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Longevity, decoded.

Most ingredient safety guides ask: 'is this acutely toxic?' Longevity science asks a harder question — does this ingredient, consumed regularly over years, shorten your healthspan?

CategoryLongevity · Food & Skincare
Reading time10 minutes
PublishedApril 23, 2026
Last updatedMay 8, 2026
Our takeKnow Your Dose
longevity

↑ Not a prescription. A framework for thinking about ingredients over time.

01 / SCORINGHow the longevity score works.

Every ingredient in our database gets a longevity score from 1–10, weighted by evidence of harm or benefit to long-term health. When you scan a product, we calculate a weighted overall score based on ingredient order — ingredients listed first are present in the highest quantities and carry more weight.

The framework isn't about acute toxicity. It's about chronic exposure: what happens when you eat or apply something hundreds of times a year, every year, for decades.

02 / HARMFULIngredients most linked to shortened healthspan.

These aren't fringe claims. Each of these has credible mechanistic evidence or epidemiological associations with accelerated aging, chronic disease, or cancer risk.

IngredientVerdictWhy it matters
High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS)Sodas, condiments, bread, cereals
AVOID
Rapidly metabolised by the liver into fat. Associated with insulin resistance, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and elevated uric acid.
Partially hydrogenated oils (trans fats)Margarine, fried foods, baked goods
AVOID
Raise LDL, lower HDL, drive systemic inflammation. Banned in the US since 2020.
Sodium nitrate / sodium nitriteProcessed meats: bacon, hot dogs, deli meats
AVOID
Can form nitrosamines — probable carcinogens. WHO places processed meats in Group 1.
Artificial dyes (Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1)Candy, cereals, sports drinks
LIMIT
Petroleum-derived. Linked to behavioural effects in children. Several restricted in the EU.
BHA and BHTChips, cereals, chewing gum, cooking oils
LIMIT
BHA is listed as a possible carcinogen by IARC. Both may have endocrine-disrupting effects at high doses.
CarrageenanPlant milks, yogurt, infant formula
LIMIT
Associated with intestinal inflammation in animal studies. Science is contested; the precautionary case is strong.
Sodium benzoateSodas, fruit juices, pickles, salad dressings
LIMIT
Reacts with vitamin C in acidic drinks to form benzene, a known carcinogen.
Refined seed oils (in excess)Vegetable oil, canola oil, soybean oil
LIMIT
High in omega-6. The modern diet delivers excessive omega-6/omega-3 ratio, driving a pro-inflammatory state.
Ultra-processed foods consistently show association with increased all-cause mortality in large cohort studies. The harm is rarely a single ingredient — it's the combination.

03 / BENEFICIALIngredients that support longevity.

These aren't supplements marketed with vague claims. Each has mechanistic evidence for activating pathways directly implicated in longevity biology — sirtuins, AMPK, autophagy, NRF2.

IngredientVerdictWhy it helps
PolyphenolsOlive oil, berries, dark chocolate, green tea
GOOD
Activate longevity pathways (sirtuins, AMPK). Associated with reduced all-cause mortality.
Omega-3 fatty acids (EPA/DHA)Fatty fish, flaxseed, walnuts, algae oil
GOOD
Anti-inflammatory, cardioprotective, and associated with reduced risk of age-related cognitive decline.
SulforaphaneBroccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale
GOOD
Activates the NRF2 pathway — the body's primary antioxidant and detoxification system.
SpermidineWheat germ, aged cheese, mushrooms, soy
GOOD
Induces autophagy — the cellular clean-up process central to longevity science.
ResveratrolRed grapes, red wine, berries, peanuts
GOOD
Activates SIRT1 sirtuin. Epidemiological association with longevity; high-dose supplement evidence is mixed.
CurcuminTurmeric
GOOD
Potent anti-inflammatory. Inhibits NF-κB inflammatory signalling. Best absorbed with black pepper.

04 / CONTEXTThe ultra-processed food problem.

The NOVA classification system groups foods by degree of processing. NOVA 4 (ultra-processed) foods — those with five or more additives, artificial flavours, emulsifiers, or stabilisers — are consistently associated with increased all-cause mortality in cohort studies involving hundreds of thousands of participants.

The harm isn't necessarily from any single ingredient. It's the combination of low-quality raw materials, loss of food matrix, and the additive load — plus the displacement of whole foods from the diet.

When you scan a product with 20+ ingredients, most of them additives, that context matters more than any individual ingredient flag.

05 / VERDICTThe bottom line.

Know Your DoseSketchy Labels take

Chronic exposure matters more than acute risk.

High-fructose corn syrup, trans fats, and sodium nitrate aren't going to cause immediate harm. The concern is what happens when they're a daily fixture in your diet for 20 years. Small changes in chronic exposure compound over time — in both directions.

If a product has one of these ingredients and you eat it occasionally, that's not a crisis. If it's in everything you eat, that's worth changing. The longevity framework is about patterns, not panics.