Condition
Longer Lifespan
Aging is the gradual wearing down of cells and tissues, driven by things like DNA damage, shortening telomeres, tired mitochondria, and lingering inflammation. Omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D have the strongest evidence among supplements people explore for healthy aging, with studies involving thousands of people. Still, no supplement has been shown to extend human lifespan, and a small trial of astragalus found no clear difference in telomere length.
Sources: PMID 39275278
- Supplements studied
- 2
- Graded outcomes
- 1
- Trials
- 2
- People studied
- 108,682
Evidence by supplement
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Telomere Length No effect | NoneNo effect | 1 study | 40 people | |||
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All-Cause Mortality | Improves (the measure goes down) | 1 study | 94,148 people | |||
Studies that measured all-cause mortality | ||||||
Key findings
- Telomere Length
The Longevity and Healthy Aging Support protocol
2 primary supplements · 8 supporting supplements
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids2–4 g EPA+DHA daily
- Vitamin D2,000–4,000 IU daily (maintain 40–60 ng/mL)
Shop the evidence-backed picks
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Studies cited
100 studies from PubMed
- Effect of vitamin D supplementation for major adverse cardiovascular events: a meta-analysis based on randomised controlled trials.
- Optimal Vitamin D Status: Evidence and Guidelines
- Vitamin D and Cancer Prevention: A Comprehensive Review
- Effects of Vitamin D Supplementation on Musculoskeletal Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
- Vitamin D and Prevention of Respiratory Tract Infections: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
- Effects of Vitamin D Supplementation on Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
- Vitamin D and Immune Function: A Review
- Vitamin D Supplementation for Prevention of Mortality: A Meta-Analysis
- Vitamin D Supplementation During Pregnancy: Safety and Efficacy Review
- Vitamin D Supplementation: A Comprehensive Review of Efficacy for Various Health Outcomes
- Vitamin D Deficiency: Global Health Perspective
- Vitamin D and Cardiovascular Disease: A Review of Evidence
- Vitamin D and Bone Health in Adults: A Systematic Review
- Vitamin D3 supplementation does not modify cardiovascular risk profile of adults with inadequate vitamin D status
- Association of A1C levels with vitamin D status in U.S. adults: data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
- Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D, ethnicity, and blood pressure in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
- The effect of Echinacea purpurea, Astragalus membranaceus and Glycyrrhiza glabra on CD25 expression in humans: a pilot study
- Aqueous extract of Astragali Radix induces human natriuresis through enhancement of renal response to atrial natriuretic peptide
- Efficacy and safety of Astragalus membranaceus in the treatment of patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis
- Chinese Herb Astragalus membranaceus Enhances Recovery of Hemorrhagic Stroke: Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Randomized Study
- Treatment of idiopathic membranous nephropathy with the herb Astragalus membranaceus
- A Natural Astragalus-Based Nutritional Supplement Lengthens Telomeres in a Middle-Aged Population: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study.
- Efficacy of Astragalus Membranaceus (Huang Qi) for Cancer-Related Fatigue: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Studies.
- Effects of selected dietary supplements on migraine prophylaxis: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
- Safety, tolerability, and efficacy of orally administered cannabinoids in MS
- Smoked cannabis for spasticity in multiple sclerosis: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial
- The effect of cannabis on tremor in patients with multiple sclerosis
- Supplementation with vitamin D or ω-3 fatty acids in adolescent girls and young women with endometriosis (SAGE): a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial
- Double-blind randomised placebo-controlled trial of bolus-dose vitamin D3 supplementation in adults with asthma (ViDiAs)
- Vitamin D Supplementation and the Risk of Colds in Patients with Asthma
- Association between prenatal vitamin D supplementation and respiratory diseases in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
- Vitamin D supplementation decrease asthma exacerbations in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
- The effects of prenatal vitamin D supplementation on respiratory and allergy-related outcomes in children: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
- Effects of Vitamin D on Endometriosis-Related Pain: A Double-Blind Clinical Trial
- The effect of vitamin D supplementation on clinical symptoms and metabolic profiles in patients with endometriosis
- Vitamin D for primary dysmenorrhea and endometriosis-related pain - A systematic review of registered RCTs.
