by Nils Osmar

The information in this article is not intended as, and should not be taken as, medical advice. Interventions like exercising, dietary changes, and taking medications and supplements can have both benefits and side effects. Please consult with a medical professional about any medical concerns.

We live in an interesting time, during which millions of people are actively trying to increase their lifespans, but doing so in the absence of reliable information. We hear claims from supplement companies and people selling “anti-aging devices” of purported benefits from taking their products, but high-quality human studies without possible conflicts of interest are difficult to find.

My goal is to live a long, healthy life, and to still be in the world when optimal anti-aging and life-extending interventions come along. In this article, I describe my current protocol, which has been updated several times over the past few years. Like many people, I would love to be able to be around forever; I’m aware, of course, that this is a wee bit unlikely. Until interventions that can actually cure aging are available, my goal is to be healthy as long as I’m around.

In the article I describe what I’m doing to move things in that direction and the evidence that it may be helping.

Elements in My Protocol

Exercise

Many studies have demonstrated that exercise is at least as important as nutrition and supplements. I developed tendinitis last July due to repetitive strain injuries; I also fell on a patch of white ice, damaging a calf muscle; both injuries made it hard for me to exercise for a few months. I’m back to exercising now; I’ve resumed doing upper body resistance training on Mondays and Thursdays; lower body resistance training on Tuesdays and Fridays; and HIIT on a stationary bicycle on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

Dr. Peter Attia and others have talked about the importance of building up a reserve of muscle to see us through times such as hospital stays (or what I experienced) when we’re unable to exercise. The fact that I had been working out for several years before the injuries helped me to get through the period when I was not exercising with minimal muscle loss. I had “put some muscle in the bank” to see me through the period when I wasn’t making deposits. His approach appears to have worked.

Sleep

Sleep is essential for both health and longevity; I’m currently aiming for around seven hours of sleep a night, plus sometimes napping for an hour during the day, bringing my total to around eight hours. My current nighttime supplements include glycine, NAC, and tryptophan. I previously took melatonin; tryptophan is for me an effective precursor.

Nutrition

I’m currently eating a high-nutrient, high-protein, low-carbohydrate, high-healthy-fat diet which includes foods from all three food groups: animals, plants, and fungi. My primary source of protein is fish, in the form of salmon and sardines. I use lots of rosemary and would take it as a supplement if I were not using it as an herb. I cycle in and out of ketosis.

My Foundaton is an Acciarolin Diet…

My diet is heavily influenced by the diet in Acciaroli, Italy, the part of the world with the greatest number of healthy centenarians per capita. (10% of the people in Acciaroli live to be 100; a large percentage of those then live to 110. Dementia, heart disease and diabetes are almost unknown.)

What’s most striking about their diet is the huge amounts of rosemary and the very large number of sardines and anchovies that they eat. For a number of reasons, I include these elements in very large amounts in my diet.

My Staples Include:

Organic when possible — fish is always wild-caught:

Sardines and anchovies – key staples in Acciaroli
Salmon (Wild Pacific Sockeye salmon, rich in omega 3, low in pollutants)
Pastured Eggs (rich in lutein and zeathanthin and protein)
Genuine grass-fed beef (a lot of “grass fed beef” is fake; I buy from a local farm)
Whey powder (low carb, high protein, organic, unflavored)
Poultry (once a week or so.. I make. a chicken soup rich in collagen)
Jack cheese
Cream cheese (now and then)
Butter (real)

Veggies and Berries and…

Arugula (rich in nutrients, low in oxalates, high in nitrates, very low carb)
Kimchi, sauerkraut, and radish kimchi
Rosemary — ask the Acciarolins
Onions and garlic — lots of beneficial sulfur compounds
Cabbage — cruciferous; low in oxalates
Cucumbers and raw fermented pickles — low in oxalates
Tomatoes – for lypocene
Mushrooms — butt0n and oyster and shiitake
Some root vegetables such as red, purple and orange carrots
Rarely: kidney beans
Rarely: Lentils
Rarely: Green split pea soup

Fruit and Berries

Now and then I’ll eat a granny smith apple
I will sometimes eat a grapefruit (taking a week to eat it)
Wild blueberries: Every day

Seasonings and sweeteners:

Morton iodized salt (almost zero microplastics, almost zero lead or cadmium)
Monk fruit with allulose

