David is quite open about his supplement stack detailing much of it in his book with updates in more recent interviews, below I have compiled a list of Dr David Sinclair Supplements:
Mornings
- NMN – 1 g/1000 mg daily in the morning
- Resveratrol – 1g / 1000 mg in the morning daily, the effectiveness of resveratrol is increased when dissolved in or taken with high fat so Dave takes it with a yoghurt he makes at home as below
- Yoghurt Bravo Pro Biotic
- Quercetin – 500 mg daily with above yogurt
- Fisetin – 500 mg daily with above yogurt
- Spermidine – 1 g/1000 mg daily
Evenings
- Metformin 1 g in the evening (Does not take on days he goes to the Gym), note most countries Metformin is a prescription medication for Type 2 diabetes, which has been shown to decrease the risk of cancer and heart disease.
Other supplements that David experiments with or has discussed
- Vitamin D3
- Vitamin K2
- Omega-3 Fish Oil
- Alpha Lipoic Acid
- Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)
- Aspirin – 81mg daily often referred to as baby aspirin
- Statin
- Rapamycin
If you have any questions or additional insights to provide or other opinions please drop a comment below or via the Green comment bubble on the left.
Other than Supplements what else does Dave do to improve his Lifespan?
Other than supplements and medications we can increase lifespan and health span by with Diet, Exercise and looking after ourselves and its important to note improving diet and exercise should be the first step to increase longevity and should be the foundational building blocks that supplements can then enhance.
- Reducing or Avoiding sugars and refined carbohydrates – directly from Lifespan book David Sinclair says he keeps his sugar, bread and pasta intake as low as possible, and he gave up desserts at 40 apart from the stealing an occasional taste (Page 304).
- Intermittent fasting – on most days he follows a 20/4 fasting plan by skipping both breakfast and lunch. Periods of huger including some calorie restriction increases sirtuin activation.
- He is not vegetarian – However Dr Sinclair recently mentioned on twitter that he tries to eat more plants than if all food was equally healthy.
- Limiting Protein Intake – Along with mostly staying away from meat he also limits his protein intake.
- Cardio fitness – Dr Sinclair does cardio fitness usually running twice a week.
- Resistance/strength training – David does resistance training (lifting) 3 times a week, usually combining this with Sauna also as mentioned in his supplement stack above he does not take Metformin the night before his resistance training day.
- Sauna – The research has shown that regular Sauna 3+ times a week reduces all cause mortality by up to 25% and David usually goes to the Sauna at least once per week.
- Hydration – David Sinclair keeps hydrated by drinking plenty of water.
- Low Body temperature – Tries to keep cooler and recommends keeping cool when sleeping, with a recommended room temperature around 18 degrees Celsius(64.4 deg Fahrenheit)
- Sleep – Getting plenty of sleep and David talks about this challenges, on a side note NMN has been found to help with sleep deprivation (but we don’t recommend using NMN to combat repeated sleep deprivation)
Table of Contents
Further Details on David’s Supplement Stack
NMN
Nicotinamide Mononucleotide (NMN) is an NAD+ precursor which means that the NMN that is consumed as a supplement is then converted into NAD+. NMN is also sometimes referred to as an NAD booster that is important for cellular health optimization.
David takes this supplement to boost his NAD+ levels, the reason he does this is because it’s the fuel of our mitochondria and as we age levels decrease, research mice and humans has found that boosting NAD levels improves the hallmarks of ageing.
While David take 1,000 mg a day some research suggests that NAD levels can be adequately boosted with as little as 250 mg per day.
What’s my take on his use of NMN? Its an exciting supplement that every biohacker should look into including in their stack its a supplement that I included in my stack in early 2020 which I have seen great results from including increase energy and a noticeable increase in NAD+ levels in my regular NAD level test.
For a more in-depth look at NMN read my article: The Ultimate NMN Supplementation Guide What are its Benefits, Side-Effects, Dosage & Cost?
Resveratrol
Resveratrol is taken by David to activate the deacetylase Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) gene, this gene that has been found from research to increase longevity is usually only activated when our bodies are in physical stress, i.e., exercise, restricted eating, extreme cold and hot. By taking resveratrol we are tricking our bodies into thinking its stressed and as such activate SIRT1 and hopefully increasing our longevity. Resveratrol is one of the most popular anti-aging polyphenols.
