The 4 pillars of our supplementation strategy
We want to slow down the biological aging process in order to extend our healthy years during which we look, feel and live in peak health. Towards that goal, we wanted to take a systematic approach in our supplementation strategy. We have been discussing the various pillars of healthy living that lead to a longer healthier life based on our latest understanding of the science of healthy aging.
With that in mind, we first focused on using supplements that have clear benefits proven in human trials. Examples of these are collagen peptides, hyaluronic acid, Vitamin D3, zinc, magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids, melatonin etc. The majority of supplements we take fall in this category. These are mostly for preventing or slowing age-related declines in organ systems such as skin, bone, muscle, heart etc.
A second category of supplements we take are ones where the data indicates they are safe, but the human clinical data for efficacy are not yet available. In most cases, there are ongoing clinical trials for these supplements. But the key findings of these trials are not likely to be publicly available for a while. We felt that for us, it is a risk worth taking for the potential health benefits. Examples of these include Calcium-alpha ketoglutarate (Ca-AKG), quercetin, fisetin etc.
Here we have categorized our supplementation strategy into 4 pillars of extending healthspan:
- Slowing age-related decline in various organ systems
- Boosting cellular energy metabolism
- Suppressing inflammation and boosting immunity
- Removal of senescent cells
(Note: some of the supplements fall under multiple categories)
Our supplement stacks
| Benefits | Supplement | Rana | Veda |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skin and joint health | Collagen peptides | 10 gram/day in a smoothie or with oatmeal. | 10 gm/day oral |
| Skin and joint health | Hyaluronic acid | 250 mg/day oral | 300 mg/day oral |
| Antioxidant | Sulforaphane | 35 mg/day oral | 35 mg/day oral |
| Antioxidant precursor | L-serine | 1 gm/day at night before bed | |
| Cardiovascular health | Omega-3 fish oil | 2 x 1.2 gm gelcaps per day (Equivalent to 720 mg DHA+EPA) | |
| Potential lifespan extension, reduces inflammation, reverses epigenetic age and improves healthspan in mice | Calcium-AKG | 1000 mg/day. I take it with food to slow down the absorption. Extended (slow) release is thought to have the best effect. | 1000 mg/day oral |
| Potential lifespan extension, cellular energy booster | Niacin ER | 500 mg/day with or after food | 500 mg/day oral |
| Methyl donor for cardiovascular health | Trimethyl Glycine (TMG) | 1 gm/day | 750 mg/day oral |
| Multiple benefits including heart, bone and metabolic health | Vitamin D3 | 4000 IU 3-4 times/week | 5000 IU 3x/week |
| Multiple benefits including heart and bone health | Vitamin K2 (MK7) | 100 mcg 3-4 times/week together with Vitamin D3 | |
| Prevention of muscle loss | Creatine | 5 gm per day dissolved in hot water | 5 gm/day oral |
| Immune support | Zinc | 30 mg elemental zinc as a zinc picolinate. (2-3 times/week) | 50 mg/day oral |
| Gut health | Psyllium powder | 1 heaping teaspoon/day | |
| Removal of senescent cells | Quercetin | 1 gm 5 days per month with olive oil | 1 gm 5 days per month with olive oil |
| Removal of senescent cells | Fisetin | 1 gm 5 days per month with olive oil | 1 gm 5 days per month with olive oil |
| Bone health and better sleep | Magnesium | 1500 mg magnesium taurate at night (Equivalent to 120 mg elemental Mg) | 1500 mg/day at night before bed |
| Better sleep | Melatonin ER | 300 microgram extended release at night before bedtime | 300 mcg/day at night before bed |
More details on the supplements we take
| Supplements | Benefits in more detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Collagen peptides | Preventing age related decline in skin and joint health | Link |
| Hyaluronic acid | Preventing age related decline in skin and joint health | Link |
| Sulforaphane | This is one of the readily water soluble antioxidants that activate the gene NRF2, which when activated has been shown to have potent anticancer effect | Link |
| L-serine | Precursor for the body’s natural antioxidant glutathione, the levels of which declines as we age | Link |
| Calcium-AKG | AKG is a natural molecule found in the body, important for cellular energy metabolism. Was shown to increase lifespan in mice. | Link |
| Niacin ER | Precursor for cellular NAD. Was shown to increase cellular NAD in human trial. | Link |
| Trimethyl Glycine (TMG) | Methyl donor for cardiovascular health. Increasing NAD has the added effect of boosting DNA methylation which helps with slowing down epigenetic aging. But this can deplete our cells of methyl groups. TMG is a methyl donor that replenishes methyl groups. | Link |
| Vitamin D3 | One of the most talked about supplements. Multiple benefits including heart, bone and metabolic health. | Link |
| Vitamin K2 (MK7) | Multiple benefits including heart and bone health | Link |
| Creatine | Prevention of muscle loss. Exercise recovery. | Link |
| Zinc | Immune support. Taking zinc supplements shortens the duration of colds. | Link |
| Psyllium powder | Gut health. One of the best sources of soluble fiber. | Link |
| Quercetin | Acts as a senolytic by clearing senescent cells. Quercetin and Dasatinib together increased lifespan in old mice when given intermittently. Bromelain helps with Quercetin absorption. | Link |
| Fisetin | Clearance of senescent cells. Fisetin extends lifespan and reduces senescent cells in old mice. | Link |
| Magnesium | High magnesium levels are associated with improved bone health and lower risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. There is some evidence that it also helps with sleep. | Link |
| Melatonin ER | Pineal gland calcification with aging leads to lower melatonin production and poor sleep. Supplementation can improve sleep onset and quality. | Link |