- High-Dose Monthly Vitamin D for Prevention of Acute Respiratory Infection in Older Long-Term Care Residents: A Randomized Clinical Trial
- Randomized trial of vitamin D supplementation and risk of acute respiratory infection in Mongolia
- Reduced primary care respiratory infection visits following pregnancy and infancy vitamin D supplementation: a randomised controlled trial
- Vitamin D supplementation to prevent acute respiratory infections: individual participant data meta-analysis
- Therapeutic effect of vitamin D3 in multiple sclerosis patients
- Effect of vitamin D3 supplementation on relapses, disease progression, and measures of function in persons with multiple sclerosis: exploratory outcomes from a double-blind randomised controlled trial
- Relationship between 25-OH-D serum level and relapse rate in multiple sclerosis patients before and after vitamin D supplementation
- Randomized trial of daily high-dose vitamin D 3 in patients with RRMS receiving subcutaneous interferon β-1a
- Cholecalciferol in relapsing-remitting MS: A randomized clinical trial (CHOLINE)
- Effects of adjunct low-dose vitamin d on relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis progression: preliminary findings of a randomized placebo-controlled trial
- Vitamin D supplementation and upper respiratory tract infections in adolescent swimmers: a randomized controlled trial
- Effect of vitamin D3 supplementation on upper respiratory tract infections in healthy adults: the VIDARIS randomized controlled trial
- Vitamin D3 and gargling for the prevention of upper respiratory tract infections: a randomized controlled trial
- Intake of 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 Reduces Duration and Severity of Upper Respiratory Tract Infection: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Parallel Group Comparison Study
- Vitamin D₃ Supplementation Reduces the Symptoms of Upper Respiratory Tract Infection during Winter Training in Vitamin D-Insufficient Taekwondo Athletes: A Randomized Controlled Trial
- A randomized controlled trial of vitamin D3 supplementation for the prevention of symptomatic upper respiratory tract infections
- Vitamin D supplementation for the prevention of acute respiratory tract infection: a randomized, double-blinded trial among young Finnish men
- Effect of High-Dose vs Standard-Dose Wintertime Vitamin D Supplementation on Viral Upper Respiratory Tract Infections in Young Healthy Children
- Vitamin D supplementation to prevent infections: a sub-study of a randomised placebo-controlled trial in older people (RECORD trial, ISRCTN 51647438)
- Vitamin D3 supplementation and upper respiratory tract infections in a randomized, controlled trial
- Effect of monthly high-dose vitamin D supplementation on acute respiratory infections in older adults: A randomized controlled trial
- Vitamin D3 supplementation in patients with frequent respiratory tract infections: a randomised and double-blind intervention study
- Effect of Vitamin D supplementation to reduce respiratory infections in children and adolescents in Vietnam: A randomized controlled trial
- Winter cholecalciferol supplementation at 55°N has little effect on markers of innate immune defense in healthy children aged 4-8 years: a secondary analysis from a randomized controlled trial
- Vitamin D supplementation enhances the beneficial effects of weight loss on cardiovascular disease risk markers
- Different doses of supplemental vitamin D maintain interleukin-5 without altering skeletal muscle strength: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in vitamin D sufficient adults
- Vitamin D, tuberculin skin test conversion, and latent tuberculosis in Mongolian school-age children: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled feasibility trial
- Double-blind randomised controlled trial of vitamin D3 supplementation for the prevention of acute respiratory infection in older adults and their carers (ViDiFlu)
- Effects of vitamin D supplementation to children diagnosed with pneumonia in Kabul: a randomised controlled trial
- Vitamin D supplementation for severe pneumonia--a randomized controlled trial
- Systematic review: Vitamin D and calcium supplementation in prevention of cardiovascular events
- Effect of vitamin D supplementation on progression of knee pain and cartilage volume loss in patients with symptomatic osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled trial
- Impact of vitamin D supplementation during a resistance training intervention on body composition, muscle function, and glucose tolerance in overweight and obese adults
- A randomized, placebo-controlled trial of vitamin D supplementation to improve glycaemia in overweight and obese African Americans
- A 12-week double-blind randomized clinical trial of vitamin D3 supplementation on body fat mass in healthy overweight and obese women
- Can Vitamin D supplementation enhance the effectiveness of exercise-induced weight loss in overweight or obese adults? Evidence from integrated transcriptomic and meta-analysis
- Effect of vitamin D supplementation on body composition, lipid profile, and glycemic indices in patients with obesity-associated metabolic syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
- Effect of vitamin D3 supplementation on vascular and metabolic health of vitamin D-deficient overweight and obese children: a randomized clinical trial.
