Mapping the Science of Longevity

Nutrition (28%)

Intermittent fasting

• 16/8 (8-hour eating window)
• Aim for maintenance or a slight calorie deficit (−10 to −20%)
• In 2 to 3 meals or snacks
• If possible, consume most calories before 6:00 PM

Protein

• 1.6 g/kg
• Favor unprocessed foods
• Meat
• Fish (fatty fish at least 2x/week)
• Eggs
• Seafood
• Skyr, fromage blanc (quark-style fresh cheese)

Fiber

• Favor unprocessed foods
• Prioritize green vegetables
• As desired
• Naturally sweeter vegetables (carrot, beet, sweet corn, peas, kabocha squash) should be eaten less often

Raw vegetables (salads, etc.)

• Favor unprocessed foods
• As desired

Fruit

• 1 per day
• Fructose is stored only by the liver (unlike glucose), and when there’s no more room it’s converted into fat
• There’s no nutritional reason to prioritize fruit over green vegetables. For example, broccoli contains twice as much vitamin C as oranges or pineapple.

Nuts

• 1 handful per day

Slow carbs

• 1x to 5x per week depending on whether you’re maintaining body fat or trying to lose it
• Brown rice or whole-wheat pasta

Fast carbs

• Never
• Also avoid “fake sugars” (zero-calorie sweeteners) like saccharin (E954), aspartame (E951), sucralose (E955), acesulfame K—these can push you to eat more and may also increase storage

Processed/store-bought foods

• Limit as much as possible
• < 4 g carbs (including sugar) / 100 g
• < 0.3 g salt / 100 g
• No additives
• 80% of supermarket products worldwide have added sugar!

Fluids

• 2 to 3 L of water/day
• Use olive oil for dressings
• No alcohol: alcohol suppresses lipolysis (fat breakdown), so when you drink, your fats are no longer used as an energy source
• No soda
• No fruit juice
• Tea is OK
• Coffee is OK

Fermented foods

• 1 serving/day (yogurt/kefir/sauerkraut/kimchi/aged cheeses/miso)

Weight loss

• You must lower your energy balance—eat fewer calories than you burn (metabolism)

Fat loss and weight maintenance

• You need to switch into ketogenic mode
• Once there are no more stored carbs, the body draws on lipids to produce energy (ATP)
• For the same quantity, oxidizing a lipid generates about four times more ATP than oxidizing a carbohydrate.

