Breaking Down Peter Attia’s Supplement Stack: What He Takes and Why

I personally find the longevity trend to be rather exhausting. With so many people trying to ‘anti-age’ by shoving hundreds of supplement pills every day, are we actually benefiting our health or just making supplement companies richer? Moreover, all these supplements tend to be based on rather thin science — but as long as you can promote them, does it matter?

But not all voices in the longevity community sound the same. Peter Attia begins his book (co-authored with Bill Gifford), Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity, by outlining his rather different approach. He is critical of the abundance of unproven supplements that flood the market. Think of resveratrol, which Attia often criticizes for failing to show benefits.

Instead of merely aiming for longevity, he advocates for prolonging the time we are living disease-free. Quality of life is prioritized over mere survivability; therefore, he advocates for early medical intervention before the advanced stages of illness.

After finishing the book, I started exploring Attia's lifestyle in more detail. I became curious about the supplements he takes because, initially, it seemed like he was skeptical about most of them. Turns out, Peter Attia’s supplement list is quite extensive; however, when compared to other influencers in the longevity space, it is relatively short.

This article reflects my findings regarding Peter Attia's daily supplements from Outlive, Drive (his podcast), Attia's blog, and other sources. Keep that in mind as he keeps tweaking his stack by adjusting dosages and main ingredients based on new research and personal experiences. He also monitors his biomarkers to ensure he is optimizing his regimen effectively; thus, his personal stack should be seen as direct advice for others.

Introduction to Peter Attia

Attia started his career in medicine with the goal of becoming a surgeon. However, he dropped out of residency due to his rather unique approach to medicine, which he further explored in his best-seller Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity. As per Attia, current medicine practices prioritize treatment over prevention. This results in people living longer but with poorer health — he believes that we should focus on extending the period spent in good health.

In his book, Attia discusses the major health concerns that many people face and offers practical tips and strategies that may help to prevent or delay them.

He considers exercise to be the major key to longevity, and most of his work is dedicated to explaining how to optimize one’s routine in this regard. Attia also discusses nutrition, sleep, and mental health in his book. When it comes to supplements, he does not touch this subject in much depth throughout the book — most information about that comes from podcasts with others or his own (The Peter Attia Drive).

Peter Attia’s supplement stack

Before we dive into the supplement stack, I would like to highlight an important point raised by Attia. In one video, he was reluctant to share his stack because it could be used without any context.

Whatever he is taking is not necessarily tailored to your particular goals; thus, you should always consider your individual needs before purchasing supplements.

Keep in mind that in some interviews, Attia does not give specific reasons behind his supplementation use — only justification of his doses. With certain supplements, it is hard to pinpoint the exact reasoning (e.g., omega-3), but it could be assumed that he is taking them for overall health. Most of the supplements taken by him belong to essential vitamin and mineral categories.

Magnesium

“Magnesium is involved in a wide range of body functions. I think magnesium matters the most with respect to bone health, with respect to nerve transmission, and with respect to glucose control and insulin metabolism,” says Attia in the podcast episode on magnesium.

As Attia mentions, he takes three different forms of magnesium: slow-release form magnesium chloride, magnesium oxide, and magnesium L-threonate.

Attia takes magnesium chloride to maintain sufficient magnesium levels, especially since he lives in a hot climate and engages in strenuous exercise.

In one podcast episode, he describes magnesium oxide as a form beneficial for the gastrointestinal tract, which is also supported by academic literature that points out this form to be potentially beneficial for constipation.

Attia takes magnesium L-threonate for brain health support. Early studies have shown that it may be better equipped to cross the blood-brain barrier than other magnesium forms. He mentions taking this form before sleep.

In total, Attia takes 1 gram of elemental magnesium, which is above the tolerable upper limit (350 mg). High levels of magnesium supplementation may cause side effects such as nausea, diarrhea, and abdominal cramping.

Vitamin B6, B9, and B12

When it comes to B vitamins, Attia mentions taking B6, B9, and B12 to potentially lower homocysteine levels. Homocysteine is an amino acid that gets broken down with the help of the mentioned vitamins. Some studies do point out that higher homocysteine levels could be considered a risk factor for various conditions, including cardiovascular disease, thus, the reasoning behind taking these B-group vitamins.

It is worth noting that in the past, Attia used to take a higher dose of some of the B vitamins, notably vitamin B6. Currently, he takes 50 mg of vitamin B6 three times a week. He lowered the dosage due to possible damage to nerves (neuropathy) associated with a high intake of vitamin B6.

