Supplements Outvote Anti-Aging Drugs Metformin and Rapamycin

Highlights: 

• According to a survey, people are more willing to partake in anti-aging supplements (e.g. NMN) than any other anti-aging intervention. 
• Exercise was the second most-voted anti-aging intervention, followed by intermittent fasting, metformin, and rapamycin. 

As life expectancy has increased, so too has chronic illness and disease. For this reason, scientists have begun focusing on targeting the biological underpinnings of aging with various physiological, dietary, nutraceutical, and pharmacological methods. The fruits of this developing field reveal that select small compounds may protect against chronic illness and disease. They may even potentially increase lifespan. 

However, as an emerging science, the full effects of anti-aging compounds on humans are not clear, which may deter consumers. To determine the willingness of the public to partake in various anti-aging interventions, including supplements and drugs, researchers from the Netherlands conducted a survey, as published in Frontiers in Aging. They found that people are more willing to partake in exercise and supplements than intermittent fasting, metformin, and rapamycin. 

People Are More Willing to Take Supplements 

The individuals who took the survey were between the ages of 18 and 85 and over 70% were under the age of 39. They were asked how likely it would be for them to integrate the most scientifically established anti-aging interventions into their daily life. The interventions are as follows: 

• Exercise: At least 3 hours of aerobic exercise and 2 hours of resistance exercise per week. 
• Supplements: Daily intake of omega-3 supplements, or other supplements with perceived health benefits (e.g., NAD+ precursors). 
• Intermittent fasting: At least 5 days of intermittent fasting (eating within an 8-hour window) per week. 
• Drugs: Government-approved drugs that have been repurposed to potentially slow aging (i.e., metformin and rapamycin). 

The participants were also asked about the degree to which they trust medical institutions. 

The results showed that more people are willing to take supplements than the other anti-aging intervention. Exercise got the second highest number of votes. However, people were less willing to partake in intermittent fasting with the least number of people voting for the anti-aging drugs metformin and rapamycin. 

The researchers also found that, compared to females, males were more likely to partake in exercise or were already performing the exercise regimen outlined in the survey. Overall, only one third of the participants said they were already partaking in exercise, demonstrating the disparity between willingness and action. Additionally, females were more willing to take supplements or were already taking supplements compared to males.

Interestingly, trust in medical institutions was associated with a higher likelihood of taking metformin in both sexes. This could mean that many individuals may be skeptical about taking anti-aging drugs like metformin and rapamycin. Moreover, metformin has more scientific evidence backing it up in clinical trials than rapamycin. As more scientific evidence builds up on these anti-aging drugs, trust may replace skepticism. 

Study Limitations

While the survey results showed that people are more willing to take supplements than any other anti-aging intervention, this may be due to the difficulty of the other interventions, namely exercise and intermittent fasting. Taking a supplement is fairly simple and less time-consuming than following a restrictive diet or consistent exercise routine. Still, when considering partaking in any task, its difficulty is an important factor.

Another limitation is that the participants of the study were relatively young and healthy. It could be that older adults who are more likely to have chronic illnesses and diseases are more willing to partake in various anti-aging interventions. Additionally, due to the high educational background of the participants, the researchers were unable to parse the voters’ decisions based on education. An alternate scenario could involve people with less of an educational background choosing not to partake in supplements, for example. 

Considering that the study was done in the Netherlands, one limitation could be the cultural differences between the United States and Europe that may influence the willingness of people to partake in anti-aging interventions. More studies, conducting similar surveys in other countries, including the United States, will help determine the universality of the results of this study.