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Daily Vitals essential longevity complex: what's in it, why it's included, and what the science says
Turn over most supplement bottles and you will find a long list of names, a column of numbers, and no way of telling whether any of it amounts to anything. The problem is that a label can tell you what is in a capsule without ever telling you why, or how much, or whether the amount matters.
So this is the other version. Ten ingredients, what each one actually does, why we chose the form we did, and the dose in every capsule.
How the formula is organised
Daily Vitals is built around five biological systems that research consistently links to how well we age: inflammation balance, cellular resilience, energy production, metabolic health, and nervous system regulation. They are not separate concerns. Chronic inflammation degrades every one of the others, which is why it sits first and why two of our largest inclusions address it.
HydroCurc® (Curcumin)
Inflammation Balance | Nervous System Regulation
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AT A GLANCE |
500mg HydroCurc® with LipiSperse® technology, 3× superior absorption |
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Source |
Rhizome of Curcuma longa (turmeric) |
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Traditional origin |
Ayurvedic & Traditional Chinese Medicine, used for 4,000+ years |
What it does. Curcumin turns down one of the body's main inflammation switches, a protein complex called NF-κB, which tends to stay switched on more of the time as we age. Turmeric has been used for this purpose for four millennia; modern research has since explained the mechanism those practitioners were observing.
Why this form. Standard curcumin dissolves poorly in water, so most of it passes through the gut unused. Raising the dose does not reliably fix it. HydroCurc® uses LipiSperse® cold-dispersion technology to produce a water-dispersible form with 3x better absorption, at around 90% curcuminoids against the 20-30% typical of conventional extracts.
Six published human trials have used exactly the 500mg dose in Daily Vitals. Among them: significant reductions in morning and evening joint pain within two weeks; reduced delayed onset muscle soreness after hard training; and lower systemic markers of inflammation and oxidative stress over six weeks in 155 adults. A rise in BDNF, a protein that helps brain cells grow and stay resilient, was also recorded in that study population.
Levagen®+ (Palmitoylethanolamide / PEA)
Inflammation Balance | Nervous System Regulation
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AT A GLANCE |
375mg Levagen®+ using LipiSperse® technology, 1.75× superior absorption |
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Source |
Sustainably sourced palm kernels; also in egg yolks, peanuts, soya |
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Traditional origin |
Palm kernel used in West African traditional medicine for 4,000–5,000 years |
What it does. PEA is unusual among supplement ingredients in that your body already makes it, on demand, when tissue is damaged or under stress. It works locally rather than systemically, calming the cells that govern inflammation and nerve sensitivity, and it supports the endocannabinoid system, the network that helps regulate sleep, mood and pain perception. That system's function declines with age, which is what makes PEA relevant to healthy ageing rather than only to comfort.
Why this form. Standard PEA has the same absorption problem as curcumin, and the same solution. Levagen+® uses LipiSperse® to achieve 1.75x greater plasma absorption, peaking at around 45 minutes.
Eight published oral human trials have used a dose at or below our 375mg. The strongest is on sleep: in 103 adults with sleep disturbance, 350mg daily reduced time to fall asleep by around 3x (19 minutes) over eight weeks, without any sedative effect. A two-week trial at the same dose found significant reductions in anxiety and improved quality of life.
Astaxanthin
Cellular Resilience
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AT A GLANCE |
5mg (as 2% Haematococcus pluvialis powder) of natural astaxanthin, significantly more potent than synthetic |
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Source |
Haematococcus pluvialis microalgae; also in salmon, krill, shrimp |
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Traditional origin |
No traditional isolation; salmon central to Pacific Northwest indigenous diets for millennia |
What it does. Astaxanthin is one of the most potent antioxidant found in nature - approximately 6,000× more potent than vitamin C and 800× more potent than CoQ10. Most antioxidants protect one side of a cell membrane or the other. Astaxanthin's molecular structure spans the full width of it, neutralising free radicals at both surfaces at once. It is the only common dietary antioxidant that does this, and it crosses into the brain, which makes neuroprotection a direct effect rather than a knock-on one.
Why this form. Natural astaxanthin, cultivated from microalgae, is meaningfully more potent than the synthetic version.
At 4mg, a 2011 review and trial series reported reduced oxidative stress markers and improved immune function.
Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA)
Cellular Resilience | Metabolic Health
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AT A GLANCE |
100mg of Alpha lipoic acid, mitochondrially active and both water & fat soluble |
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Source |
Produced endogenously by mitochondria; red meat, spinach, broccoli, nutritional yeast |
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Traditional origin |
Endogenous compound; traditional organ-meat diets provided higher dietary concentrations |
What it does. Most antioxidants are single-use: they neutralise one free radical and are spent. Alpha lipoic acid restores them, regenerating vitamin C, vitamin E, glutathione and CoQ10 after they have been oxidised. In a formula containing several antioxidants, that makes it a multiplier of force. Its ability to reach the brain and regenerate glutathione there is compelling for longevity, since glutathione depletion is a known feature of the ageing brain.
Its antioxidant-regenerating role is well established across the literature. Studies also show ALA improves mitochondrial function and reduces oxidative stress in aged models.
Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)
Energy Production | Cellular Resilience
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AT A GLANCE |
100mg of CoQ10 (ubiquinone), a mitochondrial electron transport chain cofactor |
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Source |
Produced endogenously in all cells; beef heart, sardines, mackerel richest dietary sources |
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Traditional origin |
No traditional isolation; organ meat traditions across cultures reflect intuitive recognition of energy-dense foods |
What it does. Your cells produce energy through a chain of reactions inside the mitochondria, and CoQ10 is the carrier that moves electrons along it. Without enough, the whole process runs less efficiently. The difficulty is that your own natural production falls by 40-65% between the ages of 20 and 80, which is a measurable biochemical contributor to the tiredness that increases as you age.
What it feels like. Not a sudden spike. More a raised baseline: less mid-afternoon flatness, more sustained capacity across a day rather than peaks and crashes.
A 2023 meta-analysis of 31 randomised trials found significant reductions in CRP, a well-established marker of both inflammation and biological ageing rate, in the 100 to 200mg subgroup our dose sits in. A single trial at exactly 100mg found reduced inflammatory and oxidative stress markers over eight weeks.
Resveratrol 98%
Cellular Resilience | Metabolic Health
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AT A GLANCE |
100mg of Trans-resveratrol, the most bioactive isomer, from Japanese knotweed extract |
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Source |
Japanese knotweed (primary supplement source); red grapes, berries, peanuts |
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Traditional origin |
TCM use of Japanese knotweed (hù zhàng) for 2,000+ years; Ayurvedic use of grape preparations |
What it does. Resveratrol activates SIRT1, one of the body's built-in repair proteins, involved in DNA repair, mitochondrial renewal and stress response. Its role as a molecular mimic of caloric restriction is one of the organising ideas of longevity biology.
Why this form. Trans-resveratrol at 98% purity, from Japanese knotweed, which carries far higher concentrations than standard extracts from grapes.
A 2018 meta-analysis across 17 randomised trials found significant reductions in TNF-α and hs-CRP, and a later umbrella review found the CRP effect is strongest below 500mg, which places our 100mg in the range where the benefit is most consistently seen.
Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)
Cellular Resilience | Metabolic Health
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AT A GLANCE |
24mg (30% NRV) of Vitamin C in a standard, well-absorbed form |
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Source |
Citrus fruits, kiwi, bell peppers, broccoli, blackcurrants |
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Traditional origin |
Amalaki (Indian gooseberry) used as primary Ayurvedic rasayana for 3,000+ years; sea buckthorn in TCM |
What it does. Humans are among the few animals that cannot make vitamin C. We lack the enzyme entirely and depend on daily intake. In Ayurveda, Amalaki, one of the world's richest natural sources, is the single most important plant for longevity, described in the Charaka Samhita as a rejuvenator of tissues. The traditional association with vitality is now understood to relate substantially to that vitamin C content.
Why it's here. It protects in watery cellular environments where fat-soluble antioxidants cannot reach, and it regenerates vitamin E, extending the network effect that alpha lipoic acid begins.
Vitamin C contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress, to normal energy-yielding metabolism, to normal immune function, and to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
Chromium Picolinate
Metabolic Health
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AT A GLANCE |
0.012mg (30% NRV) of Chromium picolinate, enhanced bioavailability vs other chromium salts |
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Source |
Broccoli, whole grains, meat, brewer's yeast, grape juice |
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Traditional origin |
Brewer's yeast (richest chromium source) used in ancient Egyptian, Chinese and Greek medicine |
What it does. Chromium helps the insulin you already produce work as it should, amplifying signalling at the insulin receptor through a peptide called chromodulin. It is needed only in microgram quantities, but food processing strips it out, so adequacy matters more than the small number suggests.
