Longevity supplements

[Peter Cobbold]

Noting the age of many TRers I thought this post might be of interest.  Dietary supplements are widely regarded as snake oil, and a "good mixed diet" is all we need is widely espoused. This article by an eminent  biologist makes the point that we can function OK with a short supply of many minerals, vitamins and other key molecules, but we may well need more for optimum health long-term, for longevity. He envisages that agents in short supply are "triaged" to enable short-term defences, leaving longer-term activities un-addressed with a consequent reduction in longevity. Bruce Ames invented the Ames Test for carcinogens and wrote this article age 90.

https://www.pnas.org/content/115/43/10836

He proposes there are around 30 vitamins, minerals and other molecules that are in short supply in our diet. Our GPs are likely to disagree, but we cannot expect to see the sort of RCTs  demanded by the medical profession, there are no huge profits to be won and such  trials are enormously expensive. The article does not cover the daily recommended amount, but that can be found with a little searching. If anyone is interested I will set about putting numbers on Ames' supplements that meet the RDA, I already take many on his list and am adding more.

Peter