Longevity Insights
Peer-reviewed research translated into actionable intelligence. Browse by category or scroll for the latest.
Does stem cell therapy work for knees? Modest relief, uncertain repair
A Cochrane review of 25 randomised trials found stem cell therapy eased knee pain slightly, and that not one trial checked whether cartilage changed.
What is a good VO2 max for a man by age? The bands from 15 to 74
A good VO2 max for a man by age, set out as five graded bands from 2,837 Brazilian treadmill tests, so you can place your own score at any decade.
What are the side effects of NAD+ IV therapy? The evidence is oral
NAD+ IV therapy side effects have not been catalogued in a trial. Those on record, muscle pain, tiredness and headaches, come from 489 people on NADH pills.
Does red light therapy work for hair loss?
Red light therapy grows measurably more hair than a dummy device in pattern hair loss, but the trials are small and rarely test the machines clinics sell.
Can you build muscle with only plant protein?
Trials that put lifters on entirely plant-based diets found no muscle deficit. You can build muscle with only plant protein, on two conditions.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy side effects: how common are they?
The usual hyperbaric oxygen therapy side effects are ear pressure pain and temporary short-sightedness. Serious problems are rare. Here are the numbers.
Does alcohol affect REM or deep sleep? Both, in opposite directions
Alcohol affects REM and deep sleep in opposite directions: REM drops from about two drinks, deep sleep rises early and falls later in the night.
Do PRP injections work for knee arthritis? Pain yes, cartilage no
PRP injections beat gel injections for knee arthritis pain over a year in pooled trials, but they do not regrow cartilage and guidelines do not back them.
Does creatine cause hair loss? The only direct trial found no change
The only trial to test directly whether creatine causes hair loss measured hormones and hair in 38 men for 12 weeks and found no change.
Is a continuous glucose monitor without diabetes worth it?
In pooled trials, wearing a continuous glucose monitor without diabetes helped people with prediabetes and did nothing measurable for normal blood sugar.
What does a DEXA scan show, and is it worth the money?
What a DEXA scan shows - bone density, body fat, lean mass, visceral fat - and which of those four numbers the evidence says is worth paying for.
Does NAD+ IV therapy work? The evidence is one heart failure trial
Clinics sell NAD+ IV therapy for energy and ageing. The one randomised trial of the infusion gave it to 180 people with heart failure, for seven days.
How much protein do older adults need? More than the RDA
How much protein older adults need is more than the RDA suggests: three expert panels reviewing the evidence land at 1.0 to 1.2 grams per kilogram a day.
Are full-body MRI scans worth it? What the evidence shows
Full-body MRI scans find something in a lot of people who get one. Whether they are worth it rests on evidence nobody has collected yet.
What is a good VO2 max by age and sex?
Average VO2 max by age and sex, what counts as good at 30, 40 and 50, and why national reference charts disagree about the same number.
Are biological age tests accurate? The number depends on the clock
Biological age tests get your real age right. Whether the gap they sell you survives a second test depends on which clock the laboratory ran.
Cold exposure activates brown fat, but it is not a weight-loss shortcut
Human studies show brown fat responds to cold, but the gain in how the body burns and handles fuel looks modest and the protocols are not standardised.
24-hour fasts may trigger autophagy, but proof is limited
Fasting can switch on cellular recycling signals, but a one-day fast is not a guaranteed longevity shortcut.
Does plant protein build as much muscle as animal protein?
Across 30 randomised trials, plant protein built slightly less muscle than animal protein and just as much strength. Soy came out level with milk protein.
A 16-hour fast has the strongest time-restricted eating signal
Shorter eating windows may help body composition, but the evidence is stronger for weight and fat loss than for broad metabolic change.
Creatine may help cognition most when the brain is under strain
The clearest human signal is for short-term memory and reasoning, not a general brain boost for everyone.