Skip to content
South Beach LongevityScience · Optimization · Longevity

Research

The research library

Evidence reviews, research reports, and technical papers organized by subject. Browse the complete library here, then move into a dedicated collection only when you want its deeper index.

SBL explainers

Start with the essentials

Visual introductions to the core ideas, therapies, evidence, and markets covered across South Beach Longevity.

How the U.S. Research Peptide Market WorksExplainer17 min readHow the U.S. Research Peptide Market WorksWho sells research-use-only peptides, how the supply chain runs, what sellers actually compete on, where the demand really sits, and the legal frame that makes this a research-chemical market rather than a market in medicines.Read the explainer Incretins: GLP-1 and GIPExplainer18 min readIncretins: GLP-1 and GIPIncretins are hormones the gut releases after a meal to amplify the pancreas's insulin response. This explainer covers the incretin effect and how it is measured, the two incretin hormones GLP-1 and GIP, why their insulin action is glucose-dependent, how they differ, why an enzyme destroys them within minutes, and why the effect is blunted in type 2 diabetes.Read the explainer Lean Mass During GLP-1 Weight LossExplainer18 min readLean Mass During GLP-1 Weight LossRapid GLP-1 and GLP-1/GIP weight loss reduces lean mass as well as fat — but so does any large weight loss, and 'lean mass' on a body scan is not contractile muscle. This explainer reports the exact DEXA-substudy percentages from SURMOUNT-1 and STEP 1, separates the expected adaptation to a smaller body from a genuine clinical concern, and weighs what resistance training and adequate protein can preserve against what they cannot.Read the explainer Lifespan vs HealthspanExplainer17 min readLifespan vs HealthspanLifespan measures how long you live; healthspan measures how long you live in good health. This explainer defines both, quantifies the gap between them with population data, and explains why closing that gap — not simply adding years — is the goal.Read the explainer Mitochondrial DysfunctionExplainer17 min readMitochondrial DysfunctionMitochondria make most of a cell's ATP, and their function declines with age — one of the recognized hallmarks of aging. This explainer covers what 'mitochondrial dysfunction' means, the mtDNA-mutation and free-radical mechanisms proposed for it (and how the free-radical theory has been substantially revised), mitochondria as signaling hubs linked to senescence and inflammation, the disease associations, and the honest human evidence for exercise, NAD+ precursors, and urolithin A.Read the explainer Muscle Is a Metabolic OrganExplainer15 min readMuscle Is a Metabolic OrganSkeletal muscle does far more than move you: it absorbs most of the glucose in your blood after a meal, secretes hormone-like myokines, and serves as the body's amino-acid reserve. This explainer covers muscle's metabolic jobs, why losing it with age matters, what the GLP-1 lean-mass debate does and does not show, and which exercise evidence is strong enough to stand on.Read the explainer Peptide Purity vs SterilityExplainer15 min readPeptide Purity vs SterilityChemical purity, sterility, and endotoxin are three independent properties measured by three different methods: purity by HPLC and mass spectrometry, sterility by USP <71>, and bacterial endotoxin by USP <85>. This explainer shows why a high purity percentage says nothing about whether a vial is sterile or pyrogen-free, and why a research-use-only powder — however pure — is not manufactured, filled, or released to the standards that make an injectable medicine sterile or lawful to inject.Read the explainer Price per MilligramExplainer13 min readPrice per MilligramIn the research-use-only peptide market the same compound is sold in vials of very different sizes, so the sticker price compares nothing. This explainer shows how to reduce any listing to price per milligram, why bigger vials are almost always cheaper by it, how far the unit reaches across compounds and categories, and the one case — products sold by volume or units — where it cannot be computed at all.Read the explainer SemaglutideExplainer17 min readSemaglutideSemaglutide is a re-engineered gut-hormone drug taken once a week — the same molecule behind Ozempic, Wegovy, and the oral tablet Rybelsus. This explainer traces what it is, how it works, and what the pivotal trials demonstrate on weight, blood sugar, the heart, the kidney, and the liver, with the side effects and open questions kept beside the benefits.Read the explainer The Hallmarks of AgingExplainer14 min readThe Hallmarks of AgingThe hallmarks of aging are a proposed framework that organizes the