Why Most Anti-Aging Advice is Nonsense: Beware of Longevity Experts Selling Snake Oil Part III

This is the third installment in a series of posts on the anti-aging industry, also referred to as "Longevity, Inc."

• Beware of Longevity Experts Selling Snake Oil Part II,   

• Why Seniors Should Beware of Longevity Experts Selling Snake Oil Part I

Walk through the aisles of any grocery store, drug store or health store, scroll through your social media feed, look at almost any website or watch any number of ads on TV. and you’ll be bombarded with a simple, seductive promise: aging is optional and it can be delayed or even reversed. The anti-aging industry wants you to believe that if you just take the right supplement, buy the right cream, or follow the latest “biohack,” you can halt or even reverse the aging process.

Let’s be blunt: most of this advice is complete nonsense.

As someone who's lived for 76 years, worked in the business world for over five decades, and experienced the full range of life’s highs and lows, I can tell you with confidence that aging isn’t something to be feared or “fixed.” The problem isn’t aging, it's the avalanche of hype, half-truths, and outright scams that distract us from what really works when it comes to living a long, healthy, fulfilling life.

In this post, we’ll unpack the anti-aging industry’s promises, expose the red flags, separate fact from fiction, and focus on what actually helps as we grow older.

The Rise of the Anti-Aging Industry

The global anti-aging market was worth over $60 billion in 2024 and is projected to keep growing at a rapid pace. That includes everything from skincare products and supplements, vitimans, to hormone replacement therapies, stem cell clinics, and so-called “longevity clinics” that charge tens of thousands of dollars per year.

Why has it exploded?

Because aging scares people. And fear sells.

We’re living longer than ever before, but our society worships youth and often treats aging as a disease to be avoided. The anti-aging industry feeds on that cultural bias and offers a mirage of control over time. It’s built on a seductive marketing formula:

• Promise something big: “Erase wrinkles,” “Reverse your biological age,” “Live to 150.”

• Offer a shortcut: “One pill a day,” “A miracle serum,” “Just 10 minutes a week.”

• Charge a premium: “$299/month subscription,” “$10,000 for cutting-edge therapy.”

And it works—at least for their bottom line.

The Problem: Distraction from What Really Works

Here’s the core issue: while the anti-aging industry promotes flashy, often unproven products, it distracts people from the unsexy but powerful habits that actually extend healthspan.

Healthspan is the key term here. It’s not about how long you live. It’s about how long you live well without chronic disease, pain, or disability.

Most of what keeps us healthy and vibrant as we age doesn’t come in a bottle or from a high-tech clinic. It comes from lifestyle, purpose, relationships, and attitude.

But those don’t make for sexy Instagram ads.

Instead, people are told to:

• Take expensive, unregulated vitamins and supplements

• Spend $400 on “longevity gene tests” that don’t tell them anything actionable.

• Follow restrictive, trendy diets like the “carnivore cleanse.”

• Take mystery supplements with murky ingredient lists.

• Waste time obsessing over “anti-aging” skin creams while ignoring heart health.

• Pursue expensive hormone therapies without understanding the risks.

Meanwhile, they miss out on the simple, proven, and affordable actions that truly improve life.

Red Flags in Anti-Aging Advice

So how do you tell the difference between nonsense and something worth your attention? Here are some common red flags:

1. Too Good to Be True

If a product claims to “reverse aging,” “regrow cartilage,” or “turn back your biological clock” in just days or weeks, be skeptical. Aging is a complex biological process, not a bug to be fixed with one miracle cure.

2. Celebrity Endorsements Instead of Scientific Evidence

Many anti-aging brands pay influencers and celebrities to promote products without any credible science behind them. Testimonials are not the same as peer-reviewed studies.

3. Fear-Based Marketing

Watch for phrases like “Don’t let aging steal your life” or “Protect yourself from the decay of old age.” These are designed to manipulate emotions, not inform or empower.

4. “Biohacking” Buzzwords

While the concept of biohacking isn’t inherently bad, it’s been hijacked by marketers. If someone’s promising “optimized mitochondria” or “telomere rejuvenation” without evidence, be cautious.

5. No Regulation or Oversight

Many anti-aging clinics operate in a gray area, offering therapies like stem cell infusions or hormone cocktails that aren’t approved by the FDA and can have serious side effects.

6. Hidden Conflicts of Interest

If a doctor or “expert” is making bold health claims while also selling supplements or treatments, their advice might be more about profits than health.

Claims vs. Reality: Breaking Down the Hype

Let’s look at a few popular anti-aging claims and what science actually says.

Claim: “This supplement boosts longevity genes like sirtuins and NAD+.”

