Dr. Peter Attia: Supplements for Longevity & Their Efficacy

In this episode, my guest is Dr. Peter Attia, M.D., a Stanford and Johns Hopkins School of Medicine-trained physician expert in improving human healthspan and lifespan. Dr. Attia is also the host of The Drive podcast and author of the best-selling book Outlive.

We discuss the NAD pathway in human cells and its possible links to aging and health. We evaluate how supplementation can augment molecules in the NAD pathway; we compare NAD, NMN, and NR, different routes of administration, their safety, and bioavailability. Then, we discuss the broader research and clinical literature on longevity to decide if supplementation with NAD, NR, NMN, rapamycin, or resveratrol can indeed extend lifespan.

Finally, we each describe our supplement regimens and compare the role of supplementation to behaviors such as sleep, nutrition, and exercise for longevity. We also discuss whether tests of biological age are true indicators of aging and whether normal radiation levels increase cancer risk.

Listeners of this episode will learn if supplements purported to improve lifespan show any efficacy and the behaviors and other factors that can prevent disease and extend lifespan.

Articles

• Sir2-Independent Life Span Extension by Calorie Restriction in Yeast (PLoS Biology)
• The sirtuin SIRT6 regulates lifespan in male mice (Nature)
• In vivo NAD assay reveals the intracellular NAD contents and redox state in healthy human brain and their age dependences (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)
• Weeklong improved colour contrasts sensitivity after single 670 nm exposures associated with enhanced mitochondrial function (Scientific Reports)
• Nicotinamide riboside and pterostilbene reduces markers of hepatic inflammation in NAFLD: A double‐blind, placebo‐controlled clinical trial (Hepatology)
• Nicotinamide mononucleotide increases muscle insulin sensitivity in prediabetic women (Science)
• A Phase 3 Randomized Trial of Nicotinamide for Skin-Cancer Chemoprevention (The New England Journal of Medicine)
• mTOR inhibition improves immune function
  in the elderly (Immunology)

Other Resources

• Outlive: The Science & Art of Longevity (Book by Dr. Peter Attia)
• Dog Aging Project
  • Enroll Your Dog
• A breakthrough in Alzheimer’s disease: the promising potential of klotho for brain health, cognitive decline, and as a therapeutic tool for Alzheimer’s disease | Dena Dubal, M.D., Ph.D. (The Drive Podcast)
• Richard Miller, M.D., Ph.D.: The gold standard for testing longevity drugs: the Interventions Testing Program (The Drive Podcast)
• Longevity drugs, aging biomarkers, and updated findings from the Interventions Testing Program (ITP) | Rich Miller, M.D., Ph.D. (The Drive Podcast)
• Interventions Testing Program (ITP)
• Peter Attia, David Sabatini, and Navdeep Chandel (#193; The Tim Ferriss Show)
• Decline of Type 2 Muscle Fibers with Age (Perform with Dr. Andy Galpin Podcast; timestamp)
• Metabolomics, NAD+, and cancer metabolism | Josh Rabinowitz, M.D., Ph.D. (The Drive Podcast)
• Perform with Dr. Andy Galpin

Huberman Lab Episodes Mentioned

• Guest Series | Dr. Paul Conti: How to Understand & Assess Your Mental Health
• How to Improve Skin Health & Appearance‍
• Dr. Layne Norton: The Science of Eating for Health, Fat Loss & Lean Muscle
• Jocko Willink: How to Become Resilient, Forge Your Identity & Lead Others
• Dr. Eddie Chang: The Science of Learning & Speaking Languages