Supplements for Longevity & Their Efficacy | Dr. Peter Attia

(uptempo music) Welcome to the Huberman Lab Podcast, where we discuss science and science-based tools for everyday life. I'm Andrew Huberman, and I'm a professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford School of Medicine. My guest today is Dr. Peter Attia. Dr. Peter Attia is a medical doctor who did his training at Stanford University School of Medicine and Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Dr. Attia is one of the world's most trusted voices on the topics of healthspan and lifespan, and with good reason. He is known to systematically review the research literature, the clinical trials, and he maintains an avid clinical practice. So when it comes to the topic of whether or not a particular molecule, or supplement, or prescription drug is indeed something that we should be thinking about and perhaps even taking in order to improve our healthspan and lifespan, Dr. Attia is the person that I choose to sit down with and discuss it. So, today, we are going to discuss the so-called NAD pathway. This is a pathway that's received a lot of attention in recent years as a potential target for improving lifespan, that is for living longer. Today, we discuss the various molecules in this pathway and the various approaches to increasing NAD, which is the end target goal of anyone that's trying to augment the NAD pathway, so to speak. So for instance, we talk about taking NR versus NMN versus direct infusions or even orally taking NAD, and we compare them in terms of both what's known and what is not known about their ability to get into cells and any efficacy they may have for either longevity or healthspan. Dr. Attia and I compare and contrast the literature on this, again, both research and clinical literature, and we discuss whether or not he or I take NAD, NMN, or NR, and if so or if not, the reasons for that. We also each go through our own supplement regimen, which of course reflects what we do believe can potentially have an effect on healthspan and/or lifespan. So by the end of today's episode, you'll learn a lot about NAD. You'll learn a lot about the biological pathway. You'll learn a lot about the delivery routes, the various supplements and why people think they may be useful, why others, perhaps even Dr. Attia and myself, think they may not be useful for longevity. You'll have to listen to find out what the answer is there. I should also mention that we give somewhat of an overview or a framework for thinking about approaches to longevity. So if you're interested in things like rapamycin, metformin, and whether or not fasting can improve longevity, we get into that as well. Before we begin, I'd like to emphasize that this podcast is separate from my teaching and research roles at Stanford. It is, however, part of my desire and effort to bring zero-cost-to-consumer information about science and science-related tools to the general public. In keeping with that theme, I'd like to thank the sponsors of today's podcast. Our first sponsor is LMNT. LMNT is an electrolyte drink that has everything you need and nothing you don't. That means the electrolytes, sodium, magnesium, and potassium, in the correct ratios, but no sugar. Now, proper hydration is critical for the optimal functioning of all the cells in your body, and that's especially true for the neurons, the nerve cells. In fact, we know that even a slight degree of dehydration can diminish both cognitive and physical performance. So to make sure that I'm getting proper hydration and electrolytes, I personally dissolve one packet of LMNT in about 16 to 32 ounces of water when I first wake up in the morning, and I drink that or sip that across the first half-hour of the day or so. And then I also make it a point to drink another packet of LMNT dissolved in an equal amount of water, so 16 to 32 ounces, at some other point during the day, and maybe even a third if I'm exercising and/or sweating a lot. I should mention that LMNT tastes absolutely delicious. My favorite flavor is watermelon, although I also confess I like the raspberry flavor, the citrus flavor. Basically, I like all the flavors. If you'd like to try LMNT, you can go to drinklmnt.com/huberman to claim a free LMNT sample pack with the purchase of any LMNT drink mix. Again, that's drinklmnt.com/huberman to claim a free sample pack. Today's episode is also brought to us by Levels. Levels is a program that lets you see how different foods impact your health by giving you real-time feedback on your diet using a continuous glucose monitor. One of the most important factors in both short- and long-term health is your body's ability to manage blood glucose. To maintain optimal energy and focus throughout the day, you want to keep your blood glucose levels steady without big spikes or crashes. I first started using Levels about three years ago as a way to try and understand how different foods impacted my blood glucose levels, and it's proven incredibly useful for determining what food choices I should make, when best to eat certain foods, especially around things like workouts, and when and what to eat relative to when I go to sleep in order to allow for the best possible night's sleep and stable blood sugar throughout the night and when I wake up in the morning. So if you're interested in learning more about Levels and trying a CGM yourself, go to levels.link/huberman. Levels recently launched a new CGM sensor that's even smaller and has even better tracking than their previous version. Right now, they're also offering an additional two free months of membership. Again, that's levels.link, spelled L-I-N-K, /huberman to try the new sensor and two free months of membership. Today's episode is also brought to us by Eight Sleep. Eight Sleep makes smart mattress covers with cooling, heating, and sleep-tracking capacity. Now, I've spoken many times before on this podcast about the critical need for us to get adequate amounts of quality sleep each night. One of the best ways to ensure a great night's sleep is to control the temperature of your sleeping environment, and that's because in order to fall and stay deeply asleep, your body temperature actually has to drop by about one to three degrees. And in order to wake up feeling refreshed and energized, your body temperature actually has to increase by about one to three degrees. Eight Sleep makes it incredibly easy to control the temperature of your sleeping environment by allowing you to program the temperature of your mattress cover at the beginning, middle, and end of the night. I've been sleeping on an Eight Sleep mattress cover for well over three years now, and it has completely transformed my sleep for the better. Eight Sleep recently launched their newest generation pod cover, the Pod 4 Ultra. The Pod 4 Ultra has improved cooling and heating capacity, higher-fidelity sleep-tracking technology, and it also has snoring detection that, remarkably, will automatically lift your head a few degrees to improve your airflow and stop your snoring. If you'd like to try an Eight Sleep mattress cover, you can go to eightsleep.com/huberman to save $350 off their Pod 4 Ultra. Eight Sleep currently ships to the USA, Canada, UK, select countries in the EU, and Australia. Again, that's eightsleep.com/huberman. And now for my discussion about NAD and longevity with Dr. Peter Attia. Peter Attia, welcome.