Reality: While sirtuins and NAD+ are involved in aging at the cellular level, most supplements that claim to influence them (like resveratrol or NR/NMN) have mixed results in human studies. They might work in mice, but we're not mice. The human evidence is murky at best, and the long-term effects are unknown.

Claim: “Hormone replacement therapy will make you young again.”

Reality: Hormone levels do decline with age, but arbitrarily boosting testosterone or growth hormone can come with real risks, like cancer, cardiovascular problems, and liver damage. These therapies are best used under careful medical supervision for specific conditions not general youth-seeking.

Claim: “You can measure your biological age and reverse it.”

Reality: Biological age tests (based on DNA methylation or other biomarkers) are still experimental and not fully validated. Even if they provide an interesting estimate, no test can currently confirm you’ve actually reversed your aging in a clinically meaningful way.

Claim: “Stem cells and gene therapies are here to keep you young.”

Reality: Some of these technologies hold real promise for future decades. But right now, many of the “stem cell treatments” offered by clinics are unregulated, unproven, and in some cases dangerous. Legitimate stem cell research is happening in labs, not shopping malls.

What Really Works: The Boring (But Effective) Truth

• Healthy Aging Made Simple. An Action Plan

  
  

So if most of the anti-aging advice is nonsense, what should we focus on instead?

Here’s the good news: We already know what works to extend healthspan and vitality into our later years. It just doesn’t come with a fancy label or influencer promo code.

1. Exercise Is the Real Fountain of Youth

Nothing compares to physical activity. Regular movement, especially strength training, aerobic exercise, and balance work, is the closest thing we have to an anti-aging drug.

It improves cardiovascular health, maintains muscle mass, supports brain function, boosts mood, and reduces the risk of virtually every chronic disease.

2. Eat Real Food

No need for gimmicky diets. A varied diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fats supports longevity. Limiting ultra-processed foods and sugar matters more than counting macros or chasing the latest food fad.

3. Sleep and Stress Management

Poor sleep and chronic stress accelerate aging more than wrinkles do. Sleep is when your body repairs itself. Managing stress through mindfulness, spirituality, breathwork, or therapy pays long-term dividends.

4. Don’t Smoke. Drink Less.

These may seem obvious, but they're often overlooked. Smoking is a direct accelerator of aging. And while moderate drinking might be okay for some, many older adults would benefit from cutting back or stopping altogether.

5. Strong Social Connections

Loneliness is a health risk on par with obesity or smoking. Staying connected to others, family, friends, community, or faith groups can extend life and improve quality of life.

6. Have a Sense of Purpose

Whether it’s volunteering, mentoring, creating, learning, or advocating, having a reason to get up each day protects against decline. Meaning matters more than any pill.

7. Routine Medical Care

Catching issues early through regular checkups, screenings, and preventive care still saves more lives than any anti-aging potion.

Why This Matters: The Real Cost of Chasing Nonsense

Chasing anti-aging fads doesn’t just waste money; it can steal your attention, time, and joy. It can also be harmful. Many of the supplements pushed by the anti-aging industry are unregulated, contaminated, or interact poorly with medications. In some cases, people delay getting real medical help while pursuing pseudoscientific “fixes.”

But there’s also an emotional toll.

When we buy into the myth that aging is a problem to solve, we risk turning our later years into a never-ending battle against nature. That’s not empowering. It’s exhausting.

Aging isn’t a disease. It’s a stage of life. And like all stages, it comes with its own challenges, gifts, and possibilities.

Instead of fearing it, let’s embrace it with clear eyes and an open heart.

The Empowered Senior: A New Vision

What if instead of trying to look 30 again, we focused on living fully at 70, 80, or beyond?

What if we shifted from anti-aging to pro-aging, focusing not on looking younger but on feeling better, doing more, loving deeper, and living wisely?

That shift requires us to tune out the noise of the anti-aging industry and tune in to the truth of our own bodies, values, and goals.

It means investing in what’s proven, not what’s popular.

It means accepting that aging is natural, but decline is not inevitable.

Final Thoughts: Wisdom Over Hype

I’ve lived through more “anti-aging revolutions” than I can count. Most of them faded away as quickly as they came. But the basics, movement, purpose, connection, nutrition, spiritual grounding, those have stood the test of time.

There’s no shame in wanting to look or feel your best at any age. But don’t let the noise distract you from the signal. The anti-aging industry doesn’t hold the secret to long life, you do.

Your daily choices, your mindset, and your relationships will shape your future far more than any cream or capsule ever could.

So here’s my advice: Be skeptical. Ask questions. Value wisdom over hype. And focus your precious time, energy, and resources on what actually works.

Because aging well isn’t about avoiding wrinkles, it’s about building a life that matters.