Supplements that may help reduce the risk of diseases known to shorten lifespan and/or healthspan include cocoa extract (for cardiovascular disease),[1] protein powder (for sarcopenia),[2] and certain B-vitamins (for cognitive decline),[3]. Outside of treating vitamin deficiencies, the evidence for many of these supplements is inconsistent or has important shortcomings.
Studies on animals (e.g., mice) have noted improvements to lifespan and/or healthspan from various supplements, including NAD+ precursors (e.g., nicotinamide riboside and nicotinamide mononucleotide),[4][5] glycine (sometimes in combination with N-acetyl cysteine),[6][7] and alpha-ketoglutarate.[8] Astragalus may be able to lengthen telomeres (the DNA sequences at the end of chromosomes that shorten with age). However, much of the research on these supplements has notable limitations, and there is currently very little quality evidence that they promote healthy aging or increase lifespan in humans.