Blog
News and ideas worth your attention.
Four decades of writing on living long and living well, with 1,000+ posts on functional and longevity medicine.
158 written by Dr. Frank Lipman in Healthy Aging
Clear ✕
Aug 4, 2025 · Healthy AgingBPC-157: The Healing Peptide Worth Knowing About
While it is hard to pick a favorite peptide – there are that many to choose from – one that’s especially close to my heart (and knees) is Body Protection Compound 157, better known as BPC 157—or simply BPC. I use it regularly, both in my practice and in my own life. Peptides like BPC 157, are short chains of amino acids — essentially mini-proteins — that signal specific biological actions. Studies show that certain peptides can support tissue repair, immune regulation, metabolism, and even brain health. Unlike general supplements or standard issue pharmaceuticals, peptides tend to behave more like precisely targeted messengers, mimicking natural hormones or enzymes in the body.
Jul 28, 2025 · Healthy Aging8 Things to Know About How Ketones Can Help Nourish, Protect and Save Your Brain from Decline
Long associated with ketogenic diets and ‘fat-burning,’ ketones are actually one of the most underappreciated (power) tools we have, not just for sustained physical energy, but for enhancing brain function and protecting long-term cognitive health. In fact, ketones might just be your brain's favorite fuel (who knew?). They’re the total energy package: a clean, efficient, and highly neuroprotective energy source which your body can make on its own — or you can get more in supplement form for that extra mental and physical edge.
Jul 14, 2025 · Healthy AgingBetter Brain Function for Life? Parsing the Promise of Plasmalogens
Recently, excitement about plasmalogens has been growing thanks to emerging evidence suggesting that they may be able to protect against cognitive decline and reduce the risk of devastating neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. Given that the side-effects appear to be virtually non-existent, plasmalogen supplements might be something to consider exploring, particularly if you have reason to believe you may be at higher than average risk for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.
Jun 23, 2025 · Healthy AgingApproaching the Fountain of Youth: The Diabetes Drugs That Could Change How We Age
Now that we know so much about the biology of aging, and the 12 major markers of aging, can we actually treat it? Can we slow aging down, or even reverse some of it’s effects? The answer is getting closer every day. In fact, we may already have some powerful tools at hand. But only now are we beginning to understand how best to use them. So, which ones may be the game changers when it comes to living better for longer? The most promising ‘big three’ tools currently in our longevity toolbox may just be the game-changers we’ve all been waiting for – thanks to, of all things, diabetes.
Jun 16, 2025 · Healthy AgingMeet Methylation – The Fast Pass to The Feeling Great Train at Every Age
When we talk about methylation, we’re talking organic chemistry. It’s a natural chemical process whereby a tiny group of atoms (one carbon and three hydrogen atoms—aka, a “methyl group”) is passed from one molecule to another. This tiny hand-off is actually a big deal. It helps regulate gene expression, that is, it helps determines which genes get turned on or off. That, in turn, determines which proteins your body makes and when – and proteins, remember, are the workhorses of the body, responsible for practically everything that happens inside us. Think of it like oiling the gears of a machine—without methylation, the body’s gears start to jam up.
Jun 2, 2025 · Healthy AgingEat Less, Live Longer? What If You Didn't Have To?
What if you could harness the longevity-supportive benefits of calorie restriction (CR) without actually having to eat less? That’s where ‘calorie restriction mimetics’ (CRMs) come in, compounds that mimic the beneficial effects of CR. Here’s an introduction to this fascinating, and fast-evolving, anti-aging science, and a look at how CRMs may help you keep a spring in your step for as long as possible.
May 26, 2025 · Healthy Aging8 Circadian Rhythm Tune-Up Tips to Help Slow Aging
The clock is ticking, time is passing, and few of us are getting any younger – well, make that none of us. But there are a number of ways to slow the hands of time. One of the easiest, and most direct, ways is to take advantage of the clock that’s built into every one of us -- the internal master clock, aka your circadian rhythm, which runs on a 24-hour cycle. That inner clock is what helps regulate when you feel sleepy or alert, when you’re hungry, and even how your body fights off illness.
May 19, 2025 · Healthy Aging1-MNA: The Anti-Aging, Heart-Helping Wellness Wonder
1-MNA, is a naturally occurring compound produced when the body breaks down niacin/vitamin B3 in the diet or supplements. And everything just goes better with MNA, especially the conversion of food into energy which is the main business of B3. What makes 1-MNA especially easy to love? Its solid safety stats; its ability to help naturally restore levels of NAD (aka nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, the “coenzyme” that helps turn that food into energy); and to optimize the complex network of cellular pathways involved in energy generation. It’s a boon to your cardiovascular system and so much more that I encourage everyone to consider this smart addition to your wellness repertoire.
