longevitywatch
Answered questions

Interventions

255 answered questions · 1,621 studies
How much berberine do you need per day?
The best-supported doses range between 0.6 and 1 gram per day, depending on your goal. If you use metformin, discuss berberine…
Moderate evidence
How much probiotic do you need per day?
There is no universal daily dose for probiotics: how much you need depends strongly on the bacterial strain, the application,…
Moderate evidence
How much ashwagandha do you need per day?
For stress reduction, 240 to 500 mg per day already appears to have an effect; for safety, 600 mg per day has been studied for…
Yes · Moderate evidence
How much CoQ10 do you need per day?
There is no officially established daily dose of CoQ10 for healthy people. If you are considering supplementation, discuss it…
Insufficient evidence
How much iron do you need per day?
For healthy adults without a deficiency, compensating for 1 to 2 mg of iron per day through a varied diet is sufficient; if…
Yes · Moderate evidence
What do we really know about metformin and ageing?
Metformin may extend healthy years by helping to prevent disease, but whether it also slows ageing itself in healthy people…
Preliminary evidence
Can probiotics improve your health in later life?
Clinical studies into probiotics and ageing are ongoing, but results are not yet available. At this point there is too little…
Insufficient evidence
What can help women increase their libido?
There are several well-supported options depending on your life stage: for women after menopause, transdermal testosterone has…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Can clogged blood vessels be cleaned up again?
Early atherosclerosis can partially reverse, particularly with strong LDL lowering through statins or newer agents. The…
Yes · Moderate evidence
What really keeps your mouth and gums healthy?
Daily brushing supplemented with interdental brushes is the best foundation for a healthy mouth; if you have diabetes, regular…
Moderate evidence
Does gene therapy with klotho or follistatin work against ageing?
Gene therapy with Klotho shows promising results in mice and cells, but there are no human clinical data yet. The available…
Preliminary evidence
Does mewing really work for a sharper jawline?
There is no research whatsoever that has tested mewing in adults for a sharper jawline, and the available literature on jaw…
Insufficient evidence
Does an adrenal cocktail actually work?
The adrenal cocktail has never been tested in humans and rests on an assumption, exhausted adrenal glands caused by stress,…
No · Preliminary evidence
Does a vampire facial (PRP) work against skin ageing?
PRP has a modest, probably real effect on skin thickness and elasticity, but does little for wrinkles or pigmentation spots.…
Moderate evidence
Does whole-body cryotherapy actually work for your health?
For specific applications, such as pain following knee surgery and possibly improved lipid levels, WBC shows small positive…
Preliminary evidence
Does plasma exchange (plasmapheresis) work against ageing?
There are initial, cautiously positive indications from one small study, but it is too small and too influenced by commercial…
Preliminary evidence
Does a NAD infusion (IV drip) make sense?
There is no clinical evidence that a NAD infusion does anything for your health or ageing. Oral NAD supplements do…
Preliminary evidence
Does ergothioneine work as a longevity supplement?
Ergothioneine shows a positive signal in a small study of older adults with memory complaints, but it is too early for firm…
Preliminary evidence
Does mouth taping help you sleep better?
For healthy sleepers there is too little evidence to recommend mouth taping, and if you have a blocked nose it is risky. If…
Preliminary evidence
Does nattokinase work against blood clots and for your heart?
A large randomised trial found no measurable benefit whatsoever from nattokinase for the heart or blood clotting in humans…
No · Moderate evidence
Does rosemary oil really work for hair growth?
Rosemary oil performs as well as minoxidil 2% in one small study, but dermatologists do not yet recommend it; feel free to use…
Preliminary evidence
Do gua sha and microcurrent devices work against skin ageing?
Both gua sha and electrical devices show measurable effects on skin ageing in small studies, but they work in different ways:…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Do copper peptides (GHK-Cu) work in skincare?
GHK-Cu shows positive effects on collagen and skin in the lab, but clinical evidence in humans is absent. Do not expect too…
Preliminary evidence
Does snail mucin actually work for your skin?
Snail mucin shows promising effects in laboratory and cell studies, but clinical evidence in humans is still largely absent.…
Preliminary evidence
Does a low dose of lithium help protect the ageing brain?
There are preliminary indications that low doses of lithium may offer brain protection, but the evidence is still too thin and…
Preliminary evidence
Do functional mushrooms like reishi and cordyceps actually work?
Medicinal mushrooms such as reishi show promising effects in the laboratory, but convincing evidence in humans is still…
Preliminary evidence
Does apigenin help you sleep better?
There are only preliminary signals from observational and animal research; clinical evidence in humans is entirely absent. If…
Preliminary evidence
Is sea moss (Irish moss) a worthwhile supplement?
As a food it is allowed, but be careful with the dose. Sea moss (Irish moss) is no miracle cure and the biggest risk is too…
Insufficient evidence
Does shilajit actually work as a supplement?
Be careful. There is little strong evidence that shilajit works, it has no authorised novel-food status in the EU, and…
Preliminary evidence
Do exosomes in skincare really work?
There are preliminary indications that exosomes may do something for the skin, but the clinical evidence is very thin: one…
Preliminary evidence
Does earthing (grounding) actually work for your health?
There are preliminary indications that earthing may improve pain, fatigue and sleep, but the studies are still too small and…
Preliminary evidence
Do polynucleotide or salmon DNA facial treatments actually work?