Drinks:

Water (filtered,high quality, never in plastic bottles)
Mountain valley sparkling water (plain)
Coffee
Inner leaf aloe vera juice
Raw milk (this raises some eyebrows. The kind I drink is well regulated and tested to be safe.
Plain kefir and yogurt — for natural probiotics and gut health

Dietary Approaches I’ve Tried but Stopped

I would never tell anyone else what to eat. I can say that I’ve tried these approaches and they didn’t work for me:

Vegan diet – I lost weight initially, then got fat; after three years, had aching bones and teeth; felt depressed and moody and had memory problems … all resolved overnight when I added animal foods back in
Dr. Valter’s Longevity Diet, Dr. Sinclair’s diet, and other low-protein versions of the Mediterranean diet — Same problems; made me feel sick and weak; not a good diet for me
Carnivore diet — I did benefit from eating carnivore for about three months, lost fat, gained muscle, felt mentally sharp and clear; but I found it unsustainable. I eat a lot of animal products but not strict carnivore.

Preventing Dementia

Many of the elements of my protocol coincide with those which appear to safeguard against dementia:

Fasting and Other Hormetics

There was a time when I was doing several three- to five-day fasts a year; like many people in our community, I’ve come to question the wisdom of this.

Currently I am practicing a form of intermittent fasting called time-restricted eating, not every day, but three or four days a week. Put more simply, I usually get up around 5 AM, have some coffee, and then have my first meal close to noon. This gives me 14 or 15 hours of fasting (including the hours in bed the night before) and a bit of autophagy.

For deeper autophagy, I sometimes do three-day fasts once or twice a year. I’m not sure actually if it’s wise for people my age to do this kind of prolonged fasting; it could increase the danger of sarcopenia.

I also sometimes take contrast showers; I tend to move away from these in the winter and do them more often in the summer. When doing this, I will start with a shower that is as hot as I can stand it, then move to as cold as the water will go, alternating back and forth and ending on cold. This helps turn white fat into brown fat and supports mitochondrial biogenesis.

I like keeping my house cool, particularly at night, when I like to keep it around 62°F. Interestingly, when I eat a lot of sardines, I don’t tend to feel cold regardless of what temperature it is in the house; so I have to remind myself to turn up the heat when friends are dropping by.

Broadly speaking, my goal is to balance the activation of AMPK, the longevity pathway, with that of mTOR, an anabolic pathway associated with building and preserving muscle. Both appear to be important. Balancing periods of fasting with periods of feasting is my current approach to this.

Getting Regular Blood Tests

I get my blood tested every few weeks and run the results into a PhenoAge calculator. My chronological age is 73; my biological age over the last 12 months has ranged from around 61 to 63 years old. My most recent result in January 2026 was 61 years old. Doing blood tests is also a way of making sure that the supplements I’m taking, for example, are not having negative effects on my liver or kidneys. If they were, I would change them, but there’s no sign at all that they are.

Work, Play, Creativity, Social Activity, and Stress Reduction

This part is personal and I debated whether or not to include it. But the things I’m talking about below do relate to my lifestyle and may be a factor in why I feel decades younger than my biological age.

I learned years ago that what works best for me when dealing with stress is to let myself experience emotions as they’re happening rather than bottling them up inside. If I feel sad or am grieving—for example, if a friend dies, which tends to happen a lot around my age—I’ve learned to let myself feel the loss, process it, and “cry things out.” I also let myself cry when watching movies or reading books that are touching, because (for me) it’s a good way to let go of some accumulated stress. I’ve also been known to laugh freely.

I make my income from teaching, running a little school in Seattle where I teach acting, filmmaking, and screenwriting. I like my work and have no plans at the moment to retire. The classes are interesting and challenging both intellectually and emotionally, and teaching them is a fun way of connecting with other people who love creativity; I sometimes end up making crazy little movies with my students.

Other interests and hobbies include running this website, running several Facebook groups, and exploring the possibility of a type of consciousness existing in Large Language Models such as Claude. I’ve always liked drawing, painting, and writing, and I’m currently working on a novel. To learn more about my life outside of the longevity community, feel free to visit the Nilsosmar.com website.

If I were to offer any reflections based on this section, it would be to consider doing what you love now, while you have the opportunity to do it.