May 12, 2025 · Healthy AgingSleep: The Ultimate Anti-Aging Tool for Keeping Brains Young and Healthy
When we think about the common signs of aging, we often we think about the obvious everyday externals, like wrinkles and thinning hair, or the need for increasingly more powerful reading glasses. But when it comes to longevity, it’s pretty clear that what's going on in your head is ultimately far more important than what it looks like on the outside. While fillers and Botox can shore up an aging face, what are the most important ‘tweakments’ to help keep your brain young? There are a number of must-dos, but the real chart-trooper is sleep. Without enough of it – we’re talking the restorative, high-quality kind – you're all but daring your brain to age rapidly.
May 5, 2025 · Healthy AgingTime for Taurine: 6 Big Health and Longevity Benefits
Chances are you’ve probably come across taurine, mostly as a key ingredient found in countless ‘energy drinks’. Assuming you’re wise enough to steer clear of those artificially sweetened, often overly caffeinated beverages (and I hope you are) well, good for you, and keep up the good work. However, you might want to take a second look at taurine on its own (minus the liquid chemical bath) because, among its many benefits, taurine is a key component in boosting heart and brain health, making it a potential major player in supporting longevity and the type of vibrant healthspans all of us want to enjoy.
Apr 28, 2025 · Healthy AgingAre You ‘Inflamm-aging’? 8 Tips for Aging Well – With Loads Less Inflammation
It’s chronic inflammation that’s implicated in just about all of our common “diseases of aging”: cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, arthritis, Alzheimer’s, even some forms of cancers. But what more recent research is telling us is that chronic inflammation isn’t just driving individual diseases, it’s driving aging itself – it’s one of the key “hallmarks of aging” and it’s linked to most of the other hallmarks as well. In fact, chronic inflammation is so important, scientists often use the term “inflammaging” as a way to grapple with aging in its entirety. To live as long and well, learning how to “inflame-age” as slowly as possible is an essential first step.
Apr 21, 2025 · Healthy Aging10 Smart Supplements to Preserve Your Mitochondria – and Your Energy Supply
Research indicates that mitochondrial dysfunction and ultimately decay is a key contributor to the aging process and to any number of age-related diseases, including ones that impact the brain and the cardiovascular system. The good news is that we have a good bit of say over how slow or fast we age, and a lot of that leverage has to do with how well we care for our mitochondria. For them to thrive, healthy habits are non-negotiable, but you can also give your ‘mitos’ an added boost with some carefully chosen supplements. The right combo of habits and supplements translates to more energy, mental sharpness, and an added layer of protection against the most common diseases of aging. There’s no better therapy than that!
Apr 14, 2025 · Healthy AgingYes, Your Cocktail is a Cancer Risk: 7 Thoughts on Why Alcohol Is Such Bad News
Here’s a hard truth: alcohol contributes to cancer. The statistics are sobering. Globally, an estimated 4% of all cancers are linked with alcohol consumption. Best estimates suggest that alcohol contributes to, every year, 100,000 cancer cases and 20,000 cancer deaths in the U.S. Think that’s way, way too many? So do I. Here’s the topline of what you need to know about the carcinogenic substance that most Americans are imbibing on a regular basis, usually with no clue of how they’re putting their health at risk.
Apr 7, 2025 · Healthy Aging10 Do-Right-Now Tips to Slow Brain Aging and Keep It Vital for Decades
While there’s no side-stepping the aging process – if you’re lucky enough to wake up every day, aging is coming for you – there are a lot of moves we can make today to start slowing it down. One of the most essential areas to focus on? Let’s begin with your grey matter. Start treating it right now, and your brain (as well as the rest of you) will reap a lifetime of benefits. The more brain health-supportive behaviors you can pile on now, the slower it will age, and the longer and better it will function.
Mar 31, 2025 · Healthy AgingMicroplastics Are Everywhere — Here are 18 Ways to Keep Them Out of Your Body
When it comes to living healthy for as long as possible, purging plastic from your life will get your longevity wagon rolling in the right direction. What a few decades ago was seen as the ultimate modern living must-have – Tupperware Party anyone? – we now know that plastic is an incredibly problematic, disease-triggering product that hovers near the top of the must-to-avoid list. A big part of the problem is the matter of ‘microplastics,’ and ‘nanoplastics’ – those bazillions of plastic particles, some smaller than a grain of rice and some not visible without a microscope. They’ve infiltrated just about every aspect of our environment. Consequently, most of us are consuming countless microplastic particles annually, putting us in the path of multiple damaging health effects.
