In this episode we discuss:
- The problems with longevity obsession
- The core pillars of health that actually move the longevity needle
- Which interventions are over-hyped
- The pleiotropic tools that are worth exploring once the basics are dialed in
- Using the longevity pyramid as a practical framework
- How the Core Plus bundle is designed to provide the foundation for your longevity goals
Show notes:
- Learn more about the Adapt Naturals Core Plus bundle or take our quiz to see which individual products best suit your needs
- If you’d like to ask a question for Chris to answer in a future episode, submit it here
- Follow Chris on Twitter/X, Instagram, or Facebook
- Add back in what the modern world has crowded out and feel and perform your best with Adapt Naturals supplements. Learn more and place your order at AdaptNaturals.com.
Hey everybody, Chris Kresser here. Welcome to another episode of Revolution Health Radio. Let me start this one with a question. What if our obsession with anti-aging is actually speeding up the aging process? I know that sounds counterintuitive. After all, who doesn’t want to age more gracefully– or better yet, not age at all? It’s a topic that’s exploded in popularity. If you spent any time on TikTok, YouTube, or in the health podcast space lately, you’ve probably seen an avalanche of biohacks, longevity stacks, anti-aging drugs, and gadgets promising to turn back the clock. But here’s the thing– what I’ve seen, both in my years of clinical practice and just observing broader trends in health and wellness, is that a lot of this so-called longevity optimization is happening without the foundation in place. People are skipping the basics: good sleep, nutrient-dense food, regular movement, [and] meaningful relationships, and diving headfirst into red light therapy, peptide injections, and pharmaceutical protocols, thinking that’s going to be their golden ticket to living to 120.
So in today’s episode, I want to reframe how we think about longevity. I want to talk about the trap many people fall into when chasing a longer life, and how to avoid it by focusing on the simple, powerful levers that actually extend both lifespan and health span. Let’s dive in.
The Problem with Longevity Obsession
There’s a growing cultural obsession with living longer. You see it in startup culture, where billionaires are funding moonshot longevity labs. You see it in the supplement world, where new “anti-aging” stacks hit the market almost weekly. And you see it in everyday people who are trying to optimize every variable in their life with the hopes of squeezing out a few extra years.
I get it, longevity is a compelling goal. But in my view, most people fail to see the trade-offs that can come with an obsessive focus on anti-aging. I like to think of it as a triangle, with each corner representing one of three primary goals: longevity, performance, or overall health and well-being. I got this from Robb Wolf many years ago, and it stuck with me. If you push too far toward one point, you often sacrifice the others. Take caloric restriction as an example. There’s decent evidence that reducing caloric intake can extend lifespan in animal models, and maybe even in humans. But that comes at a cost. People who are chronically under-eating often feel cold, sluggish, irritable, and just not great day-to-day. Their performance declines and their quality of life takes a hit. And here’s the kicker: there’s no sense in living to 100 if you’re cold and miserable the whole time because you’re following a hypocaloric diet in the name of longevity. That’s not success, that’s just a longer period of not feeling good.
The better approach is to optimize for health and well-being, and let longevity be a natural byproduct of that. That’s what the research supports, that’s what I saw with my patients, and that’s what leads to a life that’s not only longer but more vibrant.
In my own life, I’ve explored all corners of that triangle. There were times when I leaned more toward performance, especially when I was deeply immersed in sports or martial arts or functional fitness, and there have been times when I was curious about what the science says about lifespan extension. But over time, I’ve come to realize that the sweet spot, the place where you feel good, perform well, and that supports a long life, is right in the center of that triangle, not at the edges. That’s where I want to help you get to.
The Core Pillars That Actually Move the Needle
When we strip away the noise and look at what really supports a long healthy life, it always comes back to the fundamentals. Number one is diet and nutrition. We need a nutrient-dense, whole-foods diet that includes high-quality animal protein, healthy fats, lots of colorful fruits and veggies, and avoiding ultra-processed foods. This isn’t just about macronutrients or tracking your food, it’s about providing your cells with the building blocks they need to function well. And these days, even with the best diet, it’s hard to meet all our nutrient needs from food alone. That’s where smart supplementation can play a critical role.
Number two is sleep. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. If sleep could be bottled and sold as a supplement, it would be the most powerful longevity drug on the market. Sleep affects virtually every system in the body, from metabolic health and hormone regulation to immune resilience and brain function. Yet most adults aren’t getting enough. Prioritizing seven to eight hours of high-quality, uninterrupted sleep is one of the most powerful things you can do for your long-term health.
Number three is movement. When I say movement, I don’t just mean going to the gym or exercising. I mean being physically active throughout your day– walking, stretching, squatting, standing, using your body in natural ways. The human body is built for movement, and it thrives when we move it regularly. Not just in 45-minute bursts at the gym, but through natural, daily activities. Movement helps regulate blood sugar, supports cardiovascular health, enhances mood and preserves lean muscle mass as we age, which is critical.
Number four is social connection. This is one of the most overlooked and underappreciated factors in longevity. Research shows that strong social ties are more predictive of a long life than cholesterol levels, blood pressure, or even whether or not you smoke cigarettes. In fact, social isolation is associated with a significantly higher risk of early death. But here’s the challenge. We live in an increasingly disconnected world. We’re more digitally connected than ever, but more emotionally and relationally isolated. Investing in your relationships, whether that’s with a spouse, children, friends, or a community group, is one of the best things you can do for your health.
