants

Many vitamins such as Vitamin E, vitamin A, beta carotene, and vitamin C, are antioxidants. It may be that antioxidants help tissue damage, but the latest research shows that they do not actually extend life.

Scientific Evidence in Animals: A

Scientific Evidence in Humans: C

Cost: Reasonable

References

• Lifespan: Why We Age—and Why We Don’t Have To by David Sinclair and Mathew LaPlante, ‎Atria Books; Illustrated edition 2019
• Macpherson H, Pipingas A, Pase MP. Multivitamin-multimineral supplementation and mortality: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Am J Clin Nutr. 2013 Feb;97(2):437-44. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.112.049304. Epub 2012 Dec 19. PMID: 23255568.
• Sesso HD, Christen WG, Bubes V, Smith JP, MacFadyen J, Schvartz M, Manson JE, Glynn RJ, Buring JE, Gaziano JM. Multivitamins in the prevention of cardiovascular disease in men: the Physicians’ Health Study II randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2012 Nov 7;308(17):1751-60. doi: 10.1001/jama.2012.14805. PMID: 23117775; PMCID: PMC3501249.
• Bjelakovic G, Nikolova D, Gluud LL, Simonetti RG, Gluud C. Mortality in randomized trials of antioxidant supplements for primary and secondary prevention: systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA. 2007 Feb 28;297(8):842-57. doi: 10.1001/jama.297.8.842. Erratum in: JAMA. 2008 Feb 20;299(7):765-6. PMID: 17327526.

# 7 Fiber

We don’t normally think of fiber as a supplement so including it may be going too far. Fiber, however, is definitely good for you and your microbiome and is often lacking in people’s diets. Vegetables,whole grains, fruits, nuts, and seeds are the best natural sources of fiber.

Scientific Evidence in Animals: A

Scientific Evidence in Humans: A

Cost: Reasonable

References

• Park Y, Subar AF, Hollenbeck A, Schatzkin A. Dietary fiber intake and mortality in the NIH-AARP diet and health study. Arch Intern Med. 2011 Jun 27;171(12):1061-8. doi: 10.1001/archinternmed.2011.18. Epub 2011 Feb 14. PMID: 21321288; PMCID: PMC3513325.
• Yang J, Wang HP, Zhou L, Xu CF. Effect of dietary fiber on constipation: a meta analysis. World J Gastroenterol. 2012 Dec 28;18(48):7378-83. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v18.i48.7378. PMID: 23326148; PMCID: PMC3544045.

#8 Probiotic

This is one of the most active areas of research and it is clear that for many people probiotics have helped in a number of different digestive disorders. They are a part of health traditions and there are currently a large number of clinical trials studying their effects on different disorders Do probiotics extend our lifespan? We still don’t know.

Scientific Evidence in Animals: A

Scientific Evidence in Humans: B

Cost: Reasonable, but sometime high

References

• Dale HF, Rasmussen SH, Asiller ÖÖ, Lied GA. Probiotics in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: An Up-to-Date Systematic Review. Nutrients. 2019 Sep 2;11(9):2048. doi: 10.3390/nu11092048. PMID: 31480656; PMCID: PMC6769995.