There are cautious indications that polynucleotide injections may improve the skin around the eyes, but well-controlled…
Preliminary evidence
Does calcium-AKG lower your biological age?
Reliable evidence that calcium-AKG lowers biological age in humans is still lacking. The widely cited claim of 8 years younger…
Preliminary evidence
Does lion's mane really work for your brain?
Lion's mane shows cautiously positive signals for attention and working memory in small studies, but the evidence is still too…
Preliminary evidence
Is colostrum (beestings) a worthwhile supplement?
For now, colostrum has the strongest indications as an aid against respiratory tract infections in athletes; for most other…
Preliminary evidence
Does methylene blue really work for your energy and brain?
Do not take this as a supplement. Methylene blue is a registered medicine and industrial dye, not a food, and not authorised…
Preliminary evidence
Do you really need electrolyte supplements?
If you are healthy and eat or exercise normally, evidence that electrolyte supplements offer you any benefit is lacking. In…
Preliminary evidence
Does the Wim Hof Method really work?
The WHM shows positive effects in small studies in specific patient groups, but whether those benefits are unique to the…
Preliminary evidence
Does microneedling work for wrinkles and scars?
Microneedling demonstrably works for wrinkles and acne scars, with radiofrequency microneedling being the variant with the…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does liposomal vitamin C work better than regular vitamin C?
Liposomal vitamin C reaches higher concentrations in your blood than the regular form, but whether that actually does anything…
Moderate evidence
Does boron increase your testosterone?
Boron may modestly raise free testosterone in some people, particularly those who are deficient, but for healthy men who…
Preliminary evidence
Does taking glycine help you sleep better?
Glycine shows tentatively positive signals, but the evidence is thin and the only direct human study comes from the…
Preliminary evidence
Does tongkat ali actually work for your testosterone?
Do not use it, even though it probably does raise your testosterone. The European food safety authority EFSA found signs that…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Is ubiquinol better than regular CoQ10?
Ubiquinol is better absorbed in small studies, but the formulation of a product matters at least as much. Choose a…
Moderate evidence
Does St. John's wort affect how your medications work?
St. John's wort lowers the blood levels of dozens of medications and can have serious consequences, such as transplant…
Yes · Strong evidence
Which supplements are best avoided when taking blood thinners?
Several commonly used supplements, particularly ginkgo biloba, cranberry, and St. John's wort, can dangerously amplify or…
Moderate evidence
Should you take copper supplements when you take high doses of zinc?
High zinc intake can lower your copper levels, but automatically adding a copper supplement is not the answer; have your blood…
Moderate evidence
Is it better not to take iron and calcium together?
For healthy people without medication, strictly spacing intake is probably not necessary, as long-term studies show no…
Moderate evidence
Does creatine work better with carbohydrates?
Insulin can promote creatine uptake in muscles, but at the same time a large carbohydrate meal slows intestinal absorption.…
Preliminary evidence
When is the best time to take fisetin?
There is no evidence-based best time to take fisetin — and a step back: isolated fisetin has no novel-food authorisation in…
Insufficient evidence
Does creatine put a strain on your kidneys?
In healthy individuals, creatine (3-5 g/day) demonstrably does not put a strain on the kidneys. If you are taking medications…
No · Strong evidence
Is ashwagandha safe for your liver?
Ashwagandha can cause liver damage, including in people without known liver disease, and regulators see wider risks. The RIVM…
No · Moderate evidence
Can you get too much vitamin D?
Too much vitamin D is genuinely harmful, but that risk only arises at blood levels far above the recommended values. Stick to…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Can you take too much magnesium?
Yes, too much magnesium can be harmful, particularly through intravenous administration or repeated use of laxatives. With…
Yes · Preliminary evidence
Do you need to do a loading phase with creatine?
You do not need a loading phase to ultimately achieve the same effect, but if you are older and want to gain muscle strength…
Moderate evidence
How much curcumin should you take per day?
There is no universal optimal dose of curcumin: for osteoarthritis and cardiovascular risk factors, 1000 to 1500 mg per day…
Moderate evidence
Is magnesium L-threonate better for your brain?
MgT has preliminary indications that it raises brain magnesium more effectively and may support cognition, but the evidence in…
Preliminary evidence
Which form of vitamin B12 is best to take?
For most people, the chemical form of the supplement matters little, as long as you get enough of it. If you eat a fully…
Moderate evidence
Does eating less help you live longer?
In laboratory animals the effect on lifespan is well established, but in healthy humans direct evidence is lacking. A moderate…
Moderate evidence
Is pterostilbene better than resveratrol?
Pterostilbene is absorbed more efficiently than resveratrol and more often outperforms it in laboratory and mouse research,…
Preliminary evidence
Does taking glutathione make sense, or does it get broken down in your gut?
Oral glutathione measurably raises levels in your blood, but only for as long as you take it and only in readily accessible…
Preliminary evidence
What works better to raise NAD+: NMN or NR?
NMN and NR raise blood NAD+ equally well, but there is an important legal difference: NR is authorised as a supplement in the…
Preliminary evidence
Is it better to take ashwagandha in the morning or in the evening?
More important than the timing: several regulators advise against ashwagandha. The Dutch RIVM warns against it (liver,…
Insufficient evidence
Which type of collagen is best to take?
