Looking to live long and stay strong?
While the longevity market is flooded with promises of eternal youth in capsule form, one expert maintains that there’s a holy trinity of supplements that can help you age not just gracefully, but optimally.
#1: Antioxidants
“Aging actually starts in your cells; when your cells age, they can no longer function, and that’s what leads to all these chronic conditions and aging on the inside and outside,” nutritional biochemist Dr. Erin Barrett, PhD, Director of Product Innovation and Scientific Affairs at Shaklee, told The Post.
“Doing anything to support the health of our cells is going to be really powerful.”
Antioxidants, in particular fuel, the fight against cellular aging.
“Nutritionally, you can get antioxidants from food: fruits, vegetables, anything colorful, anything rich in vitamin A, or vitamin C; those are all antioxidants,” she said — but you can also add supplements.
Barrett is also a fan of muscadine for packing an antioxidant punch. Commonly used to make wine, the muscadine grape is often referred to as a “super fruit” due to its high levels of polyphenols — including anthocyanins, quercetin and ellagic acid — which can help decrease inflammation and oxidative stress.
And those properties might even make you prettier.
Previous research found that women who drank two glasses of nonalcoholic muscadine wine daily had greater elasticity and water retention in their skin than those who consumed a placebo.
#2: Protein
Protein, a macronutrient essential for muscle building, has well-established benefits. Getting enough helps us fight infection, provides energy, supports wound healing and helps maintain or build our muscle mass.
This last benefit is crucial, since beginning around age 40, our bodies become less efficient at using protein to rebuild tissue.
“We see that as we get older, we lose muscle mass. And when we lose muscle mass, that leads to loss of independence, and that’s when I think health really declines,” said Barrett.
The progressive loss of muscle mass and strength associated with aging is known as sarcopenia and is estimated to affect 10% to 16% of the world’s elderly population.
Barrett said that supplemental protein — like Shaklee’s Life Shake Plant Protein or Sparkling Protein drink — can stave off sarcopenia and help folks maintain muscle mass.
“Being able to even just maintain muscle — ideally, you’re building it as well — but even just maintaining is going to be so valuable for maintaining that independence, which I think is really important,” she stressed.
Experts recommend 1 to 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, evenly distributed across meals to maximize muscle protein synthesis. A 2023 health study found that people who consumed 100 grams of protein had a greater anabolic response and improved protein synthesis.
Creatine
“I’m actually super hot on creatine,” admitted Barrett. “I think it’s going to be one of those products that is a must-have for longevity.”
Creatine, an amino acid naturally found in muscles, has been shown to support muscle performance and recovery when taken in a synthetic, supplemental form — but it’s not just for gym bros.
Studies show that creatine may also help with cognition and brain health, improving performance on cognitive tests in older adults.
As we age, Barrett said, “things that used to be super easy when we were younger, like standing up from a seated position, require more energy. We’re not producing energy as well; our mitochondria aren’t as healthy; and we don’t store creatine as well.
“All of these things are against us, so anything that we can do to optimize our body’s ability to make energy, recycle it, and use it is going to be really, really powerful.”
She points to creatine as a power player for cellular optimization.
“Creatine gives you that quick burst of energy that your cells need,” said Battett. “Any tissue that has really high energy needs, creatine is going to be really helpful for that, because it recycles energy.”
In particular, the brain, immune cells and the heart have high energy needs that creatine can help meet.
“Your brain uses 20% of your whole body’s energy. When your immune cells are fighting an infection, they have very high energy demands. If you’re stressed, your heart has really high energy demands,” she said.
“When you need energy quickly, you need a system that can deliver it fast, and that’s what creatine does. Any tissue that has those high-energy needs is going to benefit from creatine.”
