Browse evidence-based analysis of health-related claims and assertions
Tests that measure your biological age using just 9 spots in your DNA aren't accurate enough to detect an 8-year difference - they typically have a margin of error of about 4 years either way.
Quantitative
A special form of estrogen called 17-alpha-estradiol helped male mice live longer when they started taking it in middle age - about 19% longer if started at 16 months old and 11% longer if started at 20 months old. It also increased their maximum lifespan by 7%. But female mice didn't get any lifespan benefit from it at all.
A research program called the Interventions Testing Program has been testing anti-aging pills and treatments for 20 years, and most of them haven't actually been proven to help people or animals live longer.
Descriptive
Scientists tested a supplement called alpha-ketoglutarate (AKG) in mice at two different ages and found it didn't help them live longer, even though some claims said it could make people 8 years younger biologically.
Causal
A red pigment found in shrimp and salmon (astaxanthin) helped male mice live 12% longer when given to middle-aged mice at a high dose, which was the biggest lifespan boost seen in a major government testing program in over a decade.
A drug called rapamycin helped mice live longer - males lived about 9% longer and females lived about 14% longer when they started taking the drug in late adulthood.
When scientists test the same anti-aging treatments in three different labs at the same time using the same methods, it helps confirm whether the results are real and not just random mistakes.
Taking astaxanthin as a supplement might help your skin hold onto moisture better - one study showed people's skin lost about half less water after taking it, but there wasn't enough research to combine those results together.
A study said astaxanthin might help with skin aging and wrinkles, but the data wasn't strong enough to prove it - the wrinkle reduction result wasn't statistically significant.
A natural red pigment called astaxanthin, found in seafood, might help keep skin looking younger when applied to the skin or taken by mouth, but scientists haven't done good enough studies yet to know for sure.
Scientists looking at studies on astaxanthin for skin aging found that the research so far has problems: the results vary too much between studies, not enough people were tested, and it's hard to tell if the studies were done properly.
Taking astaxanthin supplements (a red-orange antioxidant pigment found in salmon and shrimp) every day for 1-4 months doesn't seem to make wrinkles noticeably shallower in middle-aged people, according to research that combined results from multiple clinical trials.
Taking astaxanthin supplements (a natural red pigment found in salmon and shrimp) every day for 1 to 4 months can make your skin more stretchy and elastic if you're middle-aged and noticing early signs of skin aging.
Taking astaxanthin pills (about 2-12 mg daily for 1-4 months) can help middle-aged people's skin stay more moisturized, according to research combining 5 different experiments.
A specific part of the DNMT1 protein called the RFTS domain acts like a built-in off switch - it blocks the main part of the protein from attaching to DNA, keeping the enzyme turned off through internal interactions between different parts of the protein.
Mechanistic
Scientists found that one specific genetic change called A554V makes a protein stick to DNA much stronger than other similar genetic changes do - about 8 times stronger compared to only 2.5-3.5 times stronger for the others.
Scientists found that a specific genetic change called A554V makes a small part of a protein slightly less folded, but when they look at just that small part by itself, it looks completely normal.
Scientists found that a small genetic change called A554V makes a protein involved in DNA copying slightly less stable when heated, dropping its stability by about 2 degrees Celsius - but this doesn't happen when they look at just the part of the protein where the change occurs.
A specific genetic change called A554V messes up a natural 'brake' on a protein that copies DNA patterns, making it harder for two parts of that protein to stick together properly.
A specific genetic change called A554V makes a protein that controls DNA tagging work much faster than normal.
Scientists found that a specific genetic change called A554V in a protein called DNMT1 makes it stick to DNA about 8 times tighter than normal.
Scientists are publishing way more papers about resveratrol's potential to fight cancer - there were only about 7 papers in 2003, but by 2022 that number jumped to over 140, which is 20 times more!
The DNA aging test used in the study was reasonably accurate, matching actual age within about 4 years on average
Men taking Rejuvant® for 4-10 months looked about 8.4 years younger biologically, while women looked about 7 years younger on average.