![Portrait of an active elderly man exercising in the city of Berlin Portrait of an active elderly man exercising in the city of Berlin](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/images/portrait-of-an-active-senior-man-doing-exercise-in-royalty-free-image-1649865578.jpg?crop=0.668xw:1.00xh;0.175xw,0&resize=640:*)
Silke WoweriesGetty Images
Can taking certain supplements on a regular basis magically extend my lifespan? it’s complicated.
Or, RD’s Kim Yawitz summarizes: , And sleep every 24 hours for at least 7 hours. If you don’t do these five things over long distances, Yawitz said, “Taking supplements for longevity is like putting premium gas in a beat-up car with three flat tires and a bad clutch. That’s it. “
Indeed, as Yawitz emphasizes, a single supplement does not help you live longer. Still, “there is some evidence that certain supplements can help support healthy aging, assuming you eat pretty well, exercise, and take good care of yourself. increase.”
So how do supplements help promote longevity?
“Some supplements are thought to prevent or reverse aging-related biochemical changes such as cell damage, decreased cell energy, and DNA mutations,” says Yawitz. “Others target systemic inflammation — the main cause of life-shortening conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.”
Supplements are not a panacea, but when combined with the five behaviors mentioned above, research on them certainly seems promising.
When looking for supplements, there are important guidelines to keep in mind, especially “because there isn’t much oversight in the supplement industry, it can be difficult to verify that a health claim on a product label is legal.” There are several. Yawitz. Therefore, she recommends looking for supplements with a third-party tested symbol (such as NSF or Informed Choice) on the label. “This means that the manufacturer has paid for an independent laboratory to test the purity of the product and ensure that the nutrient data on the label is accurate,” she says.
Another important note: “Checking with your doctor or pharmacist before starting a supplement can prevent harmful drug interactions, especially if you are taking prescription or over-the-counter medications,” Yawitz said. Says.
With all this in mind, let’s take a look at six supplements that experts say can help support longevity when combined with a healthy lifestyle.