NMN, resveratrol, metformin, rapamycin, and a strict dietary pattern. We read every primary source Sinclair has cited and score each intervention on the Vitaei evidence tier system.
David Sinclair is arguably the most visible longevity scientist alive. His 2019 book Lifespan introduced the Information Theory of Aging to a general audience, and his personal supplement stack has been reproduced across thousands of forum posts and wellness articles. This piece does something most of those reproductions do not: it reads the primary literature behind each intervention and scores it honestly.
Sinclair has publicly described taking the following daily: NMN (1,000 mg in the morning), resveratrol (1,000 mg with yoghurt to improve absorption), metformin (1,000–2,000 mg, typically at dinner — he skips it on heavy training days), and a statin (rosuvastatin, for cardiovascular risk). He also takes vitamin D3 with K2, and low-dose aspirin (83 mg). He has mentioned rapamycin intermittently — one dose per week.
NMN is a precursor to NAD+, which declines with age in most tissues. Yoshino et al. (Science, 2021) showed that 250 mg/day of NMN for 10 weeks improved insulin sensitivity and skeletal muscle gene expression in postmenopausal women. Sinclair's dose (1,000 mg) is four times higher than the Yoshino trial dose; the dose-response curve in humans is not well characterised. Evidence tier: II.
Resveratrol activates SIRT1 and AMPK in vitro and in rodents. The human evidence is thinner. Timmers et al. (2011) showed metabolic improvements in obese men at 150 mg/day. Subsequent trials in healthy adults have been largely null. The bioavailability problem is real: resveratrol is rapidly metabolised in the gut and liver, which is why Sinclair takes it with fat. Evidence tier: II–III depending on the outcome.
Metformin is the most evidence-backed intervention in Sinclair's stack. The TAME trial is the first prospective RCT designed to test metformin as a longevity drug in non-diabetic adults; results are expected 2027–2028. The concern about exercise interference is supported by Konopka et al. (Aging Cell, 2019). Evidence tier: II for metabolic health, I for type-2 diabetes, III for longevity in non-diabetics.
Vitaei verdict
Sinclair's stack is scientifically motivated and internally consistent with ITOA. The strongest interventions are metformin (for metabolic health) and the dietary pattern. NMN and resveratrol have plausible mechanisms and limited human evidence. Rapamycin is the highest-risk, highest-potential intervention and should not be taken without physician oversight.