Why this form. Chromium picolinate (chromium bound to picolinic acid) has enhanced bioavailability vs other chromium salts and passes easier through the intestinal lining.
Chromium contributes to normal macronutrient metabolism and to the maintenance of normal blood glucose concentrations.
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)
Metabolic Health | Energy Production
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AT A GLANCE |
0.33mg (30% NRV) of Thiamine hydrochloride, a standard, well-absorbed form |
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Source |
Whole grains, legumes, pork, sunflower seeds, nutritional yeast |
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Traditional origin |
Whole grains foundational to virtually every traditional medicine system globally; Ayurvedic sattvic diet emphasis |
What it does. Thiamine is the gatekeeper of carbohydrate metabolism. Without enough of it, the carbohydrate you eat cannot be efficiently converted into usable cellular energy, no matter how much of it there is. Its role is felt neurologically before anywhere else, because the brain runs almost entirely on glucose.
Vitamin B1 contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism, normal function of the nervous system, normal psychological function, and normal heart function.
Zinc Bisglycinate (Core Chelate®)
Cellular Resilience | Nervous System Regulation
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AT A GLANCE |
3mg (30% NRV) of Core Chelate® zinc bisglycinate, a chelated form with superior absorption |
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Source |
Oysters, red meat, pumpkin seeds, chickpeas, cashews |
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Traditional origin |
Oysters and organ meats used as vitality foods across Ayurvedic, TCM, and European herbal traditions |
What it does. Zinc is involved in over 300 enzymatic reactions, and two matter particularly for longevity. It is a cofactor for superoxide dismutase, one of your body's own primary antioxidant enzymes, which makes it structural to your defences rather than an addition to them. It also supports the DNA repair machinery that protects against age-related cellular deterioration.
Why this form. Zinc bound to two glycine molecules absorbs better and sits more comfortably in the stomach than zinc oxide or sulfate. Deficiency is one of the most common globally, and particularly so in older adults, where lower intake and reduced absorption combine.
Zinc contributes to normal cognitive function, normal immune function, and the protection of cells from oxidative stress.
Summary: Why these 10 ingredients
Because the systems are not independent. Reduce inflammation and you improve the conditions for cellular resilience. Protect the cell and mitochondria work more efficiently. Steady metabolic function and energy production stabilises. Regulate the nervous system and inflammatory signalling quietens.
Truly decent longevity support isn't ten separate interventions. It is one approach - carefully considered and meaningfully dosed - sustainable as well as effective.
Every ingredient in Daily Vitals is here for a reason we can show you, at a dose we will tell you, with the studies checked against it. That is the whole idea.
References
Briskey D, et al. (2019). Increased bioavailability of curcumin using LipiSperse®. European Journal of Nutrition, 58(5), 2087–2097.
Briskey D, Roche G, Rao A. (2021). Dispersible curcumin formulation and joint pain. International Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences, 10(1), 9–13.
Tiekou Lorinczova H, et al. (2022). Bioavailable curcumin and systemic inflammatory and oxidative stress markers. Nutrients, 14(3), 712.
Tiekou Lorinczova H, et al. (2020). Curcumin, iron and serum BDNF in healthy adults. Antioxidants, 9(8), 645.
Rao A, Mallard A, Briskey D. (2019). Bioavailability of a dispersible PEA formulation. Journal of Nutraceuticals and Food Science.
Briskey D, et al. (2021). Dispersible palmitoylethanolamide and sleep quality. Sleep Science and Practice, 5, 8.
Steels E, et al. (2019). Palmitoylethanolamide for knee osteoarthritis. Inflammopharmacology, 27(3), 475–485. [300mg and 600mg arms]
Fassett RG & Coombes JS (2011). Astaxanthin, oxidative stress and inflammation. Marine Drugs, 9(3), 447–465.
Huang H, et al. (2023). CoQ10 and inflammatory markers: GRADE meta-analysis of 31 RCTs. Frontiers in Pharmacology.
Ghaedi E, et al. (2018). Resveratrol and inflammatory markers: meta-analysis of 17 RCTs. Clinical Therapeutics, 40(7).
Ahmadi A, et al. (2022). Resveratrol dose-response for CRP: umbrella review. Phytotherapy Research.
GB and EU Registers of Nutrition and Health Claims: authorised claims for vitamin C, vitamin B1, zinc and chromium.
Food supplements are not medicines and cannot diagnose, treat, or cure diseases. Always consult your doctor before starting a new dietary supplement programme. Not intended for those under 18, those who are pregnant or lactating, or those on medication without medical advice.