Dietary supplements

• Daily
  • Vitamin C (as Ascorbic Acid) - 250 mg
  • Calcium (from CaAKG) - 400 mg
  • Magnesium (as Mag Citrate) - 150 mg
  • Creatine (as Monohydrate) - 5000 mg
  • Calcium Alpha-Keto Glutarate - 2000 mg
  • Taurine - 1500 mg
  • Glycine - 1200 mg
  • L-Lysine (as HCl) - 1000 mg
  • Glucosamine Sulfate (as KCl) - 750 mg
  • L-Glutathione Reduced - 250 mg
  • L-Theanine - 200 mg
  • Sodium Hyaluronate - 120 mg
  • Vitamin D (as Cholecalciferol) - 50 mcg (2000 IU)
  • Nicotinamide Riboside (as Chloride) - 300 mg
  • Broccoli Seed Extract (Glucoraphanin 20 mg) - 200 mg
  • Fisetin (from Stem of Smoketree Extract) - 100 mg
  • Luteolin (from Bud of S. japonica Extract) - 100 mg
  • Ubiquinol (as Reduced CoQ10) - 50 mg
  • Lactobacillus acidophilus - 4 Billion CFU
  • Spermidine (as Trihydrochloride) - 10 mg
  • Boron (as Glycinate) - 3 mg
  • Lithium (as Orotate) - 1 mg
  • Vitamin E (d-alpha-Tocopherol) - 67 mg
  • Thiamin (Vitamin B1) (as HCl) - 1.1 mg
  • Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) - 1.4 mg
  • Niacin (as Niacinamide) - 15 mg
  • Vitamin B6 (as Pyridoxine HCl) - 1.4 mg
  • Folate (as Calcium L-5-Methyltetrahydrofolate) - 200 mcg DFE
  • Biotin - 50 mcg
  • Pantothenic Acid (as D-Calcium Pantothenate) - 6 mg
  • Calcium (from Carbonate and Dicalcium Phosphate) - 50 mg
  • Iodine (as Potassium Iodide) - 200 mcg
  • Zinc (as Bisglycinate) - 15 mg
  • Selenium (as L-Selenomethionine) - 28 mcg
  • Manganese (as Citrate) - 1 mg
  • Psyllium (soluble fiber) - 5–10 g
  • TMG (betaine) - 1–3 g
  • Collagen - 10–15 g
  • Electrolyte powder (sugar-free) - PRN
• Weekly
  • Vitamin K1 (as Phytonadione) - 1500 mcg
  • Lycopene - 15 mg
  • Astaxanthin (from Haematococcus pluvialis microalgae) - 12 mg
  • Lutein (from Marigold Flower Extract) - 10 mg
  • Vitamin K2 MK4 (as Menaquinone-4) - 5 mg
  • Zeaxanthin (from Marigold Flower Extract) - 2 mg
  • Vitamin K2 MK7 (as Menaquinone-7) - 600 mcg
• Cycled
  • Rhodiola rosea Root Extract (std. 3% Rosavins / 1% Salidroside) - 300 mg (total Rosavins: 9 mg)
  • Ashwagandha Root & Leaves Extract (Withania somnifera) - 120 g
  • N-Acetyl-Cysteine - 1200 mg
  • Ginger Extract std. 26% Gingeroids (as Zingiber officinale Roscoe) - 400 mg
  • Curcumin extract std. 85% Curcuminoids (as Curcuma longa) - 250 mg
  • Melatonin - 0.3–1 mg at bedtime (PRN)

Metabolism

• A high metabolism is more desirable than a low one
• Better to eat 3,000 cal/day and burn 3,000 than to eat 1,000 and burn 1,000
• Building muscle, staying active, and eating enough protein all raise your basal metabolic rate

Genetics (18%)

Family history (update 1×/year)

• Family history of premature cardiovascular disease (parents, siblings, children)
• Family history of stroke (parents, siblings, children)
• Family history of diabetes (parents, siblings, children)
• Family history of cancers: breast, ovaries, prostate, colon (parents, siblings, children)
• Family history of sudden cardiac death (parents, siblings, children)
• Family history of neurodegenerative diseases: Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s (parents, siblings, children)
• Family history of autoimmune diseases (parents, siblings, children)

“Heritable” biomarkers to measure at least once

• Lipoprotein(a) → if elevated, target very low ApoB + enhanced cardiac screening.
• ApoB, full lipid profile → baseline atherogenic risk.
• Ferritin + TSAT → screen for hemochromatosis if elevated or if there’s a family history.
• Blood pressure (home series) → familial hypertension risk is common.
• Glucose/HbA1c → family history of diabetes.
• Familial hypercholesterolemia (LDLR, APOB, PCSK9) if persistently high LDL

Targeted screening (based on family/individual risk)

• Cancers
  • Breast/ovarian: if family history <50 years/multiple cases → BRCA (oncogenetics pathway).
  • Colon: polyps/familial CRC → Lynch (MMR); earlier colonoscopies.
  • Prostate: strong family history → earlier PSA, tailored discussion.
• Cardio
  • Premature CVD/sudden death → ECG/echo as clinically indicated; calcium score if >40–45 and risk is discussed.
• Thrombosis
  • Young DVT/PE history → Factor V Leiden / Prothrombin (if unexplained events).