For knee complaints, UC-II (type II, unprocessed, 40 mg/day) has the best-documented outcomes in RCTs, but the only…
Moderate evidence
Which form of zinc is best to take?
If you are choosing a zinc supplement, glycinate and gluconate are probably better options than zinc oxide, although that…
Moderate evidence
Is creatine monohydrate just as good as more expensive forms?
Creatine monohydrate works at least as well as more expensive alternatives and is the best-documented choice in terms of…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Is curcumin well absorbed by the body?
Standard curcumin supplements are poorly absorbed by the body. Combining them with black pepper (piperine) can improve…
No · Moderate evidence
Which form of magnesium is best to take?
Organic forms such as magnesium citrate or magnesium glycinate are better absorbed than magnesium oxide and are therefore the…
Moderate evidence
Is intermittent fasting good for longevity?
Intermittent fasting improves health markers such as weight and insulin sensitivity, but whether it also makes you live longer…
Moderate evidence
Do you really need calcium supplements for strong bones?
Whether you need calcium supplements depends strongly on your age and circumstances: for young, healthy women there is no…
Moderate evidence
Does fasting help your cells clean themselves up?
Fasting demonstrably activates the cellular clean-up pathway; for prolonged fasting, it can also accelerate muscle loss, so…
Yes · Preliminary evidence
Why do some cells stop dividing as you age?
Cells stop dividing as a protection against damage and cancer, but the accumulation of such stopped cells contributes over the…
What do zombie cells do to your aging?
Zombie cells accelerate ageing by secreting inflammatory substances that damage surrounding tissue. Therapies to remove or…
Why do older people become seriously ill from an infection more quickly?
Older people become seriously ill from infections more quickly because their immune system is less effective and a smouldering…
Does the flu shot work less well as you get older?
The flu shot demonstrably works less well in older adults than in younger people, but high-dose and other improved vaccines…
Yes · Strong evidence
What is the lower limit for vitamin B12 values?
There is no single universal lower limit for vitamin B12: it differs by measuring device, ethnicity, and life stage. Always…
What is the best way to measure vitamin B12?
Measuring serum B12 alone misses a true deficiency too often; when in doubt, combine it with MMA and take kidney function and…
What does caffeine do to your cells and their repair process?
Caffeine disrupts the guardians and repair mechanisms of DNA damage in cells, but what this means for ordinary daily coffee…
Can heat, such as a sauna, damage your cells or actually make them stronger?
Moderate heat, such as a sauna, prompts cells to protect themselves and, with repeated exposure, may even make them somewhat…
Does a consistent morning routine with daylight help you fall asleep more easily in the evening?
A consistent morning routine with daylight helps sharpen your biological clock, allowing you to fall asleep earlier and more…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Why am I wide awake in the evening when I feel tired during the day?
Your biological clock and your chronotype determine when your body wants to be awake. When that clock does not align with your…
Why do some people develop better protection after vaccination than others?
How well you respond to a vaccine depends on your genetic predisposition, age, the condition of your immune system, and any…
Can using too much retinol actually damage your skin?
Doses that are too high or built up too quickly can damage the skin barrier and cause irritation; start low and increase…
Yes · Preliminary evidence
Can meditation do anything about ageing at the cellular level?
There are cautious indications that meditation may slow telomere shortening, but the results are inconsistent and the evidence…
Preliminary evidence
Can cognitive behavioural therapy help me sleep better long-term without pills?
CBT-I demonstrably produces lasting sleep improvement, even after the sessions end, something that does not apply to sleep…
Yes · Strong evidence
What does taking the pill for a long time do to your hormones when you stop?
After stopping the pill, your hormone balance generally recovers within a few weeks to months, regardless of how long you have…
Is mineral sunscreen better for your skin than chemical sunscreen?
Both types of sunscreen protect your skin, but there is no direct comparative study that identifies mineral sunscreen as the…
Preliminary evidence
How reliable is a saliva test for biological age?
A saliva test for biological age via DNA methylation provides a reasonable estimate with a margin of error of approximately 4…
Does a blue-light filter on my phone really affect my sleep?
A blue-light filter on your phone probably has little effect on your sleep. If you really want to improve your sleep through…
No · Moderate evidence
Does melatonin as a supplement really work for better sleep in older age?
Melatonin can modestly improve sleep in older adults, but the evidence is preliminary and little is known about long-term use.…
Preliminary evidence
Does CBD oil help you sleep better?
There is currently too little good research to say that CBD oil genuinely helps with sleep problems; if you suffer from them,…
Preliminary evidence
Does red light therapy really help against skin ageing?
Red light therapy shows positive effects on wrinkles and skin quality in small studies, but without large controlled trials it…
Preliminary evidence
Can cold showers make your cells healthier?
For people who do strength training, cold immersion makes muscle cells less capable of growing rather than more so, and the…
No · Preliminary evidence
Does regular sauna use protect your brain against decline?
Regular sauna use is associated with a notably lower risk of dementia, but the evidence comes from a single large…
Moderate evidence
Does watching a lot of television later in life affect your brain?
Watching more than 3.5 hours of television per day is associated with faster memory decline in people aged 50 and over,…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does zinc help with acne and healthier skin?
Zinc demonstrably reduces inflamed spots, but works less well than the usual treatments such as benzoyl peroxide. It is most…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Is reading every day good for your brain in the long run?