Medications and Supplements

A Complete List

The following is a list of the medications and supplements I currently take, along with a brief description of each and its possible anti-aging or health-promoting benefits. Companies I buy from frequently include LifeExtension and Jarrow. One company, Nutricost has the advantage of being both reputable and inexpensive. I avoid buying through Amazon as a rule.

When I Take Them

I take one group of supplements during the day, and a smaller group at night. I take glycine and NAC both at night and in the morning.

I’ve tried organizing them in different ways over the years. But doing so really didn’t seem to make much of a difference, possibly because of the multiple pathways involved. I do separate clearly anabolic supplements, such as leucine and carnitine, which I take shortly after working out. Apart from that, I put the rest of them in a container next to my workstation and take them a few at a time with a small amount of food as the day moves along. I don’t take any in the mornings when I’m fasting. On workout days, I will exercise in the morning and start taking supplements two or three hours later.

Am I Taking Too Many?

People sometimes express concern about the possibility of liver damage from taking a large number of supplements. It’s true that some supplements such as EGCG can cause liver damage (though green tea, which it’s made from, does not appear to). I’m not sure where the idea came from that taking “too many” supplements (assuming that they are high quality) damages the liver; I haven’t been able to find evidence to support it.

I get my blood tested regularly, and always test my liver and kidney enzymes. There has never been any sign of trouble. If I spot any problems, I’ll make adjustments to my protocol. My most recent blood test found that my PhenoAge was about 12 years younger than my chronological age. So this is a sign that I am probably moving in a good direction.

Is It Really Good to Take Supplements?

In my case, there do appear to be benefits. My sex drive, for example, increases noticeably when I take them. So do my memory, mental clarity, and general energy.

In terms of living longer, there’s no way of really knowing whether taking supplements is beneficial. We may live an extra decade or two if we take them, or it might make no difference at all. I get tangible benefits, so for now I’m continuing to take them. At some point, an intervention will probably come along that blows supplements out of the water and makes them irrelevant; at that point, I may stop all but a few.

“Why Aren’t You Taking _____?”

I’ve stopped taking some supplements that were on my previous list because of cost or redundancy. (When taking niacin, for example, I see no reason to also take NR or NMN.)

I am on a break from fucoidan (a SIRT6 activator), glucosamine, and taurine; but will probably be adding them back in at some point. I do eat foods that are high in taurine.

Some that I used to take have been deleted because of lack of evidence of efficacy. One in that category is resveratrol. It makes more sense to me to spend money on supplements with clearly demonstrated benefits.

Questions About Sponsorship

I currently have no sponsorship agreements.

Medications I’m Taking

Rapamycin (6 months on / off): Not a supplement, but it still belongs on this list. An mTOR (mechanistic target of rapamycin) inhibitor originally developed as an immunosuppressant. At low, intermittent doses—as used in longevity protocols—rapamycin is the only compound consistently shown to extend lifespan across multiple animal species (yeast, worms, flies, mice). It works by inhibiting mTOR Complex 1, shifting cellular metabolism from growth mode toward repair and autophagy (cellular housekeeping). Cycling on and off may help preserve immune function while capturing the longevity benefits. I’m currently on a break from it, but when I’m taking it, I take it first thing in the morning once a week with a little fish oil and some water. I then wait several hours before taking any other supplements.

The Full List – With Full Details

I take the supplements below five or six days a week. I will often take Saturdays and Sundays off. I seem to respond better to some supplements, such as the ones that support higher testosterone levels, if I cycle them.

Note that supplements, like medications, can have side effects; please do your due diligence before taking them, and let your healthcare provider know about any that you are taking. Supplements can sometimes interfere with the benefits of medications. My listing them here does not mean that I’m recommending them to other people; I’m simply saying that I take them, with a brief explanation of their possible benefits.

1. Acetyl L-Carnitine (2 grams) — Nutricost: An acetylated form of L-carnitine that crosses the blood-brain barrier more readily than standard carnitine (and may have fewer side effects). It supports mitochondrial energy production by shuttling fatty acids into mitochondria for fuel. Research suggests neuroprotective benefits, improved cognitive function in aging, and support for cellular energy metabolism. It may also help reduce oxidative stress in the brain and support healthy nerve function (synergistic with vitamin E).