Tests

• Optional (to consider with genetic counseling)
  • Polygenic Risk Scores (PRS) cardio/diabetes: useful if integrated into follow-up (ApoB, BP, BMI, lifestyle).
  • APOE ε4 (Alzheimer’s): informational, psychological impact; doesn’t commit to treatment but can motivate prevention (sleep, BP, activity, low ApoB).
  • HFE (C282Y, H63D): if ferritin/TSAT elevated or family hemochromatosis.
• Consider once in a lifetime (preventive, broad utility)
  • Basic pharmacogenetics panel (CYP2C19, CYP2D6, CYP2C9, SLCO1B1, UGT1A1, DPYD, TPMT/NUDT15, HLA-B57:01, HLA-B58:01) → avoid adverse effects and poor responses to future medications.
  • HFE (hemochromatosis) → screen for iron overload; especially useful with European ancestry.
• Do if a criterion is present
  • Familial hypercholesterolemia (LDLR, APOB, PCSK9) → if LDL-C ≥ 190 mg/dL / very high ApoB or early familial CVD.
  • BRCA1/BRCA2 → if early/multiple breast/ovarian cancers in the family (± prostate/pancreas).
  • Lynch syndrome (MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, PMS2, EPCAM) → if early colon cancer/polyps or clustered in the family.
  • Factor V Leiden / Prothrombin G20210A → if family thrombosis or before estrogen exposure (contraception/HRT) with family history.
  • HLA-DQ2/DQ8 (celiac) → if symptoms/family history or unclear serologies.
  • G6PD → if at-risk ancestry (Africa, Mediterranean, Asia) or history of hemolysis.
• Informational / decision-based
  • APOE ε4 (Alzheimer’s risk) → prevention motivation (sleep, low ApoB, activity); psychological impact to weigh.
  • Polygenic scores (PRS) cardio/diabetes → useful if integrated into stricter targets (ApoB/HbA1c/weight) and structured follow-up.

Environment (18%)

Location (country, city)

• Annual mean outdoor PM2.5 < 10 µg/m³ (ideal < 5)
• Access to green space < 300 m from home
• Average nighttime noise (Lnight) < 40 dB
• Total daily commute time < 60 min/day

Outdoor air (pollution)

• Daily PM2.5 < 15 µg/m³ (avoid intense exercise > 25)
• PM10 < 45 µg/m³
• NO2 < 25 µg/m³
• Ozone (O₃) < 100 µg/m³ (8h)

Indoor air (PM2.5, CO₂, humidity)

• Indoor PM2.5 < 5 µg/m³
• CO₂ < 800 ppm (tolerable < 1,000 ppm)
• Relative humidity 40–60%
• Visible mold: 0
• Ventilation ≥ 0.5 air changes/hour or airing out twice daily

Noise (day + night)

• Average daytime noise < 55 dB
• Bedroom nighttime noise < 35 dB
• Night peaks: avoid > 45 dB
• Exposure > 65 dB: < 1 hour/day

Light (circadian rhythm)

• Morning outdoor light → ≥ 1,000–2,000 lux (10–30 min)
• Evening indoor light < 50 lux
• Evening color temperature < 3,000 K
• Bedroom at night < 1 lux (ideal 0)

Water

• Nitrates < 25 mg/L (ideal < 10)
• Pesticide residues → undetectable
• Free chlorine < 0.5 mg/L
• Lead < 5 µg/L
• Heated plastic containers: 0

Chemicals / endocrine disruptors

• Heated food plastics: 0
• PFAS (water/cookware): avoid when possible
• Indoor fragrances/sprays: 0–occasional
• Cosmetics: < 10 ingredients/product (rule of thumb)

Cleanliness / hygiene (without excess)

• Strong disinfectants: targeted use only
• Wet cleaning: 1–2x/week
• Indoor fine dust: minimized (HEPA vacuum)

Nature / exposure

• Time outdoors ≥ 60 min/day
• Direct sun exposure: 15–30 min/day (depending on skin type)
• Natural spaces ≥ 2x/week

Breathing & mouth

• Nasal breathing at rest ≥ 90% of the time
• Sleep apnea (AHI) < 5/hour
• Nighttime bruxism: protected if present