David supplements with trans-resveratrol as opposed to cis-resveratrol as the trans isomer version is more biologically available meaning more of it will get into your blood stream, unfortunately the cis variety is found in many supplements on the market. There are also some proponents of a micronized version to further increase bioavailability.
What’s my take on his use of Resveratrol? Resveratrol is a contentious supplement as there is conflicting research on its effectiveness on human longevity, from the research I have read I am convinced there are benefits which is why I have included it in my stack.
For a more detailed look at resveratrol you can read my article: The Best Resveratrol Supplement Guide: Benefits, Side Effects & More
Quercetin
Quercetin is recent addition to David’s supplement stack that he has added since writing Lifespan. Quercetin is a flavonoids naturally found in berries, apples, and green tea that is a a potent antioxidant [r][r] which has the benefit of Sirtuin activation, reducing senescent cells, fight inflammation [r] and increasing the efficiency of resveratrol which may also reduce blood pressure and lower the risk of chronic brain disorders.
What’s my take on his use of Quercetin? From the reading and research that I have done on Quercetin I have found a good amount of evidence (see links to references) in supplementing (note the average adult only gets 80 mg daily naturally in their diet) at 500 mg per day, however I do this for a maximum of 10 weeks and then have a 5 week break before I start another 10 weeks of it.
Fisetin
Fisetin is another supplement that I found Dave has only just added to his supplement stack after the release of his 2019 book Lifespan Why We Age – and Why We Don’t Have To, like Quercetin he takes 500mg in the morning with the Bravo Pro Biotic that he makes at home.
Also, like Quercetin, Fisetin is another flavonoid which is found with the highest concentrations in nature in strawberries and apples.
An interesting facts I found in my research is that both Fisetin and Quercetin are the most prevalent plant flavonoids and are responsible for giving fruits and vegetables their bright colours.
Again, like Quercetin, Fisetin is a senolytic compound which means its responsible for the clearing of senescent cells [r] getting rid of these dying zombie cells before they can damage the body by secreting inflammatory substances, as you would expect being a senolytic like Quercetin research has found it has similar benefits to longevity including reduced inflammation [r], neuroprotection, increased cognitive function and a Chemotherapeutic [r] which research suggests can supress metastasis and increase apoptosis, however research suggest that fisetin is a more powerful senolytic than quercetin.
What’s my take on his use of Fisetin? From the research I have done its another effective flavonoid that research has shown to increase healthspan, some research suggests it’s one of the most effective senolytics even more effective than Quercetin, personally I take 500 mg per day but also like Quercetin I take a periodic break.
Spermidine
Spermidine is a very new supplement to hit the longevity space and David has recently mentioned that he now takes 1,000 mg daily of this supplement. Spermidine is a polyamine known for activating autophagy, which may decrease the occurrence of age related diseases.
Benefits found in research include increased cognitive function in older adults with dementia [r], upregulate Sirtuin 1, that may help to prevent liver damage, spermidine has also been found to prolong the growth phase of hair follicles, resulting in a thicker head of hair.
What’s my take on his use of Spermidine? Another promising supplement that in my research on the topic I have found many positive benefits to health and health span that is also a very safe supplement, I am personally taking a single capsule once per day that contains 8 mg, I am taking Spermidine for its cognitive benefits along with a hopeful improvement in my head of hair.
For a more in-depth look at Spermidine read my article: Health and Longevity Benefits of Spermidine
Metformin
Dave takes 1g of Metformin in the evening, the exception being on evenings before a strength training workout, reason being is that Metformin has been found to supress the benefits of exercise, another side effect is that it can cause stomach upset and in some cases diarrhea. In most countries Metformin is a medical drug that requires a medical doctors/Physician’s script/prescription.
Rapamycin
While Dave does not take rapamycin he discusses it extensively in his book and also in recent interviews, rapamycin is a powerful mTOR inhibitor that has been shown in research to both slow the aging process and extend lifespan, this same research shows that it is currently the most effective (in terms of biological age reversal) drugs, however Rapamycin’s primary use is as drug to prevent organ transplant rejection, that is normally used under close medical supervision as it has been found to supress the immune system.
Who is Dr David Sinclair?
Dr Sinclair is a Professor of genetics and co-Director of the Paul F. Glenn Center at Harvard Medical School and also Professor at the University of New South Wales known for his longevity research and has come into the public spotlight as author of the New York Times best seller Lifespan: Why We Age – and Why We Don’t Have To (Amazon link), in this book on of concepts that stood out the most was on his information theory of aging and his detailed explanation on the mTOR and AMPK pathways. David has been at the forefront of research that has brought about many of the most recent anti-aging breakthroughs in age reversal science.
