The Science of Living Forever (or a Really, Really Long Time)
Plus: Don’t Buy into Anti-Aging Supplements
Welcome back to Age Wise, exploring the science of improving physical health and mental wellness at every stage of life. This week, a rant about anti-aging supplements. But first, I’ve got something big to share, so I’m sending it out today instead of the normal Thursday…
As I promised recently, I’ve taken a deep dive into the science of longevity research and the prospects for significantly extending our time on this planet. The premise: It has been 30 years since scientists found a genetic quirk that doubled the lifespan of a lowly worm, kickstarting the modern quest for human immortality or, at the very least, extreme longevity. Billions of dollars are pouring into the research, much of it by billionaires investing in biotech startups that promise to “cure aging” or reverse the process. Lots of progress is being made. Yet life expectancy has been flat in most of the world, and it’s actually declining in the United States.
So I set out to investigate a few key questions:
Can aging be cured?
How long can humans really live?
What’s the true status of longevity research?
Why aren’t we living longer yet?
Would we even want to live forever?
Given its scope and length (a 20-minute read) I published it on Medium, but I hope you’ll give it a look next time you’re snuggled into your favorite reading nook, sitting on the toilet, or trying to put yourself to sleep at night, and let me know what you think. It’s here:
Meanwhile, just for you Age Wise subscribers, I rant on your behalf. Headlines like this one make my aging blood boil:
Which Anti-aging Supplements Are Best for Longevity?
The answer, as the article I saw this week makes clear while giving lots of ink to the possibilities: None.
Sadly, the article (which I’m not gonna link to given its bogus, clickbait headline) actually offers some reasoned information and conclusions about various anti-aging supplements: They’re not proven to work.
Here’s what the science says: There are no supplements proven to extend life. Some might eventually be proven to work, but the science just isn’t there. There are vitamins and supplements that can be helpful for certain medical conditions or as complementary nutrition for people who have challenges in their diets, but they should be taken under direction of a nutritionist or physician, not based on the advice of Uncle Joey. The better alternative for most healthy individuals: a good diet.
Yet there are a lot of supplements that we’ve been hoodwinked into exalting, whether by Uncle Joey, Tik Tok and YouTube claims, or by slick manufacturer advertisements. Two words, folks: snake oil.
I want you to keep a few important facts in mind next time you’re contemplating dietary supplements: They are not regulated by the FDA, so manufacturers don’t have to prove the products do what they claim; the supplements sometimes don’t even contain what’s on the label; many of them, tested independently, have more stuff in them than what they say, including stuff that’s not on the label. Learn more:
Take care of yourself, now and again.
—Rob
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