2. Ashwagandha root (1 capsule) — Gaia: A highly respected adaptogenic herb (Withania somnifera) used for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine. It helps modulate the stress response by lowering cortisol levels, supports healthy testosterone levels in men, and may improve sleep quality. Studies also point to anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties, with some evidence it can improve VO2 max and exercise performance. It may support telomere maintenance. (Note: I usually alternate taking Ashwagandha for a couple of weeks with taking another item on the list, Astragalus.)

3. Astaxanthin (36 mg) — Bulk Supplements: A powerful carotenoid antioxidant produced by the microalgae Haematococcus pluvialis. It’s often described as one of the most potent natural antioxidants, with an ability to quench singlet oxygen many times greater than vitamin E. It supports skin health (UV protection from within), cardiovascular function, eye health, and exercise recovery. Research suggests anti-inflammatory effects and potential benefits for mitochondrial function.

4. Astragalus (1 capsule) — Gaia: An herb (Astragalus membranaceus) long used in Traditional Chinese Medicine. It contains cycloastragenol and astragaloside IV, compounds studied for their ability to activate telomerase, the enzyme that maintains telomere length. Shortened telomeres are a hallmark of aging, so telomerase activation is of significant interest in longevity research. Astragalus also supports immune function and has adaptogenic properties. Recent evidence appears to support the contention that Astragalus significantly improves the production of telomerase without increasing our odds of developing cancer, a concern that had been expressed in the past.

5. Berberine (1 gram) — various companies A bioactive alkaloid found in several plants including goldenseal and barberry. Often called “nature’s metformin,” berberine activates AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase), a master metabolic regulator involved in cellular energy sensing. It supports healthy blood sugar and insulin sensitivity, favorable lipid profiles, and gut health. AMPK activation is associated with many of the same longevity pathways triggered by caloric restriction.

6. Calcium D-Glucarate (1 gram) — Nutricost: A naturally occurring compound found in fruits and cruciferous vegetables. It supports the body’s phase II detoxification pathways, specifically glucuronidation, by inhibiting beta-glucuronidase—an enzyme that can reactivate toxins and excess hormones (including estrogen) that the liver has already packaged for elimination. Helpful for hormonal balance and reducing the body’s toxic burden.

7. Chromium picolinate (1 mg) — Nutricost: An essential trace mineral involved in insulin signaling and glucose metabolism. It enhances insulin sensitivity by supporting insulin receptor activity. May help maintain healthy blood sugar levels, reduce carbohydrate cravings, and support favorable body composition. Some research suggests benefits for lipid metabolism as well.

8. Cistanche tubulosa (500 mg) — Nutricost: A desert plant traditionally known as “ginseng of the desert” in Chinese medicine. It contains echinacoside and acteoside, compounds studied for neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, and testosterone-supporting effects. Research suggests it may support healthy dopamine levels, enhance exercise performance, and promote gut microbiome health. Some animal studies indicate anti-aging effects through antioxidant pathways.

9. Collagen (3 grams) — Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body, forming the scaffolding of skin, joints, tendons, and bones. Collagen production declines significantly with age. Supplemental collagen peptides have been shown to improve skin elasticity and hydration, support joint health and comfort, and may benefit bone density. Some research also suggests benefits for gut lining integrity.

10. CoQ10 (600 mg) with PQQ (20 mg) — Gaia / Health Through Nutrition / Jarrow: Coenzyme Q10 (ubiquinone/ubiquinol) is essential for mitochondrial electron transport and ATP production. It also functions as a fat-soluble antioxidant. CoQ10 levels decline with age, and this decline is associated with reduced cellular energy and increased oxidative damage. Supplementation supports cardiovascular health, cellular energy production, and may slow aspects of mitochondrial aging. Especially important for those taking statins, which deplete CoQ10. PQQ (pyrroloquinoline quinone) is a vitamin-like compound that promotes mitochondrial biogenesis. Taken as a supplement, it is used to enhance cognitive function (memory, focus), boost energy levels, and protect nerve cells. Works symbiotically with CoQ10.

11. Creatine (5 grams) — Nutricost: One of the best-researched supplements. Creatine supports the phosphocreatine energy system, providing rapid energy for high-intensity muscle contractions. Beyond athletic performance, emerging research highlights cognitive benefits (brain energy metabolism), potential neuroprotective effects, and support for maintaining lean muscle mass during aging—a critical factor in healthspan and longevity. I also get some creatine from eating red meat and other animal foods.