Born in Sydney, Australia in 1969 Dr Sinclair looks years younger than his current age of 50, its hard not to think that his youthfulness is at least in part due to the anti-aging supplements he takes on a daily basis.
Being a researcher and with strict ethics Dr Sinclair doesn’t promote any products however in his book and on several of the podcasts he has been interviewed on including Joe Rogan Experience he has detailed the types of supplements he takes and what else he does to extend his lifespan.
In Dr Sinclair’s most recent published research from January 2023 it was found that “a breakdown in epigenetic information causes mice to age and that restoring the integrity of the epigenome reverses those signs of aging.” [ r ]
Above is my copy of Dr David Sinclair’s Book Lifespan: Why we Age and – and Why we don’t Have To along with the relevant page 304 that contains a list of the things he does to increase his lifespan that was one of the references for this article.
As mentioned above most of the information for this article was collated from this Book in addition to podcasts, research, tweets and other online forums where Dr David Sinclair has publicly discussed his longevity protocol and stack.
What’s my personal opinion on his full supplement stack based on the study I have done in this area, personally it’s a great stack however for some of the supplements he takes there is not enough evidence to show a benefit, as for his diet and wellness protocols I believe it’s spot on.
Read more is here by David Sinclair
References
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Javadi F, Ahmadzadeh A, Eghtesadi S, Aryaeian N, Zabihiyeganeh M, Rahimi Foroushani A, Jazayeri S. The Effect of Quercetin on Inflammatory Factors and Clinical Symptoms in Women with Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Double-Blind, Randomized Controlled Trial. J Am Coll Nutr. 2017 Jan;36(1):9-15. doi: 10.1080/07315724.2016.1140093. Epub 2016 Oct 6. PMID: 27710596.
Shishehbor F, Behroo L, Ghafouriyan Broujerdnia M, Namjoyan F, Latifi SM. Quercetin effectively quells peanut-induced anaphylactic reactions in the peanut sensitized rats. Iran J Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2010 Mar;9(1):27-34. PMID: 20548131.
Costa LG, Garrick JM, Roquè PJ, Pellacani C. Mechanisms of Neuroprotection by Quercetin: Counteracting Oxidative Stress and More. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2016;2016:2986796. doi: 10.1155/2016/2986796. Epub 2016 Jan 24. PMID: 26904161; PMCID: PMC4745323.
Pekar, T., Bruckner, K., Pauschenwein-Frantsich, S. et al. The positive effect of spermidine in older adults suffering from dementia. Wien Klin Wochenschr 133, 484–491 (2021).
Yousefzadeh MJ, Zhu Y, McGowan SJ, Angelini L, Fuhrmann-Stroissnigg H, Xu M, Ling YY, Melos KI, Pirtskhalava T, Inman CL, McGuckian C, Wade EA, Kato JI, Grassi D, Wentworth M, Burd CE, Arriaga EA, Ladiges WL, Tchkonia T, Kirkland JL, Robbins PD, Niedernhofer LJ. Fisetin is a senotherapeutic that extends health and lifespan. EBioMedicine. 2018 Oct;36:18-28. doi: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2018.09.015. Epub 2018 Sep 29. PMID: 30279143; PMCID: PMC6197652.
Herbig U, Ferreira M, Condel L, Carey D, Sedivy JM. Cellular senescence in aging primates. Science. 2006 Mar 3;311(5765):1257. doi: 10.1126/science.1122446. Epub 2006 Feb 2. PMID: 16456035.
Khan N, Syed DN, Ahmad N, Mukhtar H. Fisetin: a dietary antioxidant for health promotion. Antioxid Redox Signal. 2013 Jul 10;19(2):151-62. doi: 10.1089/ars.2012.4901. Epub 2012 Dec 18. PMID: 23121441; PMCID: PMC3689181.
Grynkiewicz G, Demchuk OM. New Perspectives for Fisetin. Front Chem. 2019 Oct 30;7:697. doi: 10.3389/fchem.2019.00697. PMID: 31750288; PMCID: PMC6842927.
Yang JH, Hayano M, Griffin PT, et al. Loss of epigenetic information as a cause of mammalian aging. Cell. 2023;186(2):305-326.e27. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2022.12.027