Sauna

• Regular sauna use (2–4x/week) reduces all-cause mortality and cardiovascular risk
• Activates heat shock proteins (HSPs), improves circulation, lowers blood pressure
• Protect testicles from heat (cooling underwear or cold exposure after) — heat impairs spermatogenesis

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT)

• Increases dissolved oxygen in tissues, promotes angiogenesis and stem cell mobilization
• Shown to lengthen telomeres and reduce senescent cells in clinical trials
• Protocols typically 60–90 min at 1.5–2.0 ATA, 40–60 sessions

Sleep (15%)

Hours of sleep (7 to 9 hours)

Sleep regularity (< 10% variation)

Sleep efficiency (> 80%)

Nighttime stress (−5%)

Restorative sleep (SRR) - deep slow-wave sleep, REM sleep (+ 3 hours)

Light: 10–30 min of morning light upon waking; dim light 2–3 hours before bed.

Wind-down routine (20–30 min): screens off, reading, warm shower, 4-7-8 breathing or paced breathing (5 min).

Caffeine: stop ≥ 8 hours before bed. Alcohol: 0 for sleep quality.

Nap: 20 min max before 3 PM (otherwise disrupts sleep debt).

Bedroom: 18–19°C, pitch black, quiet; bed = sleep/sex only.

Track nighttime HRV and respiratory rate

Physical Activity (15%)

Endurance

• 2 sessions/week
• Cardio in heart rate zones 1 to 3 (+ 2 hours/week)
• Cardio in heart rate zones 4 to 5 (+ 15 min/week)
• Steps (+ 8,000/day)
• Progression → +5–10%/week max (volume or intensity); deload 1 week every 6–8.

Strength/Power

• 2 sessions of 1 hour/week
• 6–12 reps, 2–4 sets, 1–3 RIR (reps in reserve)
• Priorities: squat, deadlift/hip hinge, bench press (or push-ups), overhead press, rowing, pull-ups, core work.

Flexibility

• 5–10 min/day of active stretching (hips, ankles, chest, hamstrings)
• 1 session/week (dynamic mobility + diaphragmatic breathing)

Brain & Cognition (3%)

Cognitive health

• No persistent cognitive complaints (memory, attention, language)
• Maintain executive functions (planning, inhibition, flexibility)

Cognitive stimulation

• Lifelong learning (new skill, language, instrument)
• Regular reading (active, not passive)
• Activities involving reasoning, strategy, or creativity

Neuroplasticity

• Deliberate exposure to novelty (environments, tasks, routines)
• Regularly stepping outside the cognitive comfort zone

Stress & emotional regulation

• Overall perceived stress is low
• Fast emotional recovery
• Regular practices: breathing, meditation, introspection, journaling/writing

Neurodegenerative prevention

• Blood pressure controlled
• Low ApoB
• Low chronic inflammation
• Regular physical activity
• Sufficient restorative sleep

Social & Purpose (3%)

Social relationships

• Regular, non-superficial relationships
• Meaningful weekly social interactions
• No prolonged social isolation

Relationship quality

• Relationships feel supportive
• Low chronic conflict
• Ability to ask for and receive help

Emotional life

• Emotional intimacy is present
• Stable emotional or romantic life (depending on personal situation)

Purpose & usefulness

• Feeling socially useful
• Medium- and long-term projects
• Contributing to something larger than yourself

Engagement

• Family, community, volunteer, or professional engagement
• Active role (not only observer or consumer)

Mental health

• No chronic depression
• Anxiety under control
• Ability to feel pleasure, motivation, and interest

Markers to track

Capacity & cardiorespiratory fitness

• VO2 Max: > 50 ml/kg/min (me: 51)
• HR (heart rate): 60–80 (me: 58)
• RHR (resting heart rate): 40–60 (me: 48)
• HRV (heart rate variability): > 60 (me: 65)
• HRR (heart rate recovery) 1 min: 15–25 (me: 35)
• Peak flow → TODO ≥ 80% of predicted value.