Daily reading is probably good for your brain, but the evidence is largely observational; a firm causal relationship in…
Yes · Preliminary evidence
Do your brains really shrink as you get older?
Your brain does indeed shrink measurably as you get older, but this far from always leads to noticeable cognitive decline.…
Does screen time (blue light) age your skin?
Whether your screen meaningfully ages your skin has not been proven; the light doses used in research were far higher than…
Preliminary evidence
Can meditation slow down your biological clock?
There are tentative indications that regular meditation is associated with slower biological ageing, but the evidence is still…
Preliminary evidence
What does a vitamin D deficiency do to your brain?
A vitamin D deficiency is associated with multiple brain-related problems, from depression to MS and sleep disorders. Check…
Does a face mask really work, or is it mostly just a treat for yourself?
An LED mask or a mask containing active ingredients such as salicylic acid works measurably better than doing nothing, but the…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does valerian really help you fall asleep faster?
Valerian probably does not help you fall asleep faster. Multiple independent review studies and a recent controlled trial…
No · Moderate evidence
Does aspirin or ibuprofen protect against colorectal cancer?
Aspirin demonstrably protects against colorectal cancer in people with a hereditary elevated risk (Lynch syndrome) and in…
Moderate evidence
Does echinacea really work against the common cold?
Echinacea has not been proven effective against the common cold. If you still want to try something, Echinacea purpurea…
No · Moderate evidence
Can fasting really rejuvenate your cells?
Fasting has clear cell-rejuvenating effects in animal research, but in humans the evidence is still limited to small studies…
Preliminary evidence
Can your skin get used to retinol so that it becomes less effective?
Your skin gets used to the side effects of retinol, such as flaking and redness, but not to the effect itself; the active…
Does taking cortisone for a long time weaken your bones?
Taking corticosteroids in tablet or injection form for a prolonged period clearly damages the bones, but your doctor can…
How do I know whether my fatigue is caused by my thyroid?
Thyroid blood tests can rule out or confirm whether your thyroid is the cause, but a mildly abnormal TSH alone does not…
Do peptides in skincare actually do anything?
Peptides in skincare probably help to some degree, particularly for sun-damaged skin, but the effect is modest and cannot be…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does beta-glucan help strengthen your immune system?
Beta-glucan has a biologically plausible effect on the immune system, demonstrated in part in humans as well, but for healthy…
Preliminary evidence
Do weighted blankets really help you sleep better?
A weighted blanket can reduce anxiety and improve sleep quality, but the evidence is still limited and largely based on small…
Preliminary evidence
Does your skin get thicker or thinner as you age?
Your skin thins at two levels with age: that is well established. Retinoid creams have the most support if you want to slow…
What is a cytokine storm?
A cytokine storm is a life-threatening dysregulation of the immune system in which signalling molecules accumulate in a…
Does using a night cream help?
A night cream improves hydration and, with consistent use, can also have a visible effect on wrinkles, pores, and skin tone.…
Yes · Moderate evidence
What is the difference between probiotics and postbiotics?
Postbiotics appear to work just as well as live probiotics for irritable bowel syndrome and are safer in people with a…
Does the sleep tracking feature on my smartwatch have any value?
Your smartwatch gives a useful indication of your sleep pattern, but accuracy varies considerably by device and it is not a…
Moderate evidence
Can breast cancer run in the family, and if so, should I get tested?
Breast cancer can be hereditary through mutations in genes such as BRCA1 or BRCA2. If this runs in your family, discuss with…
Yes · Strong evidence
Does magnesium help with insulin resistance?
There is a reasonable amount of evidence that magnesium has a beneficial effect on insulin resistance, particularly if your…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Is a colonoscopy the only way to detect bowel cancer early?
A colonoscopy is not the only way to detect bowel cancer early. Stool-based tests, CT scans and sigmoidoscopy are recognised…
No · Moderate evidence
Does cold showering boost your immune system?
Cold showering does not demonstrably improve immune function. There are some soft indications that regular cold practitioners…
No · Moderate evidence
Does bakuchiol work as well as retinol but more gently?
Bakuchiol appears to target skin aging through biological pathways similar to those of retinol and is clearly gentler on the…
Preliminary evidence
Can fasting reverse your biological age?
The provided source contains no data on fasting and biological ageing, so this question cannot be answered on the basis of…
Insufficient evidence
Can a bed that is too warm cause me to sleep worse?
A bed that is too warm disrupts your sleep; a slight drop in body temperature is actually necessary for falling asleep well.…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does magnesium really help you sleep better and keep your mind sharp?
Magnesium may help with sleep problems, but the evidence is still too limited and inconsistent to make firm claims. If you…
Moderate evidence
How does metformin work in the body?
Metformin lowers blood sugar primarily by inhibiting glucose production in the liver and through effects on the gut, but…
Does metformin help with weight loss?
Metformin helps with weight loss, but the effect is modest: expect a few kilograms, not a dramatic transformation. Lifestyle…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Can you take metformin without having diabetes?
There is limited evidence that metformin can reduce weight in people without diabetes, but the risks, including possible heart…
Preliminary evidence
What are the side effects of metformin?
Metformin causes gastrointestinal complaints such as diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting in a substantial proportion of users.…
How often should you have your HbA1c measured?
The ideal measurement frequency differs by situation: with prediabetes, annual monitoring is worthwhile; with type 2 diabetes,…
Moderate evidence
How do you lower a high HbA1c?