12. DHEA (25 mg) — Nutricost: Dehydroepiandrosterone is a precursor hormone produced by the adrenal glands that serves as a building block for both testosterone and estrogen. DHEA levels peak in early adulthood and decline steadily with age. Supplementation may support healthy hormone levels, immune function, bone density, mood, and body composition. Sometimes referred to as a biomarker of biological aging.

13. Electrolytes (1 capsule) — Nutricost: Essential minerals (typically sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium) that maintain fluid balance, nerve signaling, and muscle function. Included here partly to support creatine absorption, as creatine uptake into muscle cells is an active transport process that benefits from adequate electrolyte availability. Proper electrolyte balance also supports cardiovascular function and exercise performance.

14. Fish oil — prescription (5 grams/day): A concentrated, highly purified source of the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA. At prescription doses (typically 3–4 grams), fish oil significantly lowers triglycerides and provides robust anti-inflammatory effects. Omega-3s support cardiovascular health, brain function, joint comfort, and healthy inflammatory resolution. They are incorporated into cell membranes throughout the body, influencing membrane fluidity and cell signaling.

15. Horny goat weed / Icariin (600 mg) — Nutricost: Epimedium is a genus of plants whose active compound, icariin, has been studied for its effects on nitric oxide production. It is a sirtuin 6 activator and PDE5 inhibitor (similar in mechanism to pharmaceutical erectile dysfunction drugs), and supports bone health. Research also suggests potential neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects. May support healthy testosterone levels and cardiovascular function through improved blood flow.

16. Hyaluronic acid (400 mg) — A naturally occurring glycosaminoglycan that is a major component of the extracellular matrix, skin, and joint synovial fluid. It has a remarkable capacity to bind water—a single molecule can hold up to 1,000 times its weight in water. Oral supplementation has been shown to improve skin hydration and reduce wrinkles, support joint comfort, and may benefit eye health. Hyaluronic acid levels decline with age.

17. Krill oil (2 grams) — Bronson: Derived from Antarctic krill, this provides omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) bound to phospholipids, which may enhance absorption compared to standard fish oil triglycerides. Krill oil also contains astaxanthin as a natural antioxidant. Supports cardiovascular health, brain function, joint comfort, and healthy inflammatory response. The phospholipid form may have particular benefits for cell membrane integrity.

18. L-Ergothioneine (30 mg) — Doublewood: A unique amino acid produced by fungi and certain bacteria that the body actively concentrates in tissues with high oxidative stress (brain, eyes, liver, kidneys). It has been called a “longevity vitamin” by some researchers. L-ergothioneine is a potent antioxidant with specific affinity for mitochondria. Blood levels decline with age, and lower levels are associated with increased risk of age-related cognitive decline and cardiovascular disease.

19. L-Leucine (5 grams) — Nutricost: The most potent of the three branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) for stimulating muscle protein synthesis through activation of the mTOR pathway. Particularly important for older adults, as aging is associated with “anabolic resistance”—a reduced sensitivity to protein’s muscle-building signal. Leucine helps overcome this resistance, supporting the maintenance of lean muscle mass, which is a critical determinant of healthspan and functional independence.

20. Lithium — low dose (5 mg) — Weyland: At trace/microdose levels (far below psychiatric doses of 300–1200 mg), lithium has been associated with neuroprotective effects. Epidemiological studies have found correlations between naturally higher lithium levels in drinking water and reduced rates of dementia, suicide, and even longer lifespan. Low-dose lithium may support brain health through GSK-3 beta inhibition, promotion of autophagy, and upregulation of neurotrophic factors like BDNF.

21. Lutein/Zeaxanthin (20 mg) — Puritan’s Pride: Carotenoid pigments that concentrate in the macula of the eye, forming the “macular pigment” that filters harmful blue light and protects photoreceptors from oxidative damage. Supplementation supports long-term eye health and may reduce risk of age-related macular degeneration. Emerging research also suggests cognitive benefits, as these carotenoids accumulate in brain tissue and are associated with better neural processing speed.