- Vitamin D supplementation vs. placebo and incident type 2 diabetes in an ancillary study of the randomized Vitamin D and Omega-3 Trial.
- Effects of vitamin D on patients with fibromyalgia syndrome: a randomized placebo-controlled trial
- Vitamin D Supplementation Seems to Improve Fibromyalgia Symptoms: Preliminary Results
- Effects of Vitamin D Therapy on Quality of Life in Patients with Fibromyalgia
- Randomized trial of vitamin D supplementation to prevent seasonal influenza A in schoolchildren
- Preventive Effects of Vitamin D on Seasonal Influenza A in Infants: A Multicenter, Randomized, Open, Controlled Clinical Trial
- Vitamin D supplementation did not prevent influenza-like illness as diagnosed retrospectively by questionnaires in subjects participating in randomized clinical trials
- Effects of vitamin D supplements on influenza A illness during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic: a randomized controlled trial
- Effects of vitamin D and calcium supplementation on pancreatic β cell function, insulin sensitivity, and glycemia in adults at high risk of diabetes: the Calcium and Vitamin D for Diabetes Mellitus (CaDDM) randomized controlled trial
- Effect of vitamin D supplementation on testosterone levels in men
- Independent association of low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin d and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin d levels with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality
- Effect of a Single High Dose of Vitamin D3 on Hospital Length of Stay in Patients With Moderate to Severe COVID-19: A Randomized Clinical Trial
- Effects of a 2-Week 5000 IU versus 1000 IU Vitamin D3 Supplementation on Recovery of Symptoms in Patients with Mild to Moderate Covid-19: A Randomized Clinical Trial
- "Effect of calcifediol treatment and best available therapy versus best available therapy on intensive care unit admission and mortality among patients hospitalized for COVID-19: A pilot randomized clinical study"
- Therapeutic effects of vitamin D supplementation on COVID-19 aggravation: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
- Vitamin D supplementation for managing COVID-19 in patients with vitamin D deficiency: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.
- Effect of vitamin D supplementation on clinical outcomes in adult patients with COVID-19: A GRADE-assessed systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
- The Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation Post COVID-19 Infection and Related Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
- Vitamin D and prevention of breast cancer: pooled analysis
- Association between plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D and breast cancer risk
- Effect of vitamin D supplementation on serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D levels, joint pain, and fatigue in women starting adjuvant letrozole treatment for breast cancer
- A prospective randomized controlled trial of the effects of vitamin D supplementation on cardiovascular disease risk
- The effect of vitamin D supplement on the score and quality of sleep in 20-50 year-old people with sleep disorders compared with control group
- Correlation of symptoms with vitamin D deficiency and symptom response to cholecalciferol treatment: a randomized controlled trial
- Efficacy of vitamin D supplementation on depressive symptoms in older patients: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
- Effect of vitamin D supplementation, directly or via breast milk for term infants, on serum 25 hydroxyvitamin D and related biochemistry, and propensity to infection: a randomised placebo-controlled trial