Home Blog Page 23

Lutein and Zeaxanthin for Healthy Aging: Eye and Brain Support

Modern longevity is about protecting what lets you live well: clear vision, steady attention, and the ability to learn and adapt. Lutein and zeaxanthin—yellow plant pigments called xanthophyll carotenoids—concentrate in the macula of the eye and in brain tissue. They filter short-wavelength “blue” light and act as antioxidants where oxygen demand is highest. Supplementation has been studied for macular...

Magnesium for Longevity: Sleep, Recovery, and Metabolic Health

Magnesium touches almost every system that shapes how well we age. It helps set our body clock, relaxes muscles after training, stabilizes blood sugar, and supports blood pressure regulation. Yet many adults fall short of the daily requirement, especially as intake from whole foods declines and losses rise with stress, medications, or heavy exercise. This guide brings the topic...

Melatonin for Longevity: Sleep and Circadian Health in Aging

Melatonin is more than a sleep aid—it is a nightly time signal that helps the brain and body stay in sync. As we age, endogenous melatonin production often declines and the circadian system becomes easier to nudge off schedule by late-night light, irregular sleep times, and travel. When timing drifts, sleep fragments, mood and metabolic control wobble, and daytime...

Microdose Lithium Orotate and Longevity: Evidence, Controversies, and Safety

Lithium has a long history in psychiatry at prescription doses, yet in recent years very low “microdose” supplements—most often as lithium orotate—have drawn attention for mood steadiness and potential longevity signals. The interest comes from two places: ecological studies linking trace lithium in drinking water to lower suicide rates or dementia risk, and small, mixed studies exploring mood and...

NAC for Longevity: Oxidative Stress, Detox, and Resilience

N-acetylcysteine (NAC) has been used in hospitals for decades, yet its role in everyday health is less clear. As a precursor to glutathione—the cell’s primary antioxidant—NAC sits at the intersection of oxidative stress, detoxification, and metabolic resilience. In midlife and beyond, those systems often slow down: mitochondrial efficiency drifts, inflammatory noise rises, and recovery takes longer. This article translates...

NAD Plus in Aging: NR, NMN, Niacin, and Niacinamide Explained

Aging changes how our cells make and spend energy. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) sits at the center of that story. NAD supports mitochondrial ATP production, DNA repair, sirtuin activity, and circadian timing. With age, NAD availability tends to fall, and demand rises, especially under metabolic stress. That gap is why NAD “boosters” such as nicotinamide riboside (NR), nicotinamide mononucleotide...

NMN and NR for Longevity: Evidence, Use Cases, and Regulatory Status

Aging gradually lowers cellular NAD, a cofactor that powers energy metabolism and stress responses. Two vitamin B3–family precursors—nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) and nicotinamide riboside (NR)—aim to restore that decline. Interest has grown quickly, but so have important questions: Do these supplements help in humans? Who stands to benefit? Are they safe, legal, and worth the cost? This guide distills what...

Omega 3s for Healthy Aging: EPA, DHA, and the Omega 3 Index

If you care about healthy aging, omega 3s are hard to ignore. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) build cell membranes, modulate inflammation, and influence heart, brain, and eye function. Yet not all omega 3 products or doses deliver the same results, and the benefits you see often depend on your baseline omega 3 status. In this guide,...

Phosphatidylserine for Cognitive Aging: Memory and Stress Regulation

Aging challenges the brain’s resilience long before disease is diagnosed. People notice slower recall, more mental fatigue, and a sharper stress response. Phosphatidylserine (PS) is a phospholipid concentrated in neuronal membranes that helps synapses fire efficiently and supports stress hormone regulation. Research from small clinical trials and mechanistic studies suggests PS may modestly improve certain memory domains and temper...

PQQ for Longevity: Mitochondrial Biogenesis, Promise, and Limits

Longevity is not just “more years”—it is the energy, clarity, and resilience to use them well. Pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) is a small, redox-active compound marketed for “cellular energy,” often bundled with mitochondrial buzzwords. Behind the slogans sits a more nuanced picture. Early animal work is compelling, and modern human trials—though still limited in size—suggest PQQ can modestly improve select...

Prebiotics and Postbiotics for Longevity: Inulin, GOS, and Butyrate

Aging does not occur in isolation—it unfolds alongside changes in the trillions of microbes that inhabit the gut. Diet, medications, stress, and illness can all reshape this ecosystem, sometimes reducing diversity and resilience. Thoughtful use of prebiotics (targeted fibers that feed beneficial microbes) and postbiotics (health-promoting preparations of inactivated microbes or their components) offers one practical way to support...

Probiotics for Healthy Aging: Strains, Functions, and Evidence

A healthy gut changes how we age. As the years pass, microbial diversity often narrows, low-grade inflammation rises, and the gut barrier can become more permeable. That cascade influences immunity, metabolism, and even mood and cognition. Probiotics—specific live microorganisms that deliver a measurable benefit when taken in adequate amounts—offer a targeted way to support the aging microbiome. Yet not...

Pterostilbene for Healthy Aging: How It Compares to Resveratrol

Aging changes how our cells handle energy, stress, and inflammation. Many people know resveratrol—the red-grape polyphenol linked to cardiometabolic health. Pterostilbene is its close cousin with two small chemical tweaks that may improve stability and tissue penetration. Interest has grown because pterostilbene appears more bioavailable than resveratrol and shows complementary mechanisms in preclinical studies, with early human trials exploring...

Quercetin for Longevity: Senotherapeutic Mechanisms and Safety

Quercetin is a dietary flavonol found in onions, capers, apples, and tea. It has drawn attention in longevity circles because it intersects two themes in aging biology: cellular senescence and chronic inflammation. In lab studies, quercetin can help remove damaged, “senescent” cells when paired with other agents, and it can modulate inflammatory signaling. Enthusiasm has outpaced human data, though....

Resveratrol for Longevity: Mechanisms, Human Evidence, and Safety

Resveratrol has traveled an unusual path—from a grape-skin compound linked to the “French Paradox” to one of the most studied nutraceuticals touching metabolism, vascular function, and cellular stress responses. Yet enthusiasm has often outpaced human data. This guide focuses on what matters for people deciding whether and how to use resveratrol for healthy aging: the plausibility of its mechanisms,...

Rhodiola for Healthy Aging: Stress Resilience and Recovery

Rhodiola rosea has a long history in high-latitude folk medicine, where people used its root to stay sharp during long winters and heavy workloads. Today, it is classed as an adaptogen: a botanical that helps the body mount a more efficient response to physical and psychological stress. That promise attracts midlife and older adults who want steadier energy, fewer...