Body composition & strength

• Lean body mass: > 80% (me: 83%)
• Visceral fat level → TODO low (waist/height < 0.5).
• Grip strength → ≥ 40 kg (M) / ≥ 26 kg (F).
• Waist/height < 0.5

Glucose metabolism

• HbA1c → ≤ 5.4%.
• Fasting glucose → 70–90 mg/dL (3.9–5.0 mmol/L).
• Fasting insulin → < 8 µIU/mL
• C-peptide/Insulin (fasting) → > 5 (if < 5: possible compensated hyperinsulinemia)
• HOMA-IR → < 1.5.
• Fasting C-peptide → 0.5–1.5 ng/mL
• Fructosamine → < 245 µmol/L
• Triglycerides/Glucose Ratio (TG ÷ fasting glucose, mg/dL) → < 1.0
• HOMA-B → track if C-peptide is high
• Glucose/HbA1c Ratio → > 15 desirable
• Adiponectin → high end of lab range
• Leptin → low end of lab range
• Uric acid (metabolic) → < 6 mg/dL
• FGF-21 (metabolic) → low
• FABP (metabolic) → low

Lipids & atherogenic risk

• ApoB → < 65–80 mg/dL (strict primary prevention).
• TG (fasting triglycerides) → < 100 mg/dL.
• Non-HDL cholesterol (Total − HDL) → < 100 mg/dL
• LDL/HDL Ratio → < 2.0
• Triglycerides/HDL Ratio → < 1.0
• Atherogenic Index of Plasma (AIP = log10[TG/HDL] in mmol/L) → < 0.10
• Total cholesterol → < 180 mg/dL
• HDL-C → > 50 mg/dL
• Cholesterol/HDL Ratio → < 3.5
• LDL-C → < 100 mg/dL
• Lipoprotein(a) → < 30 mg/dL
• ApoA1 → > 140 mg/dL
• ApoB/ApoA1 Ratio → < 0.6
• ApoB/LDL-C Ratio → < 0.7
• Oxidized LDL → low
• Erythrocyte fatty acid profile → balanced
• Omega-3 Index → ≥ 8%
• Lp-PLA2 → low
• Uric acid (cardio) → < 6 mg/dL
• Resveratrol (blood) → detectable / top quartile

Inflammation

• hs-CRP → < 1.0 mg/L (outside of a recent infection).
• Standard CRP (non–high sensitivity) → < 3 mg/L
• Interleukin-6 (IL-6) → < 1.5 pg/mL
• ESR → < 10 mm/h
• Malondialdehyde (MDA, oxidative stress) → low / in the lab’s 1st quartile
• WBC → 4.0–7.5 G/L
• Neutrophils → 2.0–4.5 G/L (40–60%)
• Lymphocytes → 1.5–3.0 G/L (25–40%)
• Monocytes → 0.2–0.8 G/L (5–10%)
• Eosinophils → < 0.5 G/L (< 5%)
• Basophils → < 0.1 G/L (< 1%)
• Ferritin (inflammation context) → < 150 µg/L if CRP is normal
• NGAL (renal inflammation) → low / lab range
• FGF-21 (metabolic inflammation) → low / < 200 pg/mL (depending on lab)

Hemodynamics & resting respiration

• Blood pressure → < 120/80 mmHg (me: 130/80)
• SpO₂: > 96% (me: 98%)
• Resting respiratory rate: 12–16 rpm (me: 13.2)
• Body temperature: 36.1–37.2 (me: 36.9)
• Breathing (quality) → TODO nasal, calm, dyspnea 0 day-to-day
• Pulse pressure → < 50 mmHg

Iron & hematology

• Ferritin → 40–150 µg/L (interpret with CRP; if in doubt, TSAT 20–45%)
• RBC → M: 4.5–5.9 T/L | F: 4.1–5.1 T/L
• MCV → 82–98 fL
• MCH → 27–33 pg
• MCHC → 32–36 g/dL
• MPV → 7.5–11.5 fL
• Serum iron → 70–130 µg/dL
• TIBC → 250–370 µg/dL
• Transferrin → 2.0–3.6 g/L
• Transferrin saturation (TSAT) → 20–45%