Several medications demonstrably lower HbA1c: the weekly semaglutide injection has the strongest evidence base, but oral…
Strong evidence
What does autophagy do for ageing and disease?
Autophagy is a genuine part of the ageing process and plays a role in many age-related diseases, but the translation into…
What are the side effects and risks of retatrutide?
Retatrutide causes gastrointestinal complaints in many users and a temporary increase in heart rate; serious side effects were…
Is retatrutide more effective than Ozempic?
Indirect comparisons suggest that retatrutide produces greater weight loss than semaglutide (Ozempic/Wegovy), but the drug has…
Moderate evidence
How many hours of fasting are needed to activate autophagy?
There is no proven hourly threshold for activating autophagy in humans. If you use this as a reason for a fasting pattern, be…
Does creatine help prevent muscle loss with GLP-1 medications like Ozempic?
Whether creatine genuinely helps preserve muscle during GLP-1 medication use is unknown, because it has never been directly…
Preliminary evidence
What should you avoid combining with creatine?
Combining creatine with statins calls for caution. Creatine raises a blood marker that doctors need in order to detect…
Preliminary evidence
Why don't doctors always recommend creatine?
Doctors often hesitate because creatine raises a standard blood marker for kidney function, but this does not reflect actual…
Does creatine cause hair loss?
Creatine does not cause hair loss: direct measurement of hair follicle health and the DHT hormone showed no difference…
No · Moderate evidence
Does creatine affect your sleep?
Creatine may improve how your sleep feels, but objective measurements show no effect. Do not use it primarily as a sleep aid;…
Preliminary evidence
Is rapamycin found in food, or can you get it naturally through your diet?
Rapamycin is not found in food and cannot be obtained through your diet. If you want to influence the mTOR pathway through…
At what age does taking NAD+ supplements make sense?
There is no established age at which NAD+ supplementation becomes worthwhile; studies focus on middle-aged and older adults,…
Preliminary evidence
Which supplements or medications are best not combined with NAD+?
The combination of NAD+ supplements (particularly nicotinamide) with platinum-based chemotherapy is the most concrete reason…
Preliminary evidence
What does NAD+ do for your brain?
NAD+ is biologically crucial for your brain and declines with age, but whether supplementation via NMN or other means…
Who should have their ApoB measured?
Measuring ApoB is worthwhile for more people than current guidelines suggest: not only in cases of elevated blood fats, but…
Moderate evidence
How do you lower an elevated ApoB?
The most effective way to lower ApoB is with PCSK9 inhibitors (alirocumab or inclisiran, by prescription). Daily porridge also…
Moderate evidence
What does your ApoB value tell you about your risk of cardiovascular disease?
A higher ApoB value is strongly and consistently associated with greater risk of cardiovascular disease, and predicts that…
Can you lengthen or restore your telomeres?
Fully restoring or lengthening telomeres has not yet been demonstrated in humans. Vitamin D3 (2000 IU/day) did measurably slow…
Moderate evidence
What is the relation between NAD+ and vitamin B3?
Vitamin B3 is the only dietary building block for NAD+ in your body -- that relationship is causal and well supported. Whether…
What is the controversy with NAD+?
NAD+ supplements demonstrably raise your NAD+ levels, but whether that actually does anything for your health has not yet been…
Does NAD+ supplementation slow biological aging?
NAD+ supplements demonstrably raise your NAD+ levels and appear to be safe, but whether they slow biological ageing has not…
Preliminary evidence
Does NAD+ cause weight gain?
There is no scientific evidence that NAD+ supplements such as NMN or NR cause weight gain. Animal research even suggests the…
No · Preliminary evidence
What are the effects if you take NAD every day?
Taking 600-900 mg of a NAD supplement per day raises your NAD levels and provides some benefit for endurance, but long-term…
Which foods or habits effectively raise NAD+ levels?
Supplementation with NR or NMN measurably raises NAD+, but convincing evidence in healthy people is still lacking. Ordinary…
Preliminary evidence
Does rapamycin reverse or prevent gray hair?
Cell and animal research shows that rapamycin can activate pigment cells, but there are no studies in healthy humans and the…
Insufficient evidence
Does coffee activate mTOR?
Caffeine does not activate mTOR -- it actually inhibits it. Whether this also holds for normal coffee consumption in humans…
Will a doctor prescribe rapamycin?
A doctor prescribes rapamycin for transplantation and certain rare conditions, but not as an anti-ageing agent: for that…
Moderate evidence
Can anyone take rapamycin?
Rapamycin is a powerful drug with serious side effects, including reduced immune function and blood sugar disturbances, and is…
No · Moderate evidence
Is rapamycin hard on the liver?
Based on the available studies it cannot be established whether rapamycin is hard on the liver; the supplied sources actually…
Insufficient evidence
Does rapamycin improve skin aging?
Topical rapamycin showed promising signs for skin ageing in a small study, but the evidence is still too thin to justify…
Preliminary evidence
Does creatine affect dopamine levels?
In healthy people, creatine has no demonstrable effect on dopamine in the blood. Positive signals so far come exclusively from…
Does creatine speed up muscle recovery?
Creatine (3-5 g/day) can likely speed up muscle recovery after intense training and improve strength and muscle mass, but for…
Yes · Moderate evidence
How does creatine improve mood and well-being?
