Hardly any term in the supplement market is as loaded and as thinly supported as this one. Longevity promises a lot, and the closer you look, the less of it holds up. That is why we approach the topic differently than usual and start by sorting out what is actually being talked about.
Lifespan and healthspan
English has two words for this. Lifespan is how long someone lives. Healthspan is how long someone lives without significant limitations. On average there are quite a few years between the two.
If anything in the longevity discussion is a sensible goal, it is the second figure. It can be influenced, it can be measured, and the means for it are less spectacular than the market suggests.
What is actually considered established
The factors with the best evidence have been the same for decades and cost nothing: regular exercise with a strength and an endurance component, sufficient and regular sleep, a mainly plant-based diet rich in fibre, not smoking, moderate to no alcohol, social connection.
It is an inconvenient list, because you cannot sell anything with it. It still comes first here, because every honest engagement with the topic starts there. We have covered two of these points in more detail: sleep and recovery and strength and endurance in training.
The groups of substances you will come across
In the shops you will essentially meet four categories. It is worth keeping them apart, because the state of research differs a lot.
NAD precursors. These include NMN and NR. NAD is a coenzyme that occurs in many metabolic processes and whose concentration in tissue declines with age. The idea of influencing this decline via precursors is the subject of active research. So far there are no robust statements about an effect in humans.
Polyamines. Spermidine is the best known one. It occurs naturally in wheat germ, cheese and mushrooms. Here too the research is at an early stage.
Polyphenols. Resveratrol, OPC from grape seeds, curcumin. This group has been studied the longest, and the results from cell and animal models have so far only been confirmed in humans to a limited extent.
Antioxidants in the narrower sense. Here we are with the nutrients for which there really are confirmed statements.
The one area with established statements
Vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, zinc, copper, manganese and riboflavin contribute to the protection of cells from oxidative stress.
That is the only statement in this whole field that has been assessed and confirmed. It sounds more modest than what is printed on many longevity packs, and that is exactly the point.
With us you will find these nutrients among others as vitamin C and as vitamin E, both are part of our longevity selection.
How to judge offers in this field
- The more concrete a promised effect, the more sceptical you should be. For most substances in these categories there are no confirmed statements.
- Look at whether a study was carried out in humans or in cell cultures and mice. The difference is large.
- Check the amount in the product against the amount used in studies. It often differs considerably.
- Convert to the price per day before you compare. How that works is explained in the article on percentages on the pack.
What we can say about this and what we cannot
We carry products from all of the categories mentioned, because there is demand for them from people who engage with the subject in an informed way. What we do not do: claim more than can be said.
Where the research is at an early stage, we write that down instead of inventing a certainty that does not exist. That probably costs us the occasional purchase to suppliers who handle it differently. We still consider it the only position that will still stand in ten years.
Sources: authorised claims according to Regulation (EU) No 432/2012. Reference intakes according to Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 (FIC), Annex XIII.
Food supplements are not a substitute for a balanced, varied diet and a healthy lifestyle.
