The compounds with the strongest evidence — and one biomarker worth measuring

By Ronen Shapiro · Last reviewed 2026-08-05 · How this is sourced

The supplement aisle is mostly noise. A small number of compounds have genuinely strong mechanistic and human data, and one of them comes with something rare: a blood marker you can actually measure and move.

Sulforaphane and NRF2

Sulforaphane, concentrated in broccoli sprouts, activates NRF2 — the transcription factor governing the cell’s antioxidant and detoxification response. This is one of the better-characterised mechanisms in the whole longevity-compound literature.

Dose: 30–100 mg/day · broccoli sprouts or a standardised extract

Fahey, Zhang & Talalay, PNAS, 1997. View study

The Omega-3 Index

Unusually for this category, this one has a measurable target: the proportion of EPA and DHA in your red blood cell membranes. A higher Omega-3 Index has been associated with longer survival, which makes it a biomarker you can test, act on, and re-test.

Dose: 2–4 g/day combined EPA + DHA

Before you do this: Omega-3 at 2–4 g/day thins the blood. If you take an anticoagulant or antiplatelet drug — warfarin, apixaban, clopidogrel, even daily aspirin — or have surgery scheduled, this is a dose to clear with your doctor first.

Nature Communications (2021). View study

Urolithin A

A gut metabolite of ellagitannins — from pomegranate and walnuts — associated with mitophagy, the clearance of damaged mitochondria. Not everyone’s gut microbiome produces it from food, which is the argument for a standardised supplement if you are pursuing it.

Curcumin, berries and garlic

The supporting cast, with real but more modest evidence. Curcumin needs piperine for absorption to be worth anything.

Dose: 500 mg curcumin with 20 mg piperine · 200 g berries daily

Before you do this: Piperine is what makes curcumin absorbable, and it works by inhibiting the CYP3A4 and P-glycoprotein pathways that clear many prescription drugs — which can raise the blood level of medication you are already taking. If you take any prescription medicine, check this combination with a pharmacist.

What this does not include

Compounds with strong animal data and thin human data are deliberately not listed as recommendations. If the human evidence is not there yet, saying so is more useful than a longer list.

Common questions

What is the Omega-3 Index?

The proportion of EPA and DHA in red blood cell membranes. It is one of the few longevity biomarkers you can measure with a blood test, act on with 2–4 g/day of EPA+DHA, and then re-test.

How much sulforaphane per day?

30–100 mg/day from broccoli sprouts or a standardised extract is the commonly cited range. Sulforaphane activates NRF2, the cell’s antioxidant and detoxification pathway.

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