Quick answer: Longevity Foundation is the simplest place to start if you want to support healthy aging at the level of your cells. It focuses on a few core processes that tend to slow down with age, especially energy production, cellular cleanup and a balanced inflammatory response.
Key takeaways
Every cell depends on mitochondria to turn food into usable energy, and their efficiency tends to decline with age.
NAD+ is needed for both energy production and DNA repair, and its levels fall over the years.
Cells also clear out worn-out parts through autophagy, and this protocol is a simple starting point for supporting these aging pathways.
The mechanisms this protocol supports
Every cell depends on mitochondria to turn food into usable energy, and mitochondrial efficiency tends to decline as we get older. NAD+ is a molecule that mitochondria need for energy production and that cells also use for DNA repair, and NAD+ levels drop over the years.
Cells also need a way to clear out damaged parts, a process called autophagy, and a specific version called mitophagy recycles worn-out mitochondria. When cleanup slows down and low-grade inflammation builds, researchers often describe the result as inflammaging.
Research has linked declines in mitochondrial function, lower NAD+ levels and chronic low-grade inflammation with age-related changes in energy, muscle and cognition. This protocol is designed to support those underlying mechanisms rather than any single condition.
What is in the protocol
The exact products and directions are listed in the Fullscript plan, and here is what each one is commonly used to support.
- Mitochondrial NRG from Designs for Health is a blend of nutrients that support mitochondrial energy production.
- ProOmega-D from Nordic Naturals provides the omega-3 fats EPA and DHA along with vitamin D, which together support cell membranes, immune signaling and a balanced inflammatory response.
- Mitopure from Timeline provides urolithin A, which is being studied for its role in mitophagy, the process cells use to recycle worn-out mitochondria.
- NiaCel from Thorne provides nicotinamide riboside, which the body uses to make NAD+, a molecule that cells rely on for energy production and DNA repair.
Related protocols you may find helpful include my tiered longevity protocols and Cellular Energy & Recovery.
How to use it thoughtfully
Please talk with your provider before starting, especially if you take medications, are pregnant or nursing, or have a health condition. This page does not list amounts, so follow the label or the specific guidance your provider gives you.
When you can, add one product at a time so it is easier to notice how you feel. Sleep, nourishing food, daily movement and stress care are the foundation, and supplements are meant to build on them.
Questions to bring to your clinician
These questions can help you get the most out of your next visit.
Would a foundational longevity protocol make sense for me at this stage of life?
Could anything in the Longevity Foundation protocol interact with my current medications or supplements?
Which labs or symptoms would be worth tracking while I follow the Longevity Foundation protocol?
How long would it make sense for me to follow the Longevity Foundation protocol before we review how it is going?
What the research shows
Longevity research in people is early, and this protocol has not been tested as a whole. Most trials measure blood or muscle markers over weeks, not lifespan.
Urolithin A was tested in a 2019 first-in-human trial by Andreux and colleagues in healthy, sedentary older adults. It was safe, reached the blood at all doses, and four weeks of 500 or 1,000 mg changed blood and muscle markers linked to mitochondrial health. Function and strength were not the main outcomes.
Nicotinamide riboside raised NAD+ in a 2018 crossover trial by Martens and colleagues of healthy middle-aged and older adults over six weeks and was well tolerated. In a 2023 trial by Kumar and colleagues, 24 older adults on GlyNAC or placebo for 16 weeks saw improvements in glutathione, oxidative stress, gait speed and grip strength with GlyNAC. Both trials were small.
Frequently asked questions
How is Longevity Foundation different from the tiered longevity protocols?
Longevity Foundation focuses on mitochondrial energy, NAD+ and cellular renewal, while the Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced tiers focus more on antioxidant defense, DNA repair and telomere support.
Can I take Longevity Foundation with other protocols?
Many people combine it with other protocols, but some products overlap, so it is best to review the full list with your provider before you stack anything.
Sources
- Sun N, Youle RJ, Finkel T. The Mitochondrial Basis of Aging. Mol Cell 2016. PMID: 26942670. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4779179/
- Massudi H, et al. Age-associated changes in oxidative stress and NAD+ metabolism in human tissue. PLoS One 2012. PMID: 22848760. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3407129/
- Ferrucci L, Fabbri E. Inflammageing: chronic inflammation in ageing, cardiovascular disease, and frailty. Nat Rev Cardiol 2018. PMID: 30065258. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6146930/
- Andreux PA, et al. The mitophagy activator urolithin A is safe and induces a molecular signature of improved mitochondrial and cellular health in humans. Nat Metab 2019. PMID: 32694802. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32694802/
- Martens CR, et al. Chronic nicotinamide riboside supplementation is well-tolerated and elevates NAD+ in healthy middle-aged and older adults. Nat Commun 2018. PMID: 29599478. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5876407/
Educational purposes only. This page shares general information and is not medical advice. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration, and these products are not intended to replace care from your own healthcare provider. Please talk with your provider before starting any supplement, especially if you take medications, are pregnant or nursing, or have a health condition.
Sources
- Andreux PA, Blanco-Bose W, Ryu D, et al. The mitophagy activator urolithin A is safe and induces a molecular signature of improved mitochondrial and cellular health in humans. Nat Metab 2019. PMID: 32694802. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32694802/
- Martens CR, Denman BA, Mazzo MR, et al. Chronic nicotinamide riboside supplementation is well-tolerated and elevates NAD+ in healthy middle-aged and older adults. Nat Commun 2018. PMID: 29599478. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29599478/
- Kumar P, Liu C, Suliburk J, et al. Supplementing Glycine and N-Acetylcysteine (GlyNAC) in Older Adults Improves Glutathione Deficiency, Oxidative Stress, Mitochondrial Dysfunction, Inflammation, Physical Function, and Aging Hallmarks: A Randomized Clinical Trial. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2023. PMID: 35975308. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35975308/
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