Mar 24, 2025 · Healthy AgingUrolithin A: The Anti-Aging, Possibly Life-saving Supplement You’ve Never Heard of
One of my favorite complimentary supplement/longevity compounds is probably one you’ve never heard of – and it’s called urolithin. What makes this one so noteworthy? Well, it comes with a wide array of health benefits, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and neuroprotective effects. It also supports muscle and mitochondrial health, contributes to slowing the aging process, and helps protect against kidney damage – good news for now and even better news down the road.
Mar 10, 2025 · Healthy AgingThe Multi-tasking Miracle Mineral for a Longer Life: Magnesium's Role in Longevity
Good health is like a good recipe – it’s the combination of ingredients that makes the dish. By now, I’m sure you know that the combination of essential ‘ingredients’ – as in, a whole foods diet, plenty of movement, restorative sleep, relaxation and stress reduction – is the right “recipe” for your body to function optimally for a long, long time. What else to add to the good health and longevity recipe? Well, it’s my business to have a number of ideas on that score, but one of the simplest is – just add magnesium to the mix.
Mar 3, 2025 · Healthy AgingThe Lipman Longevity Pyramid: Your Blueprint for a Long and Healthier Life
Traveling the longevity path requires a proactive effort on your part –it’s not a one-and-done deal. It’s about creating a road map that combines health and longevity-promoting lifestyle habits with cutting-edge scientific innovations and treatment modalities to enhance quality of life and reduce the risks of disease and early mortality. So, how do we get there? In my practice, the answer is the Lipman Longevity Pyramid, my framework for cultivating your optimal health, resilience, and vitality for decades to come.
Feb 10, 2025 · Healthy AgingWalking Your Way to Longevity
These days, many of us are seeking simple ways to cultivate better physical and mental health – and longevity. Where to start? Put on your walking shoes. Walking is one of the most easily accessed forms of exercise that has a profound impact for on slowing aging and contributing to longevity. As researchers continue to learn more on the science behind aging, walking consistently ranks high on the list of powerful tools to promote physical, mental, and emotional well-being – all of which are all essential for extending life expectancy and enhancing quality of life for decades to come.
Feb 3, 2025 · Healthy Aging7 High Tech – and Enjoyable – Longevity Tools to Try Today!
While some days you may stick to the longevity landing better than others, keep in mind that a vibrant health span is the product of a life-long journey. In my longevity-focused practice, it’s my job to guide patients towards minimizing their risk for life-altering or life-shortening conditions like obesity, diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer. That guidance integrates an analysis of an individual’s medical history, lifestyle advice and state-of-the-art diagnostic testing. It’s all in the service of coming up with a personalized longevity ‘road map.’ One big part of the process is taking advantage of the best health technology available.
Jan 27, 2025 · Healthy AgingMildly Tarnished Wisdom of the ‘Blue Zones’ and 5 Essential Longevity Lessons
Despite its shaky data, Blue Zones reporting on the so-called secrets of living long and well, still has value. It’s less about specific claims of exceptionally long life-and-healthspans and more about the broader, big-picture lifestyle habits it shined a klieg light on for the millions of people who otherwise might have remained in the dark.
Jan 20, 2025 · Healthy AgingThe ‘Miracle’ Diabetes and Weight Loss Drugs — That May Also Keep You Younger Longer
The impact of so-called GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro has been, in a word, massive. They’ve been extraordinarily successful at pushing insulin production up – and driving too-high blood sugar levels down and supporting weight loss. But beyond the blood-sugar control and weight loss benefits, GLP-1s are also producing a startling number of additional healthspan-enhancing benefits, and showing themselves to be exceptionally useful tools in the war on aging. In fact, GLP-1s may quite possibly become the most powerful anti-aging, longevity-promoting drugs ever, with the power to change how we age, and how well we do it, for generations to come.
Jan 13, 2025 · Healthy AgingGet to Know TUDCA: The Easy Way to Protect Your Digestion, Brain and Liver
There are many tools in the wellness toolbox but one you might not yet be familiar with is a favorite of mine known as tauroursodeoxycholic acid or ‘TUDCA.’ It’s been a staple of Chinese medicine for thousands of years, and is now gaining traction in the West as a well-tolerated compound with numerous potential health benefits for your digestion, brain, liver and so much more. Here’s my topline on this important health helper.
Dec 30, 2024 · Healthy AgingThe Top 15 Health and Wellness News Articles from 2024
For the past few decades, I’ve made it my life’s work to encourage people to take care of themselves so they can live long and fruitful lives. And while we in the functional medicine and longevity worlds have long appreciated the powerful benefits of a healthy lifestyle, sometimes it takes a minute (or two) for the research to catch up and re-confirm what should be self-evident: the choices we make now have both an immediate and long-term impact on how well we age. So, choose wisely!