Supplements

Omega-3 (EPA/DHA)

A stand-in for two weekly servings of oily fish; high-dose EPA lowered cardiovascular risk.

4/5≈ 12 €/mo

Magnesium

The most common hidden shortfall; modest, measurable gains in sleep, blood pressure and insulin sensitivity.

3/5≈ 5 €/mo

Creatine monohydrate

The best-evidenced supplement for strength and muscle mass, including older adults who lift; promising for cognition.

5/5≈ 4 €/mo

Protein (whey / plant)

Not magic, just food: if 1.2–1.6 g/kg/day doesn't happen from meals, powder is the simplest top-up.

5/5≈ 20 €/mo

Fibre (psyllium husk)

25–30 g fibre a day tracks with 15–30% lower all-cause mortality; psyllium is the easiest top-up when food falls short.

5/5≈ 6 €/mo

Vitamin K2 (MK-7)

Routes calcium into bone rather than artery walls; strong cohort and some RCT data on arterial stiffness.

3/5≈ 8 €/mo

Vitamin B12

Mandatory for vegans, often needed over 50 and on metformin; deficiency can cause irreversible nerve damage.

5/5≈ 3 €/mo

B-complex (folate, B6)

If homocysteine is above 12 µmol/l, B vitamins slowed brain atrophy — no added benefit otherwise.

3/5≈ 5 €/mo

Glycine

A cheap amino acid that improved sleep quality and next-day alertness in small trials; as GlyNAC it moved ageing markers too.

2/5≈ 4 €/mo

Melatonin

Not a sedative but a timing hormone: low doses help jet lag and shifted rhythms; the 5–10 mg on shelves is a tenfold overdose.

4/5≈ 4 €/mo

L-theanine

Green tea's calming amino acid: small RCTs show less stress and better sleep, and sharper focus with caffeine.

2/5≈ 6 €/mo

Ashwagandha

An adaptogen that lowered cortisol and anxiety in several RCTs; the liver can, rarely, react to it.

3/5≈ 8 €/mo

Coenzyme Q10 (ubiquinol)

Reduced mortality in heart failure in the Q-SYMBIO RCT; mixed data for statin muscle pain.

3/5≈ 15 €/mo

Curcumin

Anti-inflammatory, but plain turmeric barely absorbs; only bioavailable forms have human data.

Berberine

A plant alkaloid that lowered glucose and LDL in meta-analyses on a par with metformin; not “natural Ozempic”.

3/5≈ 12 €/mo

Zinc

20–30% of older adults are deficient; supplementing gave them fewer infections and better immune responses.

3/5≈ 3 €/mo

Collagen peptides

Several small RCTs are positive for skin elasticity and joint pain; for muscle, whey wins.

3/5≈ 18 €/mo

Multivitamin

Neutral on mortality, but in the COSMOS trials it measurably improved memory over 60 (≈2 years “younger”).

3/5≈ 6 €/mo

Green tea / EGCG

3–5 cups of green tea a day tracked with lower cardiovascular mortality in large cohorts; high-dose extract strains the liver.

3/5≈ 5 €/mo

Probiotics

Proven strains exist for antibiotic courses and IBS; taken for “general health” the evidence is weak — fermented food is the better bet.

Taurine

10–12% longer life in mice (Science, 2023); human levels fall with age, but no human lifespan data exist.

1/5≈ 5 €/mo

NMN / NR (NAD+ precursors)

Reliably raises blood NAD+; whether that translates into human health gains is open after a couple of small positive and several null RCTs.

2/5≈ 40 €/mo

Spermidine

A natural autophagy inducer; dietary intake tracks with lower mortality, but the supplement RCT did not improve memory.

2/5≈ 25 €/mo

Fisetin (senolytic)

Cleared senescent cells and extended life 10% in mice; human trials (Mayo Clinic) are ongoing.

1/5≈ 20 €/mo

Urolithin A

A mitophagy-inducing pomegranate metabolite; improved muscle endurance in older adults in a 4-month RCT.