Creatine shows early signals of mood improvement, particularly in women with depressive symptoms, but is officially not…
Does creatine supplementation reduce brain fog?
Creatine may relieve cognitive complaints, but the effect depends strongly on your situation: people with chronic fatigue,…
Moderate evidence
What is hormesis (what doesn't kill you makes you stronger)?
Mild, periodic stress can make cells more robust through well-described biological mechanisms, but whether humans can…
What are the Blue Zones and what is actually true about them?
The Blue Zones are real regions with a robustly established pattern of healthy ageing, and the shared lifestyle habits within…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Is an ECG from your smartwatch actually useful?
For detecting atrial fibrillation, a smartwatch ECG can be useful, especially as a supplement to medical monitoring. For other…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does gratitude or optimism help your health and longevity?
Keeping a gratitude journal regularly probably helps with mood and possibly with sleep, but the evidence is too thin to make…
Moderate evidence
Do black cohosh or red clover help against hot flushes in menopause?
Standardised black cohosh moderately but demonstrably reduces hot flushes and menopausal complaints better than a placebo, and…
Yes · Moderate evidence
What helps against menopause symptoms like hot flushes and mood swings?
Hormone therapy works best against hot flushes and night sweats. Those who cannot or do not wish to use it can choose from…
Strong evidence
What helps with osteoarthritis (joint degeneration)?
Supervised exercise therapy is the best-proven approach: comparable pain relief to medication, without serious side effects.…
Strong evidence
Does fasting reset your immune system?
Fasting lowers inflammatory markers and improves metabolic risk factors, but a true 'reset' of the immune system has not yet…
Moderate evidence
What is the difference between living longer and living longer in good health (healthspan)?
Healthspan and lifespan are two separate things: you can live a long time yet lose years to illness and decline. Caloric…
Do sirtuins actually do anything against ageing?
Sirtuins play a biologically demonstrable role in ageing, but whether you can meaningfully influence them with supplements has…
Yes · Moderate evidence
What is mTOR and why does it matter in ageing?
Inhibiting mTOR strongly extends lifespan in mice, but whether you can achieve that as a human through drugs or diet has not…
Does my growth hormone decline with age, and does that matter?
Your growth hormone does indeed decline sharply with age. Reversing that with hormone injections offers little benefit in…
Yes · Strong evidence
Is testosterone important for women?
Testosterone is also an important hormone for women. The strongest evidence concerns sexual desire after the menopause:…
Does creatine also help with memory and concentration?
Creatine has the strongest evidence for a memory effect in older adults aged 66 and over. In younger, healthy adults, the best…
Moderate evidence
Can you still repair sun damage to your skin?
Partial repair is possible, but full reversal is not. So start now with UV protection, sleep well and eat enough protein.
Preliminary evidence
What do bone-loss medications (bisphosphonates) do, and are they safe?
Bisphosphonates effectively inhibit bone breakdown and reduce the risk of fractures in osteoporosis. The rare side effect of…
Yes · Strong evidence
Do omega-3s help against cardiac arrhythmias?
Fish oil supplements have no demonstrable benefit against cardiac arrhythmias. At high doses they actually increase the risk…
No · Strong evidence
What really helps with chronic low back pain?
Exercise is the best-supported approach for chronic lower back pain. Complete recovery is rarely realistic, but less pain and…
Strong evidence
Can I prevent or slow down early-stage hearing loss?
Noise-induced hearing loss is largely preventable by limiting exposure to sounds above 85 dB(A) and wearing hearing…
Moderate evidence
How do I keep my kidneys healthy as I age?
The two best-supported steps to limit kidney damage as you age are keeping your blood pressure under control and exercising…
Moderate evidence
Do you live longer on a vegetarian or plant-based diet?
A high-quality plant-based diet is associated with less premature death. However, eating strictly vegetarian or vegan has not…
Moderate evidence
Is strength training still safe and worthwhile after the age of 70?
Strength training after 70 is both safe and worthwhile: the evidence for greater muscle strength and reduced fall risk is…
Yes · Strong evidence
Does stretching actually help, or is it a waste of effort?
Stretching demonstrably improves flexibility, and 10 minutes per week is already enough for the maximum effect. For preventing…
Yes · Strong evidence
Does taking vitamin E have any proven benefit?
For most people, taking vitamin E supplements has no proven benefit. There are even indications of an increased risk of…
No · Moderate evidence
Is taking a stack of supplements at the same time smart or actually dangerous?
Whether a supplement stack is smart or dangerous depends on which substances you combine and whether you also use medications.…
Moderate evidence
Does the combination of glycine and NAC (GlyNAC) help against aging?
GlyNAC shows promising results in a small human study on oxidative stress, muscle function and inflammation, but the evidence…
Preliminary evidence
Is collagen powder worth it for your joints?
For people with knee osteoarthritis or joint pain during exercise, there is reasonable support that collagen (hydrolysed, 10…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does fisetin from strawberries really work as a zombie-cell cleaner?
Fisetin demonstrably clears zombie cells in lab and mouse research, but whether this also works in humans and is safe has not…
Preliminary evidence
Which works better for weight loss: semaglutide or tirzepatide?
Tirzepatide produces greater weight loss and better blood sugar control than semaglutide on average. Gastrointestinal…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Should I be worried about a mildly elevated cholesterol if everything else looks fine?
