I'm a precision medicine doctor who helps patients boost their longevity. These are the 6 supplements I take every day.

• Dr. Florence Comite specializes in personalized medicine to help patients live as long as possible.
• She shared six of the daily supplements she takes.
• These include dark chocolate, aspirin, methylated B vitamins, and vitamin D

A precision medicine doctor shared the six supplements she takes daily in the hope they will help her live longer.

Experts generally agree it’s best to get nutrients from the food you eat, and the jury is still out on whether taking supplements when you don’t have a deficiency actually helps your health or just makes your pee more expensive. But lots of people interested in longevity take supplements, in the hope they will give them an edge.

Tech exec and biohacker Bryan Johnson, for instance, takes over 100 pills a day to supplement his diet, including spermidine and lithium, while longevity doctor Peter Attia takes vitamin D and magnesium.

Dr. Florence Comite, an endocrinologist and founder of the New York-based Comite Center for Precision Medicine & Health similarly takes daily supplements in a bid to extend her healthspan.

Here’s what you need to know about six of the supplements she takes each day.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D helps the body to absorb calcium, which is important for maintaining strong bones and decreasing inflammation. Low levels of vitamin D have been associated with a range of health problems, such as depression and a higher risk of developing cancer.

Comite said that many of her patients come in with very low vitamin D levels, just like 35% of adults in the US who are deficient, according to Cleveland Clinic.

She takes it alongside fat-soluble food such as salmon or eggs to help the body absorb it.

Aspirin

Comite takes aspirin because it’s associated with lower colorectal cancer risk and a reduction in inflammation in the body. 

It’s worth noting, though, that the American Heart Association doesn’t recommend people take aspirin daily unless they’ve had a stroke or heart attack, because aspirin thins the blood and can increase the risk of stomach bleeding.

Methylated B vitamins

There are eight B vitamins, and they all have essential roles in metabolism. Vitamin B deficiencies can lead to symptoms such as anemia and an irregular heart rate, as well as cognitive impairment and an increased risk of depression.

Comite has a gene that means her body doesn’t metabolize B vitamins well, so she takes methylated vitamins, which are easier to absorb.

DHEA

Comite takes Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) for libido and bone health.

The body naturally produces DHEA, but the amount decreases with age, and low levels of the hormone have been associated with osteoporosis, heart disease, memory loss, and breast cancer, according to Mount Sinai. So, some researchers think that maintaining DHEA levels could have an antiaging effect.

However, evidence links low DHEA levels with these issues but doesn’t prove that it causes them. Also, DHEA has side effects such including lowering levels of good cholesterol.

Protein powder

Comite prioritizes protein in her diet because “it's critical for maintaining muscle, and muscle helps metabolize sugar effectively.” 

Muscle mass reduces with age, which research has linked to chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes and an increased risk of heart disease. 

To combat this, Comite does resistance training with weights twice a week and eats one gram of protein per kilogram of her body weight to maintain her muscle mass.

She starts every meal with a source of protein, such as nuts, cottage cheese, and yogurt, and adds protein powder to her breakfast smoothie every morning.

She previously shared her high-protein smoothie recipe with Business Insider. 

Dark chocolate

Comite counts dark chocolate as a supplement because of the antioxidants it contains, which have been linked to lower cholesterol and blood pressure levels, reduced heart disease risk, and reduced inflammation, which is associated with cancer and chronic disease.

Comite recommends dark chocolate with 70 to 90% cocoa content since it has far less sugar than milk and white chocolate.