For Dietary Supplement Skeptics

Posted by Dan Kenner on

One of the world’s most published and respected biochemists, Dr. Bruce Ames, contends that most American diets are deficient in micronutrients that promote longevity and curb the risk of chronic conditions, such as heart disease and cancer. Based on more than ten years of research in his laboratory at Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute (affiliated with the University of California, San Francisco), Ames notes that even minor vitamin deficiencies could impact long-term health. Dr. Ames asserts that a person’s “health span” can be extended by consuming optimal levels of 30 essential vitamins and minerals. These nutrients, along with 11 others not currently considered essential, comprise a set of “longevity vitamins” that can extend healthy aging. Dr. Ames has published more than 500 scientific papers over almost seven decades, and considers this his most important work. “This may be a theoretical paper, but I hope it can add a few years to everyone’s lives.”

 

Ames B. Prolonging healthy aging: Longevity vitamins and proteins, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences U S A. 2018; 115(43):10836-10844. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1809045115. Epub 2018 Oct 15.