From the Guidelines
Senolytic dietary supplements are not currently recommended as a reliable anti-aging strategy due to limited human evidence. While compounds like quercetin, fisetin, and resveratrol have shown promise in laboratory and animal studies for clearing senescent cells (damaged cells that contribute to aging), their effectiveness in humans remains unproven 1.
Key Considerations
- Established lifestyle approaches like regular exercise, intermittent fasting, adequate sleep, and a Mediterranean-style diet rich in polyphenols offer more reliable anti-aging benefits 1.
- A Mediterranean diet can substantially reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, and this to a greater extent than a standard low-fat diet 1.
- Vegetarian diets are associated with a reduced all-cause mortality, and a diet low in animal protein and high in plant-based proteins may contribute to an increase in lifespan and health 1.
Potential Risks and Interactions
- Before starting any supplement regimen, consult with a healthcare provider, especially if you have existing health conditions or take medications, as these supplements may have side effects and interactions.
- The bioavailability of these natural compounds when taken orally is often poor, which may limit their effectiveness.
Alternative Approaches
- Calorie restriction, intermittent fasting, and foods rich in anti-oxidants may decrease biological aging and lower the risk of cancer progression 1.
- Stopping smoking and increasing physical activity are two examples of interventions with evidence for improving survivors’ health that may also directly deaccelerate biological aging 1.
From the Research
Effects of Senolytic Dietary Supplements on Anti-Aging
- Senolytic dietary supplements aim to selectively eliminate senescent cells, which accumulate with age and contribute to chronic sterile inflammation and age-related diseases 2, 3.
- Preclinical data indicate that senolytics can alleviate disease in numerous organs, improve physical function and resilience, and suppress all causes of mortality, even when administered to aged individuals 2.
- Senolytic agents, such as dasatinib and quercetin, have been shown to impact the chromatin structure of both young and senescent vascular smooth muscle cells, with potential benefits for alleviating aging symptoms 4.
- The effects of senolytic compounds on young proliferating cells are still being studied, with some research suggesting that these compounds may cause transient changes in chromatin structure, but more research is needed to fully understand their long-term effects 4.
Potential Therapeutic Applications
- Senolytic dietary supplements may have potential therapeutic applications for treating or preventing age-related diseases, such as frailty, cardiac dysfunction, vascular hyporeactivity and calcification, diabetes mellitus, liver steatosis, osteoporosis, and pulmonary fibrosis 3, 5.
- Researchers are exploring the use of natural products, such as quercetin, dasatinib, fisetin, piperlongumine, and curcumin, as senolytic agents, with some showing significant potential in clinical studies 5.
- The development of senolytic drugs or dietary supplements requires careful consideration of their specificity, safety, and efficacy, as well as their potential interactions with coexisting diseases and treatments in older adults 6.
Research and Development
- Further research is needed to fully understand the effects of senolytic dietary supplements on anti-aging and to develop effective and safe therapeutic strategies for targeting senescent cells 2, 6.
- The development of standardized measures and markers of specific senescent cell types is crucial for assessing intervention responses and comparing data across studies 6.
- Ongoing research aims to characterize human cell senescent phenotypes and develop better and more specific senolytics and senomorphics, which may lead to the development of effective therapeutic strategies for promoting healthy aging 6, 5.