A mildly elevated cholesterol is not automatically harmless: the overall picture, including triglycerides and lipoprotein(a),…
Moderate evidence
Is atrial fibrillation dangerous, and what can I do about it?
Atrial fibrillation substantially increases your risk of death, heart failure, and stroke, and requires active treatment.…
Yes · Strong evidence
How often should I measure my blood pressure at home, and what is normal?
Home measurement is more reliable than a single reading at the GP's office. Measure at fixed times over several days and…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Do prebiotics, the fibres that feed your good bacteria, work just as well as probiotics?
Prebiotics alone are less effective than probiotics in the best-studied situations. For diarrhoea or immune support,…
No · Moderate evidence
Is breast cancer screening worth it?
For most women of screening age, participation is worth it: the chance of dying from breast cancer genuinely decreases. But…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Should I, as a man, get tested for prostate cancer with the PSA test?
Whether the PSA test is worthwhile depends on your personal risk. Men aged 55 to 69 with an elevated risk, such as a family…
Moderate evidence
Can you still reverse early-onset forgetfulness with your lifestyle?
Fully reversing forgetfulness is rarely achievable, but exercise, blood pressure treatment and good blood sugar control can…
Preliminary evidence
Is it normal to forget names more often around age 50, or should I be worried?
Forgetting names around age 50 is normal and biologically explainable. It is not a reason for immediate concern, but exercise…
Yes · Moderate evidence
How large can the difference between my chronological age and my biological age be?
The typical spread between your biological and calendar age is around one to two years. Studies mention no hard upper limit,…
What is young blood / plasma exchange, and does it actually work?
Young blood and plasma exchange produce fascinating results in mouse studies, but clinical evidence in humans is lacking.…
Preliminary evidence
Does hyperbaric oxygen therapy help against ageing?
HBOT shows interesting signals in small, early studies regarding telomere length and cerebral blood flow, but the evidence is…
Preliminary evidence
Does vitamin D help your immune system, or is that overrated?
Vitamin D genuinely supports your immune system, but the benefit of taking extra applies mainly when you have a deficiency. If…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does your immune system really weaken as you age, and is there anything you can do about it?
Your immune system demonstrably weakens with age, but there is currently no proven intervention that reliably reverses that…
Yes · Strong evidence
Can you really lower your biological age, and does the research support this?
There are promising indications that biological age is measurable and perhaps controllable, but clinical evidence that you can…
Preliminary evidence
How reliable are epigenetic clocks for measuring your biological age?
Epigenetic clocks are reliable instruments for measuring biological age and predict mortality better than calendar age. They…
Does hyaluronic acid applied to your skin actually help against dryness and wrinkles?
Hyaluronic acid on your skin genuinely helps against dryness. Injections work most powerfully against wrinkles. A pill or…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does a vitamin C serum help against pigmentation spots and ageing?
Vitamin C serums likely reduce pigmentation spots and early signs of ageing, but the studies are too small or lack control…
Yes · Moderate evidence
What is the best-proven remedy for wrinkles: retinol or vitamin C?
Retinol has the more concrete evidence base for wrinkle reduction. A direct comparison with vitamin C is lacking. Start at a…
Moderate evidence
Does testosterone decline in men with age, and should you do something about it?
Testosterone really does decline in men with age. TRT is well supported only in men with established hypogonadism and…
Yes · Strong evidence
Does clearing senescent cells with senolytics help against ageing?
Senolytics show impressive results in mouse studies, but in humans the evidence is too thin for use outside clinical trials.…
Preliminary evidence
Is donating blood regularly good for your health?
The available sources contain no information about blood donation, which means this question cannot be answered on the basis…
Insufficient evidence
Do probiotic pills actually help your gut?
Probiotics demonstrably help with specific complaints such as rotavirus diarrhoea and pouchitis, but are not a general gut…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does taking iron help, or is it actually a risk?
Taking iron clearly helps if you have a deficiency or anaemia, but is pointless and potentially risky if that is not the case.…
Moderate evidence
Does quercetin work against ageing and inflammation?
Quercetin shows promising signals in the laboratory and in animals, but in humans there is not yet solid evidence. Taking…
Preliminary evidence
What is NAD+ and what does it do in your body?
NAD+ is an indispensable molecule for energy, DNA repair and cell health, but the question of whether you should actively…
Does CoQ10 help your heart or your energy levels?
For people with heart failure or an elevated cardiac risk, the evidence looks positive for CoQ10, particularly the ubiquinone…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Is L-theanine good for stress and sleep?
In small studies, L-theanine shows cautious signs of reducing stress and improving sleep, but the evidence is too thin and too…
Preliminary evidence
Does berberine help against high blood sugar (the natural metformin)?
Be careful with this. Berberine measurably lowers blood sugar, but EFSA could not establish a safe intake level (signs of DNA…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Are sleeping pills harmful in the long term?
Long-term use of classic sleeping pills increases the risk of dependence, cognitive decline, and impaired driving ability.…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does ginger help with inflammation and nausea?
Ginger has promising anti-inflammatory properties, but the evidence in humans is still too thin to rely on. For nausea, the…
Preliminary evidence
Do GLP-1 medications (such as Ozempic) help you age more healthily?
For people with cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, or fatty liver disease, GLP-1 medications offer proven benefits that…
Moderate evidence
Do multivitamins help with healthy ageing?