22. Lycopene (20 mg) — Puritan’s Pride: A bright red carotenoid found abundantly in tomatoes. It is a potent antioxidant with particular affinity for prostate tissue, where it may support healthy cell growth and reduce oxidative damage. Research suggests cardiovascular benefits, including support for healthy LDL oxidation resistance and arterial function. Some studies associate higher lycopene intake with reduced risk of several age-related conditions.

23. Magnesium glycinate (500 mg) — Nutricost: Magnesium is involved in over 300 enzymatic reactions in the body, including energy production, DNA repair, protein synthesis, and nervous system regulation. The glycinate form is well-absorbed and less likely to cause digestive discomfort. Magnesium supports cardiovascular health, healthy blood pressure, bone density, sleep quality, and insulin sensitivity. Deficiency is common, especially in older adults, and is associated with accelerated aging.

24. Men’s multivitamin/mineral — PCC local brand (2 capsules): A broad-spectrum foundation of essential vitamins and minerals to help fill nutritional gaps. Even with a good diet, micronutrient insufficiencies are common and can quietly undermine cellular function. A quality multi provides baseline insurance for the dozens of vitamins and trace minerals required for DNA repair, immune function, energy production, and antioxidant defense.

25. Niacin — immediate release/flushing (1 gram) — Nutricost: Vitamin B3 in its immediate-release form, which produces a characteristic “flush” (skin reddening and warmth caused by prostaglandin-mediated vasodilation). Niacin is a precursor to NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide), a coenzyme essential for mitochondrial energy production, DNA repair, and sirtuin activation. At this dose, niacin also supports favorable lipid profiles—raising HDL and lowering LDL and triglycerides. The flush itself may have cardiovascular benefits through periodic vasodilation. (Note: I sometimes substitute NR or NMN, two NAD+ boosters which do not cause flushing but also do not raise HDL or lower LDL and TG.)

26. Fermented beets — nitric oxide support (800 mg): A blend containing fermented beetroot and epimedium, designed to support nitric oxide (NO) production. Nitric oxide is a signaling molecule that relaxes blood vessels, improving blood flow and cardiovascular function. NO levels decline with age, contributing to vascular stiffness and reduced circulation. Beetroot provides dietary nitrates that convert to NO, while epimedium (icariin) may support NO synthase activity. Healthy NO levels support blood pressure, exercise performance, and cognitive function.

27. Phosphatidylserine (400 mg) — Jarrow: A phospholipid that is a major structural component of cell membranes, particularly abundant in brain tissue. It supports cognitive function, memory, and healthy cortisol response to stress. Research in older adults suggests benefits for age-related cognitive decline. It may also support exercise recovery and healthy stress hormone metabolism. Phosphatidylserine plays a role in cell signaling and apoptotic cell clearance. (This supplement improves my memory and mental clarity, so I often take it about an hour before teaching.)

28. Prostate health — saw palmetto — Gaia: Serenoa repens is the most widely studied botanical for prostate health. It works primarily by inhibiting 5-alpha-reductase, the enzyme that converts testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Elevated DHT is associated with prostate enlargement (BPH). Saw palmetto may support healthy urinary function, reduce nighttime urination frequency, and help maintain a healthy prostate size as men age.

29. Sea buckthorn berry oil (225 mg): Derived from the berries of Hippophae rhamnoides, sea buckthorn oil is unusually rich in omega-7 fatty acids (palmitoleic acid), along with omega-3, -6, and -9, plus vitamins A, C, and E. Omega-7s support mucous membrane health (including gut, skin, and eyes), cardiovascular health, and healthy inflammatory response. Sea buckthorn has been associated with improved skin hydration, reduced markers of inflammation, and metabolic health benefits.

30. Sunflower lecithin (5 capsules): A source of phospholipids—primarily phosphatidylcholine—extracted from sunflowers (non-GMO alternative to soy lecithin). Phosphatidylcholine is a key building block of cell membranes and a precursor to the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which is critical for memory and cognitive function. Lecithin supports liver health, fat metabolism, brain function, and cardiovascular health. It may also improve the absorption of other fat-soluble supplements.

31. TMG — trimethylglycine (2.5 grams) Also known as betaine, TMG serves as a methyl donor in the methylation cycle, converting homocysteine back to methionine. Elevated homocysteine is a cardiovascular and neurological risk factor, so supporting its clearance is protective. TMG is commonly paired with niacin supplementation because niacin consumes methyl groups during metabolism. TMG also supports liver health, cellular hydration, and healthy methylation—an epigenetic process central to gene regulation and biological aging.

