If you're listening to this podcast, you've probably caught wind of at least some of the many things you can do to improve and take control of your health and wellbeing. For every legitimate healthspan intervention supported by rigorous research that's out there, there exist a bunch of dubious longevity solutions that have no real scientific backing behind them. The challenge lies not just in identifying what works, but also in resisting the allure of snake oil solutions that promise effortless transformations. Which interventions are actually crucial for optimizing your healthspan, which are just "nice-to-have", and which are downright pointless?

In this episode, Matt and Nick go through over twenty popular strategies for healthspan optimization and grade their usefulness from A to F.

Check out the links below for further information and/or reading about some of the things we discussed in this podcast episode. Note that we do not necessarily endorse or agree with the content of these readings, but present them as supplementary material that may deepen your understanding of the topic after you listen to our podcast. This list is in no way exhaustive, but it’s a good start!

Oral health for an ageing population: the importance of a natural dentition in older adults

Matt gave an A grade to regular dental visits and oral care as strategies for improving healthspan. This article makes the case for several benefits of maintaining natural teeth and oral function in older adults. One of these is an improved diet, as the loss of chewing ability and/or efficiency that often accompanies tooth loss can bring about a change in diet due to the limited foods one is able to consume. Tooth loss can also lead to issues such as bad breath or an altered facial appearance, which can then impact the social activity that is also an important component of wellbeing.

Does maintaining the number of present and functional teeth benefit the longevity of life in older people requiring nursing care?: A prospective cohort study

This preprint describes a one-year investigation into how the number of "present and functional" teeth in older Japanese people affects mortality. The study found no significant impact of the number of remaining teeth on mortality in these adults, possibly because of the participants' access to sound nutrition and oral care services.

Visceral Fat Is an Independent Predictor of All-cause Mortality in Men

In this study, researchers found that visceral fat, abdominal subcutaneous fat, liver fat, and waist circumference were all associated with a higher death risk for men, and that visceral fat was the sole mortality risk predictor among the four after adjusting for other measures of fat. DEXA scans help you measure your visceral fat levels.

Effects of Wearable Fitness Trackers and Activity Adequacy Mindsets on Affect, Behavior, and Health: Longitudinal Randomized Controlled Trial

According to this study, information about physical activity parameters such as step counts influence people's health and wellbeing. When participants received artificially deflated step counts, they experienced various negative effects, including worse mental health, higher blood pressure and heart rate, and poorer eating. Meanwhile, when participants received accurate feedback about their step counts, their mental health improved and they ate healthier foods.

How Old Do I Look?

If you want to see whether your "facial pores score" beats Nick's, here is the skin aging clock he used.