Number five is stress management. Chronic stress is another silent killer. It’s linked to inflammation, heart disease, cognitive decline, and immune dysfunction. But it doesn’t always show up in obvious ways. It can be that low-level hum of pressure, anxiety, or overwhelm that becomes your new normal. Managing stress isn’t about eliminating it, it’s about building resilience. That can look like meditation, breathwork, time in nature, creative hobbies, or simply learning to say no. Find what helps you come back to center and make it a regular part of your life.
Sixth is purpose. This one might seem abstract, but the research is compelling. People who have a sense of meaning, who feel they’re contributing to something bigger than themselves, tend to live longer, healthier lives. Purpose acts like a compass. It helps us make better decisions, stay engaged, and navigate challenges with more resilience. Whether it’s through your work, your family, your faith, or your community, connect to something that matters to you. These are the real longevity tools. They’re not sexy. They don’t go viral on social media. But they work, and they work consistently across diverse populations, age groups, and lifestyles.
Reframe how you think about longevity. In this episode, learn about the traps many people fall into when chasing a longer life, and how to avoid it by focusing on the simple, powerful levers that actually extend both lifespan and health span. #RHRpodcast #longevity #ChrisKresser
The Over-Hyped Interventions
Now let’s look at what often doesn’t move the needle as much as we think. Cold plunging. It’s having a moment. And to be fair, there’s some good research on cold exposure, and I like to cold plunge myself occasionally, but the results in studies are mixed. And the marginal gains you might get from three-minute plunges into freezing water probably don’t outweigh the benefits of, say, an extra hour of sleep.
Drugs like metformin or rapamycin. These are often marketed as “longevity prescriptions,” but we don’t have long-term safety data on healthy humans. We don’t know the downstream effects over decades, and the risk-reward calculus just isn’t clear yet.
Peptides, exposomes, and regenerative therapies. These can be amazing tools, especially for treating specific conditions or injuries. In fact, I just got a PRP shot in my knee to help me heal from an injury that I had last summer. So I’m a big advocate of these when they’re appropriate. But as long-term, proactive longevity strategies, we are in the dark. Some of these compounds may even increase cancer risk if they’re used frequently, though we don’t have definitive proof either way. Bottom line, these tools belong at the top of your health pyramid, not the base.
The Pleiotropic Sweet Spot
There’s a category of interventions I do think are worth exploring once the basics are dialed in. I call these “pleiotropic” tools because they have multiple systemic effects. One is sauna or hot water immersion. Recent studies suggest that hot water immersion may even outperform sauna in some markers. Both act as hormetic stressors– mild stress that triggers adaptive, health-promoting responses. Think of it like a workout for your mitochondria.
Red light therapy, similar story here. It’s not a gimmick. It works on the mitochondrial level to reduce inflammation, promote tissue repair, and enhance cellular function. I’ve had a near-infrared sauna and a few other red light therapy devices for many years, and I use them often. They aren’t substitutes for deep sleep, diet, or movement, but they can amplify the benefits of those pillars when they’re used strategically.
A Practical Framework: The Longevity Pyramid
To help make sense of all this, I like to use a pyramid framework for longevity. The base layer is the foundational lifestyle habits we’ve talked about– eating nutrient-dense, whole foods, sleeping seven to eight hours per night, moving your body every day, etc. The middle layer is smart supplementation. This is where we fill the nutrient gaps that are hard to meet with diet alone, and this is especially critical for people over, let’s say, 35 or 40, whose absorption and production of key nutrients starts to decline. And then the upper tier would be the pleiotropic modalities like sauna, hot water immersion, red light therapy, and we would use those as performance amplifiers. Then the very top of the pyramid would be the advanced biohacking strategies– things like peptides, pharmaceuticals, [and] complex protocols. These might be promising, but they’re not yet proven. They’re often costly, and they may even have some long-term risks or adverse effects that we’re not fully aware of yet.
This model helps you prioritize where to invest your time, energy, and resources. Focus first on what delivers the biggest return.
Why I Built Core Plus
This was one of the reasons I built the Core Plus bundle when I first launched Adapt Naturals. Most people are confused about which supplements to take. They’re trying to piece together formulas from blogs, podcasts, or influencer reels. And Core Plus just simplifies that. It helps ensure nutrient sufficiency, which is the foundation for any longevity strategy. And our Bio-Avail Omega+ goes even further. It includes fish oil, curcumin, and black seed oil– three compounds with impressive research behind them when it comes to inflammation, metabolic function, and resilience as we age. Most people aren’t eating enough seafood to get adequate EPA and DHA. And curcumin and black seed oil offer pleiotropic benefits that support aging at the cellular level. So this is one of the ways I support patients, and myself, with a science-based, non-faddish approach to longevity.
Let me leave you with this: if you’re already focusing on the fundamentals– eating well, sleeping well, moving regularly, nurturing your relationships, [and] managing stress, you’re ahead of 90 percent of the population. Seriously. The average lifespan stats you see in the media? They apply to the average person, and that person is not typically sleeping seven [to] eight hours, eating nutrient-dense, whole foods, or taking care of themselves. You probably are. Healthy aging doesn’t require extreme interventions. It’s about doing the right things consistently over time. It’s about building a foundation, and then, if you want to go further, layering in some of the more advanced tools. But never at the expense of the basics. Focus on the bottom of the pyramid and the rest will take care of itself.
Thanks for listening. If you found this helpful, share it with a friend who’s feeling overwhelmed by the avalanche of longevity advice out there. Visit AdaptNaturals.com to learn more about the Core Plus bundle and Bio-Avail Omega+, as well as other supplements like Biome Protect, which is a great gut health product, Inner Radiance, for beauty from within, and Steady Spirit, for helping to manage stress and improve sleep at night. Until next time, be well.
