The hero longevity ingredients you need to know about

Want to know the secret to longevity? So do we, although the buzz around two ingredients— NMN and resveratrol—suggests that they are a powerful duo against the effects of ageing, including oxidative stress, inflammation, and waning energy.

The industry is making great strides when it comes to effective anti-ageing strategies in the quest to live a longer, healthier life. "Our DNA is fixed, but we are starting to understand how we can prevent certain things from happening," reveals Cosmetic Doctor Dr Aamer Khan, whose best-selling book, "Turn Back Time" focuses on optimising good health as you age.

We spoke with the team at Wonderfeel, the award-winning NMN supplement, to give us the lowdown.
 

What is resveratrol? 

Resveratrol is a powerful antioxidant and naturally occurring polyphenol, which can be found in red grapes, red wine, peanuts and berries. It acts as a type of phytoalexin, which is a compound produced by plants and works as a defence mechanism against stress and infection.
 

What is NMN? 

NMN (nicotinamide mononucleotide) is the immediate precursor to NAD, which enters the cell and evolves into NAD. NMN is easily absorbed by the body and resilient in the digestive system, unlike NAD itself, which is very difficult for the body to absorb. When converted to NAD, it increases biosynthesis and delivers benefits such as reducing inflammation, enhancing insulin action, improving mitochondrial function and supporting brain health.
 

What makes them so powerful as a duo? 

The key lies in two major players—sirtuins and CD38. Sirtuins are a family of proteins that help regulate cellular health, and they depend on NAD to regulate cellular repair, metabolism and stress resistance. Meanwhile, CD38, an enzyme that has been gaining attention in ageing research, naturally increases in the body and becomes the biggest consumer of NAD. The more CD38 you have, the faster your NAD levels will decline.
 
This is why the best approach isn’t just to increase NAD levels, but also to slow its biggest drain of CD38. While NMN supplies NAD in abundance, resveratrol is necessary for igniting the body’s sirtuins and slowing down the activity of CD38. Essentially, NMN and resveratrol aren’t just working together to fuel longevity, but they are also plugging the leak that speeds up ageing.
 
A 2022 study further highlights this synergy—beyond simply boosting NAD levels, combining NMN with resveratrol enhances the distribution of NMN and its metabolite NR. This makes the combination more effective than NMN alone.
 
NMN and resveratrol make a great team, but they’re only part of the story, with CD38 being the real issue. Resveratrol activates apigenin within cells to slow CD38, whilst also enhancing sirtuin activation, however, CD38 continues to chip away at our NAD supply.

Both ingredients are widely available in supplement form, with Wonderfeel's Youngr NMN formula taking things further. Containing Hydroxytyrosol, a potent antioxidant derived from olives, it helps reduce CD38 production at the source. This works alongside Ergothioneine, which is known as the longevity mushroom, acting as a shield around your cells to protect against oxidative stress, because less damage means less NAD wasted on repairs.  

*Speak to your GP before starting a new supplement, especially if you have an existing health condition or are pregnant.