32. Vitamin D3 + K2 (5000 IU / 90 mcg): Vitamin D3 functions more like a hormone than a vitamin, influencing over 1,000 genes. It supports immune function, bone health, mood, and cardiovascular health. K2 (menaquinone) is the essential partner to D3: it activates proteins that direct calcium into bones and teeth and away from arteries and soft tissues. Without adequate K2, high-dose D3 supplementation may contribute to arterial calcification. Together, they support healthy calcium metabolism, bone density, and cardiovascular health.

33. Vitamin E (200 IU): A fat-soluble antioxidant that protects cell membranes from lipid peroxidation—oxidative damage to the polyunsaturated fats that make up cellular membranes. Vitamin E supports immune function, skin health, and cardiovascular health. It works synergistically with other antioxidants, particularly vitamin C, which regenerates oxidized vitamin E. Important to use the mixed tocopherol form rather than alpha-tocopherol alone for balanced antioxidant coverage.

34. Zinc + Copper (65 mg + 10 mg): Zinc is essential for immune function, testosterone production, DNA synthesis, wound healing, and hundreds of enzymatic reactions. Copper is included because long-term zinc supplementation can deplete copper stores, so they are best taken together in a balanced ratio. Copper supports connective tissue formation, iron metabolism, and serves as a cofactor for the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD). Both minerals are critical for healthy aging. (Note: This is a temporary high dose; after 2 weeks I’ll be returning to my usual dose of 30 mg zinc and 10 mg copper)

35. Glycine (2–4 grams): A non-essential amino acid that plays a surprisingly wide role in health. Glycine is one of the three amino acids required to synthesize glutathione (along with cysteine and glutamic acid). I take it during the day and at night. See more information below.

36. NAC — N-Acetyl Cysteine (2–4 grams): NAC is the acetylated form of the amino acid L-cysteine and serves as the rate-limiting precursor for glutathione synthesis—meaning your body’s ability to produce glutathione depends heavily on cysteine availability. Glycine is one of the three amino acids required to synthesize glutathione (along with cysteine and glutamic acid). I take it during the day and at night. See more information below.

Nighttime Supplements

I take these in the evening, close to bedtime. Glycine and NAC are taken together intentionally—their combination (sometimes called “GlyNAC”) has been shown in clinical research to significantly boost glutathione, the body’s master intracellular antioxidant, which declines substantially with age. I also take them again with my daytime supplements.

1. Glycine (2–4 grams): A non-essential amino acid that plays a surprisingly wide role in health. Glycine is one of the three amino acids required to synthesize glutathione (along with cysteine and glutamic acid). Beyond this, it acts as an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain, promoting relaxation and deeper sleep—making it ideal for nighttime use. Glycine also supports collagen synthesis, healthy inflammatory response, and blood sugar regulation. A landmark 2023 study by Dr. Rajagopal Sekhar at Baylor College of Medicine demonstrated that GlyNAC supplementation (glycine + NAC) in older adults corrected glutathione deficiency and improved multiple hallmarks of aging, including mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, inflammation, insulin resistance, and physical function.

2. NAC — N-Acetyl Cysteine (2–4 grams): NAC is the acetylated form of the amino acid L-cysteine and serves as the rate-limiting precursor for glutathione synthesis—meaning your body’s ability to produce glutathione depends heavily on cysteine availability. On its own, NAC is a powerful antioxidant and mucolytic agent that supports liver detoxification, respiratory health, and healthy inflammatory response. When paired with glycine as GlyNAC, the combination provides the two key raw materials the body needs to restore youthful glutathione levels. The Baylor GlyNAC trials showed that older adults supplementing with this combination saw glutathione levels return to those of young adults, with corresponding improvements across multiple aging biomarkers.

3. L-Tryptophan (1–2 grams): An essential amino acid that is the sole precursor to serotonin, which in turn converts to melatonin—the hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle. Taking tryptophan at night supports natural melatonin production, promoting healthy sleep onset and sleep quality without the grogginess sometimes associated with direct melatonin supplementation. Adequate serotonin levels also support mood, emotional resilience, and appetite regulation. Tryptophan may also support immune function and has been studied for its role in healthy aging through the kynurenine pathway, which influences inflammation and neurodegeneration.