Comments on: A dietary supplement to slow aging https://gregladen.com/blog/2016/06/17/a-dietary-supplement-to-slow-aging/ Sat, 18 Jun 2016 16:29:42 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.6 By: Greg Laden https://gregladen.com/blog/2016/06/17/a-dietary-supplement-to-slow-aging/#comment-463011 Sat, 18 Jun 2016 16:29:42 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/?p=22619#comment-463011 Indeed, mice are way different. On the other hand, this supplement seems, at least, not too expensive and seems not dangerous, so maybe it won’t be too hard to get some reasonable data in testing.

]]> By: Elliott https://gregladen.com/blog/2016/06/17/a-dietary-supplement-to-slow-aging/#comment-463010 Sat, 18 Jun 2016 01:51:28 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/?p=22619#comment-463010 Here’s the thing about mice–they don’t have the same energy metabolism as humans. Mice are geared to reproduce quickly–if you give mice enough food, you don’t get fat mice, you get more little mice. Mice are terrestrial tribbles.

Since mice have not been optimized for long life, there are a lot of tweaks that can be made to increase their lifespan. Humans are much better optimized for longevity, and it is unlikely that things which improve the lifespan of a mouse will have much effect on humans.

Problem is, of course, that testing with more relevant model systems (long-lived primates like us) just takes too much time. Guarante is already in his 60s and can’t wait. (He looks it too, makes me wonder…..) His statement above is ironic given that he founded Elysium health, which is going the “promote it for quick bucks” supplement route for an NAD precursor, not the clinical trials route–at least, there’s no mention of trials on Elysium’s website.

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