2/5≈ 45 €/mo

Resveratrol

The great hope of the 2000s; in humans dietary intake didn't lower mortality and RCTs are neutral — listed so you don't buy it.

1/5≈ 15 €/mo

Calcium

Best from food (dairy, sesame, greens); as a supplement only for measured shortfall, with D3 and K2 — high-dose calcium tablets raised cardiovascular risk.

4/5≈ 4 €/mo

Iron

Only for measured deficiency (ferritin < 30): excess means oxidative stress and liver load. Menstruating women and vegans are most often affected.

5/5≈ 4 €/mo

Iodine

The building block of thyroid hormone; mild deficiency is common in Europe, especially without dairy or iodised salt. Too much harms too.

4/5≈ 2 €/mo

Selenium

European soils are selenium-poor; 1–2 Brazil nuts a day cover it. As a supplement the window is narrow: 55 µg is good, above 200 µg raises diabetes risk.

3/5≈ 3 €/mo

Vitamin C

Doesn't prevent colds but shortens them 8% when taken regularly; aids iron absorption and collagen synthesis. Easily covered by food.

3/5≈ 3 €/mo

Lutein + zeaxanthin

The macular pigments; slowed age-related macular degeneration in AREDS2, with a signal for cognition too.

4/5≈ 8 €/mo

Choline

Precursor of acetylcholine and cell membranes; 90% of adults fall short. Eggs, liver and soy cover it — vegans may need a supplement.

3/5≈ 10 €/mo

TMG (betaine)

A methyl donor that lowers homocysteine and is paired with NMN/NR to replenish methyl groups; beetroot and wheat bran are the sources.

3/5≈ 6 €/mo

L-citrulline

A nitric-oxide precursor that measurably improves vascular function and lowers blood pressure; better absorbed than arginine.

3/5≈ 10 €/mo

Nitrate (beetroot juice)

Dietary nitrate from beetroot and leafy greens: 4–5 mmHg lower blood pressure and better endurance in multiple RCTs.

4/5≈ 15 €/mo

Cocoa flavanols

In COSMOS (n=21,442) cocoa extract cut cardiovascular death by 27% — that's not chocolate but 500 mg of flavanols a day.

4/5≈ 20 €/mo

Ginkgo biloba

The largest RCT (GEM, n=3,069) didn't prevent dementia; some European trials saw gains in mild cognitive impairment. Not recommended for prevention.

2/5≈ 12 €/mo

Lion's Mane mushroom

An NGF-stimulating mushroom; one small Japanese RCT showed gains in mild cognitive impairment that vanished after stopping. More data needed.

Rhodiola rosea

An adaptogen against mental fatigue; small RCTs improved exhaustion and attention under stress. Product quality varies wildly.

2/5≈ 10 €/mo

HMB

A leucine metabolite; slows muscle breakdown in bed rest, old age or calorie deficit. For young trainees creatine is better.

3/5≈ 18 €/mo

Boswellia (frankincense)

Reduced pain and improved function in osteoarthritis across several RCTs; most often combined with curcumin.

3/5≈ 12 €/mo

Glucosamine

Weak-to-moderate joint evidence, but regular users in UK Biobank had 15% lower mortality — likely via inflammation.

3/5≈ 8 €/mo

Alpha-lipoic acid

An approved drug for diabetic neuropathy in Germany (600 mg); small effects on glucose and weight.

3/5≈ 10 €/mo

Chromium

A popular “blood-sugar” supplement, but good RCTs show nothing in non-diabetics; a small HbA1c effect in type 2 diabetes. Not recommended.

2/5≈ 4 €/mo

Astaxanthin

A potent carotenoid antioxidant (the colour of salmon and krill); small RCTs improved skin elasticity and oxidative markers. No lifespan data.

MCT oil / ketones

Ketone bodies as an alternative brain fuel: one 6-month RCT improved cognition in mild Alzheimer's; no convincing data in healthy people.

2/5≈ 20 €/mo

Caffeine (coffee)

2–4 cups of coffee a day track with 12–15% lower mortality in cohorts; caffeine pills aren't the same — coffee's polyphenols matter.

4/5≈ 15 €/mo