Diet & the root cause

What you eat and how long you live

The longevity market sells biomarkers. The interventions with actual mortality data behind them are unglamorous, unpatentable, and mostly free.

Evidence-cited per our editorial policy · educational, not medical advice

Before any supplement, four things carry mortality evidence no capsule has produced: cardiorespiratory fitness, strength training, sleep, and adequate protein. Supplements are the experimental layer on top, never the foundation.

Fitness carries the strongest signal

In a cohort of more than 120,000 patients, higher treadmill-measured cardiorespiratory fitness tracked with lower long-term mortality — with no ceiling detected. Association is not causation, but no biomarker intervention comes close to this gradient.

Mandsager et al., cardiorespiratory fitness and mortality, JAMA Network Open 2018

Protein and muscle are longevity infrastructure

Muscle-strengthening activity is associated with 10 to 20 percent lower all-cause mortality at doses as small as 30 to 60 minutes a week, and protein intake up to roughly 1.6 g/kg/day supports the muscle that training builds. Both matter more as weight comes off.

Momma et al., muscle-strengthening activity and mortality, Br J Sports Med 2022 · Morton et al., protein meta-analysis, Br J Sports Med 2018

Sleep is dose-dependent in both directions

Pooled cohort data shows a U-shaped curve: both chronically short and chronically long sleep track with higher mortality. Seven-ish hours, kept consistent, beats every gadget sold to optimize around not doing it.

Cappuccio et al., sleep duration and mortality, Sleep 2010

Then, and only then, supplements

NAD+ precursors reliably raise the blood biomarker and have not shown consistent clinical benefit in controlled trials. That is worth knowing before spending $39 to $1,000 a month on them — the prices are on our longevity page with the evidence caveat permanently attached.

What to actually do

Zone-2 cardio plus some hard intervals — the highest-evidence intervention on this page.
Two or three short resistance sessions a week clears the mortality-associated dose.
Protein target scales with body weight; it protects the muscle that training builds.
Consistent seven-ish hours of sleep beats optimizing around not sleeping.

Keep reading: The proven longevity stack · NAD+ prices next to the evidence · NR and NMN explained · Protein while losing weight

Educational content built on the cited literature — not medical or nutrition advice for your situation. Lifestyle change complements treatment; it is not a reason to stop or avoid medication your clinician prescribed. Decisions belong with you and a licensed clinician.