The Anti-Aging Supplement Scam (New Evidence)

Brad Stanfield

Apr 7, 2026

Episode description

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Timestamps:
00:00 The Interventions Testing Program
03:41 The Breakthrough: Rapamycin
05:21 The Excitement Around Astaxanthin and AKG
09:44 The ITP's Latest Results
11:16 Conclusion and Key Takeaways

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Here are the links to the research papers referenced in the video:
Astaxanthin/meclizine ITP 2023 — https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11357-023-01011-0
Rejuvant "longevity escape velocity" press release — https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2023/03/28/2635803/0/en/67-Year-Old-Founder-of-Ponce-De-Leon-Health-Achieves-Longevity-Escape-Velocity-with-Rejuvant.html
ITP 2026 paper (all 11 compounds fail) — https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11357-026-02201-2
NIA ITP overview — https://www.nia.nih.gov/research/dab/interventions-testing-program-itp
NIA ITP about page (UM-HET3 mice) — https://www.nia.nih.gov/research/dab/interventions-testing-program-itp/about-itp
NR extends lifespan in mice (Zhang 2016) — https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aaf2693
NR fails ITP (17-a-estradiol paper) — https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8135004/
Rapamycin discovery (Easter Island) — https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9494524/
Rapamycin extends lifespan (Harrison 2009, Nature) — https://www.nature.com/articles/nature08221
Science top 10 breakthroughs 2009 — https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.326.5960.1600
ITP supported interventions list — https://www.nia.nih.gov/research/dab/interventions-testing-program-itp/supported-interventions
AKG extends lifespan (Buck Institute 2020) — https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8508957/
Lithgow quote (Buck press release) — https://www.buckinstitute.org/news/a-metabolite-produced-by-the-body-increases-lifespan-and-dramatically-compresses-late-life-morbidity-in-mice/
Sinclair AKG tweet — https://x.com/davidasinclair/status/1300868036023459841
Rejuvant "8 year" study (Demidenko 2021) — https://www.aging-us.com/article/203736/text
Horvath clock comparison — https://www.mdpi.com/2673-8856/5/2/28
Resveratrol in mice (Sinclair 2006, Nature) — https://www.nature.com/articles/nature05354
GSK acquires Sirtris for $720M — https://www.fiercebiotech.com/biotech/glaxosmithkline-gsk-to-acquire-sirtris-pharmaceuticals-a-world-leader-sirtuin-research-and
Resveratrol not a direct SIRT1 activator — https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2832984
SRT501 trial halted (kidney damage) — https://www.fiercebiotech.com/biotech/safety-concerns-force-glaxo-to-suspend-enrollment-srt501-trial
GSK shuts down Sirtris — https://www.bioworld.com/articles/438084
Kaeberlein "most debunked" quote — https://www.levels.com/blog/matt-kaeberlein-longevity-science
Astaxanthin skin meta-analysis — https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8472736/

Thumbnail by James Kelly
Video edited by Troy Young
Script by John Milliken

The links above are affiliate links, so I receive a small commission every time you use them to purchase a product. The content contained in this video, and its accompanying description, is not intended to replace viewers’ relationships with their own medical practitioner. Always speak with your doctor regarding the content of this channel, and especially before using any products, services, or devices discussed on this channel.

Mindsip insights from this episode:

Utilize prescription drugs to extend lifespan

The only compounds that have consistently and reproducibly extended lifespan in the ITP are prescription drugs like Rapamycin, Acarbose, and Canagliflozin.

#lifespan

#Medication

Reject ineffective anti-aging supplements based on ITP testing

Widely sold anti-aging supplements like Resveratrol, fish oil, Nicotinamide Riboside (NR), and Fisetin have all failed to extend lifespan in rigorous ITP testing.

#longevity

#supplement

Question the validity of resveratrol supplements after company shutdown

Resveratrol was part of a $720 million company that was shut down after follow-up studies failed, yet it is still widely sold as a supplement today.

#supplement

Question the validity of AKG's 8-year age reduction claim

The claim that Calcium AKG reduces biological age by 8 years is based on a study with no placebo group and an epigenetic test with a 4-year margin of error.

#aging

#research

Reevaluate astaxanthin use due to potential lifespan reduction in females

While an initial study showed Astaxanthin extended male mice lifespan by 12%, a follow-up ITP study found it actually shortened lifespan in female mice at a lower dose.

#lifespan

#supplement

Implement rigorous testing standards for reliable results

The Interventions Testing Program (ITP) is uniquely rigorous because it tests compounds in three independent labs simultaneously and publishes all results, including failures.