From Memios
The Longevity Letter
Practical writing and video on living strong and active into your 90s. No hype, no supplements to sell. Just what the evidence supports and what it looks like on an ordinary Tuesday.
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SupplementsPterostilbene
The most reliable human finding about pterostilbene is an unwanted one: in the only substantial randomised trial of metabolic effects, LDL cholesterol rose by about 17 mg/dL with pterostilbene taken alone.
2026-09-30 · 14 min read
MedicationsQuetiapine
For the conditions it is approved for, the evidence is real but narrower than the prescribing suggests.
2026-09-30 · 21 min read
FastingReligious partial fasts
Limited evidence. Evidence is limited to observational studies and short uncontrolled trials.
2026-09-30 · 9 min read
SupplementsResveratrol
Disputed. The human evidence is contested rather than settled.
2026-09-30 · 13 min read
SupplementsRiboflavin
Riboflavin's coenzymes are needed for energy production, growth and metabolism of fats and drugs.
2026-09-30 · 9 min read
SupplementsSaw palmetto
Saw palmetto is sold mainly for urinary symptoms from an enlarged prostate, and this is one of the few supplement questions the evidence has genuinely settled.
2026-09-30 · 14 min read
MedicationsSemaglutide
Large randomised trials show substantial weight loss (about 15% at 68 weeks versus 2.4% on placebo) and fewer heart attacks.
2026-09-30 · 19 min read
ResearchSmall intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO): how is it diagnosed, how reliable is breath testing, and does rifaximin work?
Limited evidence. The evidence here is limited.
2026-09-30 · 9 min read
MedicationsSpironolactone
Well established. The evidence differs sharply by use.
2026-09-30 · 24 min read
SupplementsSt John's wort
The evidence base is unusually large for a botanical: two systematic reviews covering roughly 29 to 35 randomised trials and 5,000 to 7,000 patients found that standardised hypericum extracts beat placebo for mild to moderate major depression and performed about the same as standard antidepressants, with fewer dropouts for side effects.
2026-09-30 · 15 min read
SupplementsTaurine
Pooled randomised trials show modest average reductions in blood pressure and triglycerides with taurine supplements.
2026-09-30 · 18 min read
MedicationsTirzepatide
Large industry-funded trials show substantial weight loss in obesity, better blood sugar than semaglutide in type 2 diabetes, fewer breathing pauses in sleep apnoea.
2026-09-30 · 11 min read
Fasting16:8 time-restricted eating
Evidence is limited and largely points to no advantage over ordinary calorie restriction. In TREAT (116 adults, 12 weeks) 16:8 eating was no better than three structured meals for weight (-0.26 kg difference.
2026-09-30 · 14 min read
Fasting18:6 time-restricted eating
Limited evidence. Evidence is limited to short trials, 5 to 8 weeks long, with small numbers.
2026-09-30 · 12 min read
SupplementsTurkey tail
Most evidence concerns the PSK extract given with chemotherapy after cancer surgery in Japan. A meta-analysis of 8,009 gastric cancer patients found a modest survival advantage.
2026-09-30 · 8 min read
SupplementsValerian
Disputed. The honest summary is that the evidence is weak and contradictory.
2026-09-30 · 14 min read
SupplementsVitamin B12
The clearest evidence concerns people who are deficient or at risk: long-term metformin use and long-term acid-suppressing drugs (PPIs and H2 blockers) are associated with lower B12 status.
2026-09-30 · 11 min read
SupplementsVitamin C
Vitamin C is an essential nutrient, so correcting a deficiency is genuinely curative - untreated scurvy is fatal.
2026-09-30 · 17 min read
ResearchWhat do the trials actually show for fibre, fluid, laxatives, movement, toileting and pelvic floor training?
The 2023 joint American Gastroenterological Association and American College of Gastroenterology guideline gives its strongest recommendations with moderate certainty to polyethylene glycol.
2026-09-30 · 25 min read
MedicationsZolpidem
The best evidence for zolpidem is short-term trial evidence in insomnia, and the measured effect is modest: pooled analysis of the trials submitted to the FDA found it shortened the time to fall asleep by about 22 minutes versus placebo.
2026-09-30 · 25 min read
SupplementsAndrographis
A systematic review of 33 trials (7,175 patients) found it improved cough, sore throat and overall symptoms of acute respiratory infections, but the trials were of poor quality.
2026-09-30 · 11 min read
MedicationsBaclofen
It is approved to reduce spasticity from multiple sclerosis and spinal cord disease, though a Cochrane review found the trial evidence for anti-spasticity drugs in MS poorly documented.
2026-09-30 · 13 min read
SupplementsCat's claw
Limited evidence. It is promoted for arthritis, cancer, viral infections and immunity.
2026-09-30 · 10 min read
SupplementsChaga
Chaga is claimed to help with inflammation, immunity, blood sugar and cancer, but these effects come from laboratory and animal studies.
2026-09-30 · 10 min read