The trouble with every “breakthrough” discovery is...

I’ve seen two interesting posts today on supplements and longevity — same subject, but very different ends of the spectrum.

The first, from Shiraz Nasser, highlights the potential dangers of melatonin:

“We have long treated over-the-counter melatonin as a benign sleep aid, a harmless, natural' supplement.
In a study tracking patients with chronic insomnia, long-term use (1-year plus) of supplemental melatonin was associated with a substantially higher risk of developing heart failure.
Specifically, chronic users had about a 𝟗𝟎% 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐞 over five years compared with matched non-users.“

Well, that was quite a surprise…

At the other end of the spectrum, Professor Robert Malone shared a post about the potentially transformative effects of Urolithin A:

“I recently stumbled across a supplement for which clinical data were released on October 31, 2025. The data shook my biohacking worldview regarding anti-aging.
The article in Nature Aging, titled “Effect of the mitophagy inducer urolithin A on age-related immune decline: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial,” reveals that taking Urolithin A daily for a month can have exciting effects on middle-aged healthy adults.
It helps shift the immune system to a more youthful state, with more naive CD8+ T cells (Helper T), a less exhausted phenotype, better metabolic flexibility, stronger activation responses, and improved phagocytosis.
You are probably unaware of the problem of “immunosenescence,” but aging of the immune system (particularly cellular immune responses) is a major contributor to morbidity and mortality in the elderly.
These positive changes associated with Urolithin A suggest that supporting mitochondrial health, by encouraging mitophagy and mitochondrial renewal, might be a helpful way to combat some aspects of immune aging.
Furthermore, other clinical trials have documented that this supplement improves muscle strength and endurance, particularly in older adults."

It’s fascinating — in one corner, a widely used “natural” supplement potentially showing long-term harm… and in the other, a new molecule promising rejuvenation at the cellular level.

The trouble with every “breakthrough” discovery is... time.
Only through continued use, careful study, and the passage of years can we truly evaluate both safety and benefit.