Jon Brudvig

Very excited for my next full length Substack post, which will be a deep dive into thymic regeneration, complete with history, risks & benefits, and pharma protocols. In the meantime, here’s a teaser on the topic, shared earlier this year 🧪:

#Longevity #Aging

Unpacking Longevity and Cellular Health: A Conversation with Dr. Jon Brudvig - Part One Podcast Episode · The Paul Taylor Podcast | Expert in Hardiness and Mental Fitness · 05/09/2025 · 41m

Paul is a wonderful host and really shaped a great conversation! Check it out here: 🧪

podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/u...

In Part 1, we explore: 🧪

Why lysosomes are the forgotten organelle for longevity

How longevity interventions are discovered and what this means for their applications in humans.

How promising interventions SGLT2 inhibitors are already showing longevity promise in humans.

Unpacking Longevity and Cellular Health: A Conversation with Dr. Jon Brudvig - Part One Podcast Episode · The Paul Taylor Podcast | Expert in Hardiness and Mental Fitness · 05/09/2025 · 41m

Recently, I sat down with Paul Taylor to discuss the intimate links between lysosomal health and aging. We touched on so many important topics in this one, with an overarching focus on practical, science-backed strategies for living a healthier life. 🧪

#Longevity

David is building a fascinating resource: a curated database of personal “longevity stacks” from scientists, physicians, and health optimizers with very diverse backgrounds. 🧪

Check it out at
wellstackedlife.com

Last week, I sat down with David Blackmore to walk through my personal #longevity strategy. He did an excellent job distilling our conversation into key takeaways, focusing on diet, exercise, and drugs/supplement approaches. 🧪

I'm looking forward to joining David and John Gildea tomorrow to record a new episode of the Mara Labs podcast! Stay tuned.

Microplastics: A Growing Threat + A Promising Solution Most people have heard that plastic pollution is choking the oceans. Fewer realize that plastic has also invaded our bodies, even reaching our brains and blood. Startling new research reveals that the...

David Roberts and Mara Labs just posted a nice, concise article on the #microplastics health problem and #sulforaphane as a potential tool for liberating the particles from cells. 🧪

Definitely worth a read if you are looking for a quick intro.

mara-labs.com/blogs/journa...

#Longevity

Key sources 2: 🧪
📰 Lithium stabilizes cognitive impairment in AD:
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22746245/
📰 Mechanistic insights in mice and observational data in humans:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Key sources 1: 🧪

📰 AD incidence with and without APOE4:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
📰 Lithium in drinking water and AD prevalence:
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...

Lithium Prevents Alzheimer’s—Here’s How to Use It Even as evidence builds, most experts hesitate to recommend lithium for Alzheimer’s prevention. That’s a mistake.

Discussed in detail in my latest Substack post. 🧪

jonbrudvig.substack.com/p/lithium-pr...

Observational and interventional studies tell us that microdoses in the range of 0.02–0.3 mg/day are protective. That’s thousands of times lower than psychiatric doses, with a nearly zero risk of toxicity or side effects, and very inexpensive.

This is easily achieved with lithium supplements. 🧪

So, why aren't we using it? Experts are hesitating to recommend lithium until optimal doses are confirmed in large, definitive trials.

But in high-stakes scenarios like this, waiting for confirmatory evidence could mean missing the window for prevention. Acting now is wise. 🧪

🧠 Mechanisms: blocks tau phosphorylation, shifts amyloid processing, clears plaques. 🧪

💊 Supplementing with 0.3 mg/day slows cognitive decline in Alzheimer's patients. 🧪

🫗 Natural lithium in drinking water → 20%+ reduction in Alzheimer’s rates. 🧪

This is supported by robust observational data from many thousands of individuals, small interventional studies in Alzheimer’s patients, and a relatively robust understanding of mechanism. 🧪

If you live to 95, your risk of developing dementia is 42%. For APOE4 carriers, it’s as high as 59%.

A trace mineral, lithium, can lower that risk at extremely low doses. So potently, that it could even counteract the impact of the worst genetic and environmental risk factors. 🧪

Lithium Prevents Alzheimer’s—Here’s How to Use It Even as evidence builds, most experts hesitate to recommend lithium for Alzheimer’s prevention. That’s a mistake.

Lithium prevents Alzheimer’s. Here’s how to use it. 🧪

jonbrudvig.substack.com/p/lithium-pr...

#Alzheimer's #Longevity #Prevention

Huge disappointment is an understatement.

We have massive incentives to prioritize the health of ourselves and the planet over economic growth, but again and again we fail to do so. Devastating.

Lithium Prevents Alzheimer’s—Here’s How to Use It Even as evidence builds, most experts hesitate to recommend lithium for Alzheimer’s prevention. That’s a mistake.

Even as evidence builds, many experts hesitate to recommend lithium for Alzheimer’s prevention. That’s a mistake. 🧪

My latest post breaks down the science and gives practical recommendations for implementation.

jonbrudvig.substack.com/p/lithium-pr...

#Alzheimer's #Longevity #BrainHealth

Key Sources 3: 🧪
📰 Metformin blunts exercise adaptations:
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...

📰 The case against metformin in healthy individuals:
drglorioso.substack.com/p/should-you...

Key Sources 2: 🧪

📰 Low dose metformin improves healthspan and lifespan in mice: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...

📰 Metformin decreases PD risk only when used at low doses: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...

📰 Metformin blunts exercise adaptations:
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31557380/

Key Sources: 🧪
📰 Metformin MOA: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

📰 Metformin promotes metabolic health, prevents diabetes, and promotes modest, durable weight loss: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11832527/

📰 Metformin reduces systemic inflammation: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33412927/

We don’t yet have RCTs that can confirm the benefits in healthy individuals, and we likely won’t for quite some time. But with current evidence pointing towards benefits across many aging organs, one must also consider the risks of waiting for that evidence to exist.

While Peter Attia calls 500 mg a “homeopathic” dose, I disagree. In a healthy individual shooting for gut AMPK activation, a boost in incretin hormones, and mild glycemic benefits, 500 mg ER is plenty.

Low doses will also minimize risks from drug effects outside of the gut. 🧪

Risks can be mitigated by using a low dose (e.g., 500 mg ER 1x or 2x daily) paired with B12 supplementation, taking periodic breaks, and combining with resistance training to prevent muscle loss. Work with a good longevity doc and stop the drug if you feel worse or see deterioration in biomarkers. 🧪

Is it wise to use this drug off-label for longevity purposes? 🧪
My read of the current evidence is a qualified “yes.” In a healthy person that leans towards overnutrition moreso than undernutrition, metformin likely offers systemic benefits and protects against metabolic and inflammatory diseases.

What are the key risks? 🧪

🚫 Vitamin B12 deficiency

🧠 Increased risk of Parkinson’s disease in some (not all) observational studies, presumably from brain penetration of higher doses

💪 Potential for blunted adaptive responses from exercise

Why might metformin be good for longevity? 🧪

☑️ Supports metabolic health, prevents diabetes, and promotes modest, durable weight loss

☑️ Decreased inflammation in tissues throughout the body, strongly linked to positive health outcomes

☑️ Extends lifespan (modestly) in animal models at low doses