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.
579 items
MedicationsSertraline
In the largest network meta-analysis (522 trials), all antidepressants beat placebo for acute depression in adults, and sertraline was among the better tolerated.
2026-09-29 · 13 min read
SupplementsShiitake
Limited evidence. The evidence is limited.
2026-09-29 · 9 min read
MedicationsSimvastatin
In people with heart disease, simvastatin reduced death: in 4S all-cause mortality fell from 11.5% to 8.2% over about 5.4 years, and in HPS from 14.7% to 12.9% over 5 years.
2026-09-29 · 12 min read
SupplementsSlippery elm
Not enough research to say. It is used to soothe sore throats and the gut.
2026-09-29 · 6 min read
SupplementsSoy isoflavones
Soy isoflavones are sold mainly for menopausal symptoms and bone health, and the evidence is genuinely split by outcome.
2026-09-29 · 20 min read
SupplementsSpermidine
Limited evidence. Observational data look favourable and interventional data do not.
2026-09-29 · 13 min read
SupplementsSpirulina
Limited evidence. Spirulina is sold for cholesterol, blood pressure, energy and immunity.
2026-09-29 · 22 min read
SupplementsStevia
Limited evidence. Stevia is used to replace sugar.
2026-09-29 · 9 min read
SupplementsSulforaphane and broccoli sprout
Limited evidence. The evidence is best described as promising but mostly unconfirmed.
2026-09-29 · 14 min read
SupplementsSunflower and soy lecithin
Not supported by the research. Lecithin is claimed to help memory, cholesterol and blocked milk ducts.
2026-09-29 · 7 min read
MedicationsTamsulosin
In the two pivotal 13-week US placebo-controlled trials (1,486 men) urinary symptom scores improved more on tamsulosin than placebo, though placebo groups also improved substantially.
2026-09-29 · 12 min read
MedicationsTestosterone
Where a man genuinely has low testosterone from testicular or pituitary disease, replacement raises the hormone level and improves sexual function and quality of life; that part is consistently found in meta-analyses.
2026-09-29 · 17 min read
SupplementsThiamin
Thiamin is essential, and deficiency causes beriberi and Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, especially in heavy drinkers and after bariatric surgery.
2026-09-29 · 8 min read
MedicationsTizanidine
Limited evidence. The evidence is thin for its size of use.
2026-09-29 · 18 min read
MedicationsTopiramate
Well established. For the two uses it is licensed for, the randomised evidence is good.
2026-09-29 · 31 min read
MedicationsTramadol
Tramadol is approved for pain, but the outcome evidence for chronic pain is weaker than its wide use suggests.
2026-09-29 · 24 min read
MedicationsTrazodone
Limited evidence. Its effects depend on dose.
2026-09-29 · 11 min read
Fasting14:10 time-restricted eating
Limited evidence. Evidence is limited.
2026-09-29 · 9 min read
Fasting20:4 time-restricted eating
One 8-week randomised trial in adults with obesity found that 4-hour eating (3 to 7 p.m.) reduced weight by about 3%, insulin resistance and oxidative stress versus controls.
2026-09-29 · 10 min read
MedicationsTriamcinolone
Disputed. The evidence differs sharply by route, so the routes have to be judged separately.
2026-09-29 · 16 min read
SupplementsTribulus terrestris
Disputed. Despite the marketing, the evidence for a testosterone effect is essentially absent.
2026-09-29 · 17 min read
SupplementsTurmeric and curcumin
Disputed. The claim is that curcumin is anti-inflammatory and helps joints, mood and blood sugar.
2026-09-29 · 13 min read
SupplementsUrolithin A
Limited evidence. The honest summary is that human evidence is thin and mostly inconclusive.
2026-09-29 · 15 min read
MedicationsValacyclovir
The state of the evidence is that valacyclovir shortens and reduces herpes outbreaks and, taken daily, lowers how often outbreaks happen and how often an infected partner passes genital herpes to someone else.
2026-09-29 · 14 min read