Creatine monohydrate

Attia takes 5 grams of creatine monohydrate, aligning with most studies conducted on this compound. It is mostly taken to potentially improve exercise performance and lean muscle mass.

Attia mentions no need to go through the loading phase (taking a higher amount of creatine once you start taking this supplement). High doses of creatine monohydrate may cause side effects such as upset stomach.

Theracurmin

As per Attia, Theracurmin is simply a more bioavailable form of curcumin. In one interview, he mentioned that there is some evidence that this compound might improve cognitive function.

Studies on curcumin also mention theracurmin as possibly being more biologically active, making it a suitable choice for further research on curcumin's potential anti-anxiety, anti-depressive, and anti-stress properties.

Omega-3s

In a previously mentioned interview, Attia describes taking a rather high dose of omega-3 fatty acids: 2 grams of EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and 1.5 grams of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). The reasoning behind this is that he is targeting to achieve a 12% result in the Omega-3 Index blood test.

Omega-3s are essential fatty acids vital to human health and are mostly linked to cardiovascular health. They are found in foods such as fatty fish.

Attia takes his omega-3 fish oil in a capsule form to increase compliance, as he finds it easier to consume than fish oil.

Vitamin D

Attia mentions taking around 5,000 IU of vitamin D daily. Peter’s dose exceeds the tolerable upper intake level for adults, which now stands at 4,000 IU. As claimed by Attia, however, the risk of taking this amount of vitamin D is low, and the current knowledge about vitamin D comes from flawed clinical trials.

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with conditions like rickets and inadequate bone health. However, excess supplementation may also cause side effects.

For further information, I connected with Dr. Helen Messier, MD, PhD.

Vitamin D toxicity is possible because vitamin D is fat-soluble and not excreted as water-soluble vitamins in the body. High doses over a long time can lead to hypercalcemia (high blood calcium), which can lead to kidney damage, nausea, and even cardiovascular disease.

Dr. Helen Messier

To determine a safe and effective dose, Dr. Helen Messier suggests measuring vitamin D levels by a blood test.

AG1 (formally Athletic Greens)

Attia is in partnership with AG1, a green powder supplement containing a wide range of vitamins, minerals, probiotics, and adaptogens. In several podcasts, Attia mentions taking AG1 in the morning to ensure he meets his daily nutritional needs.

Probiotic

Peter mentioned taking a probiotic supplement together with his AG1 drink. The probiotic he takes contains Akkermansia muciniphila bacteria that may improve glucose control in individuals with diabetes, as seen from the clinical trial on the probiotic formulation.

Glycine

For sleep improvement, Dr. Attia takes glycine — an amino acid that is rich in meat such as turkey, chicken, and some plant sources (e.g., peanuts and granola).

As Attia explains in Outlive, many medications and supplements may help you fall asleep but do not increase your sleep efficiency or sleep quality overall. Melatonin is an example of this, and it is also mentioned in his blog post.

Glycine is considered better in this regard, as it may enhance sleep efficiency, which is the primary goal when adjusting a bedtime routine.

As per the podcast, Peter takes 2 grams of glycine before sleep.

Ashwagandha

Together with Glycine, ashwagandha also gets its mention in Outlive. Attia also mentions this herb in several podcasts, insisting that he takes a “big dose” of ashwagandha as a part of his bedtime routine. In another source, he mentions taking around 600 mg.

His reasoning for this is that ashwagandha may lower cortisol levels. As cortisol is a hormone that can increase alertness, high levels of it may make it hard to fall and stay asleep.

Bottom line

Attia is careful when speaking about his daily supplements. One reason he is reluctant to share the full list is the potential for it to be taken out of context. Moreover, it seems like he tweaks his stack quite a lot, changing doses, including or omitting certain products based on extensive research.

Some of Attia's main supplements are magnesium, omega-3s, vitamins B6, B9, and B12, and vitamin D. He also usually mentions creatine monohydrate and some compounds that may improve sleep, usually glycine and ashwagandha.

Attia emphasizes the importance of customizing your supplement stack to align with your personal goals. He also strongly advocates for tracking biomarkers through blood tests to not only monitor supplement intake but also gain a comprehensive overview of overall health.

Our expert, Dr. Helen Messier, MD, PhD, agrees on this approach. “Blind supplementation is not always optimal, which is why a personalized approach based on biomarker testing is the optimal way to ensure efficacy,” she adds.

In general, if you are following Attia’s advice, supplements are not the key to longevity and should not be relied upon to extend one’s lifespan. Prioritize exercise as the key factor in your longevity journey.

Lastly, it is important to consult with your healthcare provider if you are considering taking supplements.