A new survey of 129 longevity-focused clinicians reveals which supplements, medicines and lifestyle interventions doctors personally use — from vitamin D and omega-3s to GLP-1s, rapamycin and full-stack biohacking routines costing over $1,000 per month
Despite all the different longevity supplement stacks and routines available, medical professionals remain largely skeptical about which are legit, and what might just be a waste of money, although there’s a significant group that’s willing to self-experiment.
That leads to an overwhelming landscape for the everyday consumer trying to determine what actually will support their health — in fact, data shows that consumers are struggling to know which products to buy and which brands to trust amid a sea of conflicting information flooding the supplement industry.
But hearing from medical professionals themselves could potentially clear the air, while also indicating which directions the longevity industry is trending.
In a survey of 129 clinicians from Second Opinion — including doctors, nurses and physician assistants — participants were asked 32 questions about their adoption of supplements and medicines; hormones and peptides; lifestyle changes; testing regimens; wearable use; and prescribing practices and attitudes towards aspects of the current longevity era we are in.
The researchers note they did primarily hear back from integrative medicine and primary care doctors, or those who may already be more inclined to longevity interventions. But that was intentional, as they specifically wanted to hear from longevity-interested medical professionals over the average doctor.
The breakdown was as follows: 83% physicians, 7% nurse practitioners/physician assistants and 10% research/other.
Based on the results, respondents were divided into four categories:
- The Minimalists: (18%), who stick to a few high-evidence basics, taking three or fewer supplements, and no peptides, GLP-1s or off-label longevity meds like metformin or rapamycin. They also spend roughly $60 per month on their longevity routines.
- The Builders: (45%), who have a core regimen of evidence-based supplements and lifestyle habits. While they don’t take peptides, GLP-1s or off-label longevity meds, their stack size is slightly larger at 4 to 11 supplements, spending an estimated $115 per month.
- The Pioneers: (26%), who methodically experiment with off-label drugs and more advanced diagnostics. These clinicians are taking around 12 supplements daily, and at least one of any peptide/GLP‑1 or any off‑label non‑lipid med, while also engaging in heavy diagnostic testing (at least seven distinct tests per year or at least one test every three months). The surveyors estimate their spending is roughly $434 per month.
- The Full-Stack Biohackers: (11%) are pursuing exhaustive, multi-modal optimization protocols with aggressive testing and often injectable medications. Their stack size surpasses 12 — with one person hitting 50 in one day — in addition to taking peptides/GLP‑1s and engaging in heavy testing, two or more off‑label non‑lipid meds and using multiple wearable devices. Their monthly cost comes out to an impressive $1,071, according to Second Opinion estimates.
Notably, the most longevity-enthusiastic clinicians were in the age 50 to 59 bracket.
Doctors’ Top Longevity Supplement Picks
Despite their differences, across the board, the most common longevity practices were the ones with the most evidence, such as maintaining a good diet and exercise routine and incorporating the best-researched supplements like vitamin D and omega-3s.
The survey found these were the top 10 most-used supplements from all clinicians:
- Vitamin D3 (±K2)
- Magnesium
- Omega-3 (EPA/DHA)
- Creatine
- Pro/Prebiotics
- Multivitamin
- B-Complex (Methylated)
- Berberine
- Glycine
- Vitamin C
“Supplements like magnesium have been talked about in the last couple of years, and there don’t seem to be any deleterious side effects,” said Dr. Disha Narang, an endocrinologist and obesity medicine specialist. “However, it can potentially go overboard in terms of spend and pill burden.”
Some of those supplements were notably often taken in pairs for their potential amplified benefits from co-adoption, including:
- Vitamin D3 ± K2 + Magnesium
- Vitamin D3 ± K2 + Omega‑3
- Magnesium + Omega‑3
- Magnesium + B‑complex
Other supplement use was fairly scattered, but products like red yeast rice or bergamot — both used to support healthy cholesterol levels — were adopted by 12% of respondents.
Stick to the Basics as Skepticism Prevails
Although the majority of clinicians surveyed are supplementing to varying degrees, more than 50% reported being neutral or skeptical, wanting to see more data before updating their recommendations.
“Every biomarker, pharmaceutical, supplement and lifestyle strategy we offer goes through formal review against multiple dimensions,” said Dugal Bain-Kim, the CEO and co-founder of longevity medicine program Lifeforce. “We only introduce therapies when strong, peer-reviewed clinical evidence shows real, measurable benefit and a sound safety profile. The truth is, 40 to 50% of what people spend money on in this space wouldn’t meet that bar.”
Applying that to his own routine, Bain-Kim explained that “rapamycin doesn’t clear that bar; microdosed GLP-1s do — primarily for brain protection given my family history.”
The survey uncovered a pattern of focusing on evidence-based interventions first, then layering on experimental approaches, with an order of adoption taking the following shape:
- Diet, exercise, and lifestyle management
- High-evidence/low risk supplements (Vitamin D, magnesium, omega-3s, creatine)
- High-evidence medicines (lipid management)
- More speculative therapies (hormone optimization, peptides)
Second Opinion noted that not everyone needs to take these supplements, especially amid growing concern among medical professionals that more than 15 million Americans are taking supplements that may be harmful to the liver and the overall lack of regulation of supplements.
That underscores the biggest point clinicians want to get across: supplements and medicines cannot substitute diet, exercise and good sleep for longevity.
The Top Lifestyle Interventions
Longevity isn’t just about supplement stacks, but what diet, exercise and recovery protocols clinicians choose to incorporate into their daily routines.
The survey revealed the top lifestyle and diet interventions to be:
- Resistance training at least twice a week
- High-intensity interval (HIIT) training
- Mediterranean/plant-forward diet
- Mindfulness/breathwork
- Time-restricted eating/intermittent fasting
- Sauna
- Red light therapy
- Cold plunge/cryotherapy
- Hyperbaric oxygen therapy
Wearables are another component in the equation, providing access to daily health metrics and insights to optimize routines further in addition to tracking workouts. The Apple Watch was the most adopted wearable, with Oura coming in second and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) in third.
Over three-quarters (77%) of the respondents reported using at least one wearable, compared to 43% of the general population.
The Biggest Takeaways for Brands & Consumers
At the heart of clinician-backed longevity protocol is the basic lifestyle interventions that they recommend to their own patients: good diet and exercise.
But there are key insights that supplement and wellness brands can take into account, especially when figuring out their target demographics.
For instance, at the most basic level of longevity-minded people, they build their routines around evidence-based supplements with very low risk (vitamin D, magnesium, vitamin B, omega-3s, creatine). But once consumers start moving into those more intense routines, adding in medicines on top of supplements, they’re more likely to utilize multiple interventions.
That means brands marketing more advanced therapies like GLP-1s or rapamycin should target the consumer already incorporating several supplements and interventions. It also opens the door for bundled products for those seeking to stack multiple therapies.
Knowing what medical professionals are adopting into their own lives — especially the protocols incorporated across the board — can be a key temperature check into what’s becoming broader clinical acceptance, and what is still a question mark. That could ultimately help consumers decide what’s worth the cost, and what companies should invest in.