Vitamins & trace elements (blood)

• Magnesium → high end of lab range (200–300 mg/day intake if needed). 330 ug/gHb
• Selenium → high end of lab range (55–70 µg/day intake). 0.86 ug/gHb
• Zinc → high end of lab range (10–15 mg/day intake). 50 ug/gHb
• Vitamin B12 → 400–700 pg/mL (if borderline: MMA/homocysteine).
• Folate → > 6 ng/mL (ideal 8–15)
• Vitamin A (retinol) → 0.3–0.8 mg/L
• Vitamin E (α-tocopherol) → 5–18 mg/L
• Copper → 70–140 µg/dL
• Manganese → 4–15 µg/L

Kidney function

• Microalbuminuria (urine albumin/creatinine ratio) → < 10 mg/g
• Creatinine → M: 0.7–1.2 mg/dL | F: 0.6–1.1 mg/dL
• BUN → 7–20 mg/dL
• BUN/Creatinine Ratio → 10–20
• eGFR → > 90 mL/min/1.73 m²
• Uric acid (renal) → 3.5–6.0 mg/dL
• Sodium → 135–145 mmol/L
• Potassium → 3.5–5.0 mmol/L
• Chloride → 98–106 mmol/L
• Urine pH → 5.5–7.0
• Specific gravity → 1.010–1.025
• Urine osmolality → 300–900 mOsm/kg
• NGAL → low / lab range
• Uromodulin → lab range
• Cystatin C → 0.6–1.0 mg/L
• SDMA → ≤ 14 µg/dL

Liver function

• ALT (SGPT) → < 30 U/L
• AST (SGOT) → < 30 U/L
• ALP → 40–120 U/L
• GGT → < 30 U/L
• Total bilirubin → < 1.0 mg/dL
• Direct bilirubin → < 0.3 mg/dL
• Albumin → 3.5–5.0 g/dL
• Globulins → 2.0–3.5 g/dL
• Albumin/Globulin Ratio → 1.2–2.2
• Total protein → 6.4–8.3 g/dL
• Ferritin (liver context) → 40–150 µg/L (interpret with CRP and liver enzymes)
• Transferrin (liver) → 2.0–3.6 g/L
• INR → 0.9–1.1

Hematology

• Hemoglobin → M: 14–16 g/dL | F: 13–15 g/dL
• Hematocrit → M: 42–48% | F: 38–44%
• RDW → < 13%
• Platelets → 150–350 G/L
• Homocysteine → < 8 µmol/L

Thyroid

• TSH → 0.5–2.5 µIU/mL (add fT4 if abnormal/signs).
• Anti-thyroglobulin → negative
• fT3 → mid–high end of lab range
• fT4 → mid-range
• Anti-TPO → negative

Hormones & endocrine

• Free testosterone → M: 5–21 ng/dL | F: 0.3–1.9 ng/dL
• Total testosterone → M: 400–900 ng/dL | F: 15–70 ng/dL
• SHBG → 15–55 nmol/L
• LH → M: 1.7–8.6 IU/L | F: 2.4–12.6 IU/L
• FSH → M: 1.5–12.4 IU/L | F: 3.5–12.5 IU/L
• Estradiol → M: 10–40 pg/mL | F: varies by cycle
• Morning cortisol → 10–20 µg/dL
• DHEA-S → M: 100–400 µg/dL | F: 65–380 µg/dL
• IGF-1 → mid–high end for age
• GH → low at rest

Bone & minerals

• Calcium → 2.20–2.55 mmol/L
• Phosphorus → 0.8–1.5 mmol/L
• PTH → 15–65 pg/mL
• Bone-specific alkaline phosphatase → lab range
• Osteocalcin → lab range
• Vitamin D (25-OH) → 30–60 ng/mL
• Manganese → 4–15 µg/L

Exploratory

• Telomere length → exploratory (track trend only).
• NAD+ (blood): TODO (me: 85)