by Chris Shugart
Toss your multivitamins and consume these three foods daily. You'll live longer, live stronger, and stay mentally sharp.
Every day, millions of people swallow a multivitamin. Yet two extensive studies of over 400,000 people lasting 20-plus years found that there was no association between taking a daily multi and a lower risk of death from any cause, including the big killers: cancer and cardiovascular disease.
Taking multivitamins isn't going to hurt you, and they may offer some benefits to other aspects of your health, but they won't necessarily help you live longer or prevent diseases. Most people are better off targeting the hard-to-fix vitamin and mineral deficiencies that haunt more than half the population, like magnesium and vitamin D deficiency.
But the idea of taking a habitual "daily dose" of certain foods and supplements is a good one. Since my goal is to increase my healthspan and stay mentally sharp, I consume a trio of things every day that fight off inflammation, oxidative stress, vascular decline, and neurodegeneration – the four big enemies of aging and most diseases.
I want cancer prevention, heart/brain/DNA protection, and metabolic balance. And let's throw in some eye/skin/sexual-health protection too.
What's my daily trio? Walnuts, dark chocolate, and Biotest Superfood (Buy at Amazon) – basically a longevity and cognition insurance policy in food form.
The power trio
1. Walnuts
A handful of walnuts daily is one of the most evidence-backed longevity foods. Besides adding a little omega-3, critical for neuronal membranes and signaling, walnuts contain polyphenols and melatonin, which fight oxidative stress in the brain and support circadian rhythm.
For cardiometabolic protection, walnuts improve endothelial function, lower LDL cholesterol, and reduce inflammation markers like CRP. Long-term walnut snacking is linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. And their unique fat-polyphenol combo also lowers biological markers of aging and supports telomere maintenance.
As a bonus, walnuts contain ellagitannin. Get enough and it can improve erectile function and hormone levels by improving vascular health, reducing inflammation, and bettering hormone regulation (which, in turn, keeps your libido high).
Better vascular health, sharper cognition, and slower aging... not bad. I usually just toss them into my breakfast bowl of berries and protein powder, or add them to a protein ice cream recipe.
2. Dark chocolate
High-cacao dark chocolate is essentially a polyphenol delivery system. Flavanols in cocoa increase nitric oxide, improving blood flow to the brain and enhancing memory, processing speed, and mood. Long-term consumption is linked with a lower risk of dementia and improved executive function.
For cardiovascular health, dark chocolate improves endothelial function, lowers blood pressure, and increases HDL cholesterol. It also acts as an antioxidant source, protecting LDL from oxidation.
Chocolate contains theobromine and anandamide-like compounds that elevate mood, reduce stress, and improve mental clarity. In one study, participants who ate 4-5 squares of an 85% or higher chocolate bar daily for three weeks showed improved mood scores. Basically, they were happier, probably due to increased gut microbial diversity, strongly related to brain health.
In short, dark chocolate provides daily brain fuel and cardiovascular resilience while also supporting mood and stress resilience. Just remember, it's gotta be the dark stuff: 85% or greater.
3. Biotest Superfood
Superfood (Buy at Amazon) contains 18 freeze-dried extracts from berries, greens, and fruits, plus EGCG from green tea. Some of these potent plants are exotic too:
- Diosgenin from a special type of yam (a "steroid" plant)
- Coffee fruit (the longevity berry)
- Sulforaphane from broccoli sprout (nature's toxin remover)
For me, Superfood does more than fill in nutritional gaps; it gives me easy access to polyphenols, anthocyanins, and glucosinolates in clinically meaningful amounts. And I don't have to eat kale salads all day.
Superfood provides broad-spectrum defense against chronic disease, cellular aging, and cognitive decline, while also targeting detoxification, hormone health, and eye/skin protection. I usually just toss a small scoop into my daily protein shake or breakfast bowl.
The synergy of the trio
Combine all three of these foods, and you've got yourself an oxidative stress hammer. You're stacking different classes of polyphenols, carotenoids, sulforaphane, and omega-3 fats, all of which reinforce each other.
The combo supports vascular health, mitochondrial function, and neurogenesis – the three pillars of cognitive longevity. And you're covering bases for cancer prevention, heart protection, neuroprotection, and metabolic balance – without relying on pharmaceuticals.
A multivitamin doesn't get anywhere close to that.