Medications & supplements

In our practice, we organize longevity tactics into five domains — one of which I call ‘exogenous molecules,’ a fancy way of talking about medications, supplements, hormones, or any other formulated molecule you put into your body. Although powerful, this tactic can be challenging to discuss as it is highly individual. So instead of telling you to “take X” or “never take Y,” I find it more beneficial to approach this tactic with a 3-part framework:
(1) What is the objective? The more clearly you can define your objective, the more clearly you can assess if this is the right tool for accomplishing that objective
(2) Is there a biomarker? How do you plan to customize, track, and adjust your treatment over time? If there is no biomarker to monitor as a measure of effectiveness, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take the supplement or medication; it just means you may need to be more intentional around monitoring results in other ways.
(3) Does the risk outweigh the reward? Everyone has a different tolerance for risk. Some questions to consider when weighing risk vs. reward: What is the mechanism of action? How many patient years of use exist? What are the short-term and long-term risks of taking the medication? What are the risks of not taking the medication?
Below is a collection of past content discussing some common supplements, medications, and other treatments.

Nutrition

Guest Episode

Metabolism, energy balance, and aging: How diet, calorie restriction, and macronutrients influence longevity and metabolic health

Ep. #324 with Eric Ravussin, Ph.D.

Medications & supplements

Free Article

Failure of resveratrol to improve metabolic health is another nail in the coffin

Exercise

Guest Episode

Bone health for life

Ep. #322 with Belinda Beck, Ph.D.

Mental & Emotional Health

Free Article

Evaluating exercise as an equivalent to medication for the treatment of depression and anxiety

Medications & supplements

AMA

New insights on GLP-1 agonists (Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro)

Ep. #320 (AMA #64)

Medications & supplements

AMA

A guide for hair loss: causes, treatments, transplants, and sex-specific considerations

Ep. #316 (AMA #63)

Nutrition

Guest Episode

Rethinking nutrition science: the evolving landscape of obesity treatment, GLP-1 agonists, protein, and the need for higher research standards

Ep. #314 with David Allison, Ph.D.

Medications & supplements

Free Article

A recent study does little to supplement earlier knowledge on multivitamins and health

Longevity

Podcast Episode

Longevity 101

Ep. #311

Medications & supplements

Free Article

Does pharmacological treatment for ADHD increase risk of cardiovascular disease?

Risks

Free Article

Does hormone replacement therapy impact dementia risk?

Nutrition

AMA

Preventing cognitive decline, nutrition myths, lowering blood glucose, apoB, and blood pressure, and more

Ep. #306 (AMA #60)

Exercise

QPS

NEW: Introducing quarterly podcast summaries - Peter shares his biggest takeaways on muscle protein synthesis, VO2 max, toe strength, gut health, and more

Ep. #304

Understanding science

Free Article

Oldies-But-Goodies, May 2024 Edition

Medications & supplements

Podcast Episode

Special episode: Peter on exercise, fasting, nutrition, stem cells, geroprotective drugs, and more — promising interventions or just noise?

Ep. #300

Nutrition

Guest Episode

Optimizing muscle protein synthesis: the crucial impact of protein quality and quantity, and the key role of resistance training

Ep. #299 with Luc van Loon, Ph.D.

Medications & supplements

AMA

Iron: its role in health, testing methods, and strategies for preventing and managing iron deficiency

Ep. #297 (AMA #58)

Medications & supplements

Guest Episode

The role of testosterone in males and females, performance-enhancing drugs, sustainable fat loss, supplements, and more

Ep. #291 with Derek, More Plates, More Dates

Nutrition

Free Article

Does low iron intake change exercise capacity?

Medications & supplements

Free Article

Where a study on metformin and cardiovascular disease fell short – and what it can teach us

Understanding science

Free Article

Research Worth Sharing, December 2023 Edition

Nutrition

Guest Episode

Gut health & the microbiome: improving and maintaining the microbiome, probiotics, prebiotics, innovative treatments, and more

Ep. #283 with Colleen Cutcliffe, Ph.D.

Nutrition

Free Article

Why is it so difficult to determine how nutrition impacts dementia risk?

Medications & supplements

AMA

Magnesium: risks of deficiency, how to correct it, supplement options, potential cognitive and sleep benefits, and more

Ep. #282 (AMA #54)