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July 15, 2025
Jana Ackermann
The market for longevity supplements is booming — with new ingredients constantly hailed as the next big thing in anti-aging. But a closer look at the research reveals that for some, the hype far outpaces the proven benefits.
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The search for the "fountain of youth" has captivated humans for centuries. In recent years, a full-blown industry has grown up around the concept of "longevity": creators, startups, and Hollywood stars alike swear by certaindietary supplementsand treatments, with promises ranging from firmer skin and greater cellular energy to a longer life. But how much of this is actually proven in humans? We examined five of the most popular longevity supplements — and looked at which ones the hype has left research far behind.
Taurine isn't just an ingredient in energy drinks — it has long since found its way into longevity capsules as well. A 2023 study in the journal Science caused quite a stir:a major study in the journal Scienceresearchers observed that taurine concentrations declined with age. In mice, taurine supplementation even extended lifespan. Similar effects were also seen in worms.
This pointed to a potential new anti-aging compound and generated considerable excitement. Since then, however, the picture has grown more complicated.A study also published in Science in 2025reached a surprisingly different conclusion: across several human cohorts, taurine levels did not decline with age — they remained stable or even increased.
Whether taking taurine as a supplement actually helps humans age more healthily, or even live longer, therefore remains entirely an open question. Interesting for research? Certainly. A proven longevity hack? Not by a long shot.
Few longevity treatments are marketed with as much lifestyle appeal as NAD+. The molecule does play an important role in our cells' energy metabolism and is involved in numerous repair processes. At longevity clinics, NAD+ is now sometimes administered directly by infusion — often at a steep price.
The theory is compelling: declining NAD+ levels are said to be linked to the aging process, and restoring them could therefore help keep cells functioning longer.
But this is precisely where marketing and research part ways.A systematic review from 2026found that NAD+ precursors such as NR and NMN can indeed raise certain NAD+ levels in the body. However, whether this translates into meaningful health benefits or life-extending effects has not been convincingly demonstrated. As for NAD+ infusions themselves, the researchers found no suitable clinical studies that had examined an anti-aging or wellness effect.
Getting the occasional NAD+ infusion doesn't automatically buy you youngercells.
Collagen has long since outgrown its status as a beauty trend. Powders and drinks are marketed with promises of firmer skin and healthier joints, and collagen is increasingly being positioned as part of a longevity routine.
There are indeed studies in which collagen supplements showed modest improvements in skin moisture, elasticity, or the appearance of wrinkles.A meta-analysis from 2025that evaluated 23 randomized studies involving a total of 1,474 participants delivers a telling finding: when researchers looked only at high-quality studies or those without pharmaceutical industry funding, no clear skin benefits could be demonstrated.
This doesn't mean collagen is entirely ineffective. However, the sweeping promises deserve a healthy dose of skepticism. And there is no evidence to date that collagen powder slows the overall aging process or extends lifespan.
Spermidine sounds almost like the perfect longevity substance. This natural polyamine is found in wheat germ, mushrooms, and soy, among other sources, and is also produced by the body itself. Particularly noteworthy is its connection to autophagy — the body's own recycling process, in which cells break down and reuse damaged components.
It is precisely this mechanism that has made spermidine a longevity star. The idea: a capsule could potentially trigger similar processes to those seen during fasting.
Early studies do offer some intriguing hints. However, when it comes to concrete effects in humans, the evidence becomes thin.In a randomized study with 100 older adults, one year of spermidine supplementation showed no clear benefit for memory performance, for example.
Fastingsimply by replacing it with a capsule therefore remains an enticing promise for now — and nothing more.
Resveratrol is one of the classics among anti-aging supplements. This plant compound is found in grape skins and red wine, among other sources, and has long been associated with the so-called "French paradox."
In cell and animal studies, resveratrol showed interesting effects on processes involved in aging — which is precisely what made it a beacon of hope for longevity research.
In humans, too, resveratrol is not without effect:A current review of 45 systematic reviews and meta-analysesfound hints of positive effects on certain metabolic and cardiovascular markers, for example. The grand longevity promise, however, cannot be derived from this. Whether resveratrol slows aging or extends lifespan has not been demonstrated in humans to date.
A glass of red wine in the evening can be relaxing and might mentally whisk you away to Paris — but as an anti-aging strategy, it simply doesn't cut it.
Taurine, NAD+, collagen, spermidine, and resveratrol all share one thing in common: each of them is backed by genuinely interesting research. That doesn't automatically make them ineffective — but it doesn't make them longevity miracle cures either, not by a long shot.
The fact that a substance influences cells in a lab or extends the lifespan of mice is a very different thing from demonstrating that a supplement helps humans age more healthily or live longer. And it is precisely that proof which is still missing for all five.
Anyone looking to take dietary supplements in a targeted way should therefore focus less on longevity trends and more on their own individual needs. Correcting a genuine nutrient deficiency, after all, is something quite different from taking a supposed anti-aging compound on a hunch.
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