For cognition, multivitamins have the strongest support in older adults. For a longer life or a healthier heart there is no…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Do omega-3 (fish oil) supplements help my heart?
For people with existing heart disease there is reasonable evidence that omega-3 supplements help, especially at high doses of…
Moderate evidence
Does creatine also help ordinary people, not just athletes?
Creatine is not just for athletes. Combined with resistance training, it helps older adults gain muscle strength, and probably…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does bowel cancer screening really help (less mortality)?
For people aged 45 to 75 with average risk, colorectal cancer screening is worthwhile and widely recommended. It demonstrably…
Yes · Strong evidence
Does metformin help you live longer in good health?
For people with type 2 diabetes there is good evidence that metformin protects health in later life, but whether it also keeps…
Moderate evidence
Does rapamycin help people live longer in good health?
Rapamycin impressively extends lifespan in mice and is already showing first positive signals in humans, but large long-term…
Moderate evidence
Is hormone therapy for the menopause safe and worthwhile?
For women with troublesome menopausal symptoms, hormone therapy is the best-supported treatment. But what is the smart choice…
Moderate evidence
Which vaccinations are recommended for healthy ageing?
Annual influenza vaccination, the RSV vaccine (from age 60, earlier for those with risk factors), a whooping cough booster and…
Moderate evidence
Do collagen supplements work against skin ageing?
Taking 2.5 to 10 grams of hydrolysed collagen daily for at least 8 weeks produces demonstrable but modest improvements in skin…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Are antioxidant supplements useful?
Whether antioxidant supplements are useful depends on which supplement and which condition: curcumin and vitamins C+E for…
Moderate evidence
Are NAD+ supplements (NMN/NR) worth it?
NMN and NR demonstrably raise NAD+ in your blood and appear to be safe, but whether you will actually notice any difference in…
Preliminary evidence
Does retinol help against wrinkles?
Retinol demonstrably works against wrinkles and improves skin texture, although tretinoin is more potent for those who can or…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does sunscreen also protect against skin ageing?
Using broad-spectrum sunscreen daily demonstrably slows sun-induced skin ageing; anyone with concerns about chemical filters…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Is a full-body MRI scan useful as a preventive measure?
For healthy people without an elevated hereditary risk a preventive full-body MRI is not useful: the chance of unnecessary…
No · Moderate evidence
What do peptides like BPC-157 do, and are they safe?
BPC-157 shows promising results in animal research for tissue healing, but has barely been studied in humans and its long-term…
Preliminary evidence
Do diabetes pills (SGLT2 inhibitors) also work against ageing?
For people with heart or kidney problems, large trials show that SGLT2 inhibitors clearly do more than lower blood sugar…
Moderate evidence
Does glucosamine help with joint complaints?
Glucosamine sulfate (1500 mg per day) may produce a modest reduction in pain in knee osteoarthritis after twelve months, but…
Moderate evidence
Does ashwagandha really work against stress?
It appears to improve stress and sleep, but there are serious safety catches. Denmark banned ashwagandha as a supplement and…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Is green tea really as healthy as they say?
Green tea as a daily beverage is safe for most people and there are promising indications of cardiovascular benefits, but the…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Is it safe to take melatonin every night?
For healthy adults, melatonin is safe with short-term use, but as a sleep aid for chronic insomnia it works considerably less…
Moderate evidence
Does taurine work against ageing?
Taurine supplements have not yet been proven as an anti-ageing intervention in humans. The animal results are promising and…
Preliminary evidence
Does taking resveratrol make sense as an anti-ageing strategy?
For people considering resveratrol as an anti-ageing agent: the research is still at an early stage and currently provides no…
Preliminary evidence
Does spermidine actually do anything against ageing?
Exercise caution with spermidine supplements: in the EU only wheat germ extract products up to approximately 6 mg per day are…
Moderate evidence
Do DHEA or growth hormone help against ageing, or are they risky?
DHEA has modest, proven benefits in people with an adrenal disorder, but in healthy individuals the effects are inconsistent…
Moderate evidence
Can you clear out "zombie cells" to slow down ageing?
In mice, clearing zombie cells clearly works, but in humans a health benefit has not yet been proven. It is too early to take…
Moderate evidence
Is taking a daily aspirin smart or dangerous?
Whether a daily aspirin is smart or dangerous depends entirely on your age and medical profile. Take aspirin only on a…
Moderate evidence
Is a glucose meter useful if you don't have diabetes?
Without diabetes, a glucose monitor gives you some genuinely interesting information about how your body responds to food,…
Preliminary evidence
Does cold water swimming improve healthy aging?
For most healthy people, occasional cold water swimming is probably safe. Do you have cardiovascular disease or high blood…
Preliminary evidence
Does regular sauna use help you live longer?
Regular sauna bathing is associated with a lower risk of premature death and cardiovascular disease in large observational…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Which supplements genuinely help with menopause?
Soy isoflavones have the strongest evidence for hot flushes, and vitamin D is certainly worthwhile if you are deficient or…
Moderate evidence
Does using testosterone help if you are over 50, and can it be dangerous?
Testosterone can be worthwhile for men over 50 with a medically confirmed testosterone deficiency, but it is not a treatment…
Yes · Strong evidence
Newsletter

Stay in the loop

Twice a week, the most important longevity research in your inbox.