biology of getting old into a small set of recurring processes — nine in the original 2013 paper, twelve after a 2023 update. This explainer covers what the hallmarks are, how they are grouped, what qualifies as a hallmark, the critiques of the framework, and why most of the hard causal evidence still comes from worms, flies, and mice rather than people.Read the explainer What a Peptide COA Actually Tells YouExplainer16 min readWhat a Peptide COA Actually Tells YouA peptide certificate of analysis (COA) is a batch-specific record of laboratory tests — identity by mass spectrometry, purity by HPLC, net peptide content, water, counterion, and sometimes sterility and endotoxin. This explainer walks each line, shows why a purity percentage is not a statement of amount, sterility, or safety, and sets out what a COA cannot establish: that your vial matches the tested batch, that the document is authentic, or that the material is safe or legal to use.Read the explainer What Is a Peptide?Explainer15 min readWhat Is a Peptide?A peptide is a short chain of amino acids — protein chemistry on a smaller scale. This explainer covers what a peptide is, where the fuzzy line with proteins falls, how peptides signal, why they are hard to turn into drugs, and how an approved peptide medicine differs from a 'research use only' chemical.Read the explainer What Is Autophagy?Explainer16 min readWhat Is Autophagy?Autophagy is the cell's recycling system: it packages up worn-out and damaged parts, digests them in the lysosome, and returns the raw materials as building blocks and fuel. This explainer covers what it is, its three types, how Ohsumi's yeast work won a Nobel Prize, how nutrient sensors control it, why its failure is a hallmark of aging, and what the fasting, exercise, rapamycin, and spermidine evidence does — and does not — show in humans.Read the explainer What Is Cellular Senescence?Explainer15 min readWhat Is Cellular Senescence?Cellular senescence is a stable state in which a stressed cell stops dividing, resists death, and secretes an inflammatory signal its neighbours can hear. This explainer covers what triggers it, how it is identified, why it protects early in life yet harms when senescent cells accumulate, and what clearing them with senolytics does — and does not yet — show in humans.Read the explainer Abstract luminous signal radiating from a bright teal node into a branching blue-and-teal network on deep navy, evoking the GLP-1 hormone signaling outward from the gut to the pancreas, stomach, and brain.Explainer13 min readWhat Is GLP-1 and How Does It Work?GLP-1 is a hormone your gut releases after a meal. This explainer traces what it is, how its signaling lowers blood sugar and appetite, why the natural hormone had to be re-engineered into a drug, and what the pivotal trials — and their limits — actually demonstrate.Read the explainer What Is Insulin Resistance?Explainer16 min readWhat Is Insulin Resistance?Insulin resistance is a reduced response of the body's tissues to insulin. This explainer covers what it is, the ectopic-fat mechanism behind it, how it is measured, why it precedes diabetes by years, what it predicts, and what has been shown to improve it.Read the explainer What Is Longevity Science?Explainer17 min readWhat Is Longevity Science?Longevity science studies healthspan — years lived in good health — and asks whether aging itself can be slowed. Its evidence is a ladder: strong for unglamorous lifestyle factors, weaker for the drugs that make headlines, and weakest of all for what supplements promise.Read the explainer What Is Metabolic Health?Explainer15 min readWhat Is Metabolic Health?Metabolic health is not one test result but a cluster — how the body manages glucose, insulin, blood fats, blood pressure, and where it stores fat. This explainer covers what the cluster is, how it is measured, why it matters, and how much of it is modifiable.Read the explainer What Is mTOR?Explainer17 min readWhat Is mTOR?mTOR is the enzyme that decides whether a cell should build or maintain itself, and one of the central levers in the biology of ageing. This explainer covers what mTOR is, the two complexes it runs as, how reduced signalling extends lifespan in animals, why rapamycin lengthens the lives of mice, and why a proven human longevity effect does not yet exist.Read the explainer What Is Tirzepatide?Explainer16 min readWhat Is Tirzepatide?Tirzepatide is a single engineered molecule that activates two gut-hormone receptors at once. This explainer traces the dual-agonist idea, the verified weight, glucose, and sleep-apnea results, the head-to-head win over semaglutide, and the cardiovascular claim it has not yet earned.Read the explainer Why Peptide Prices VaryExplainer11 min readWhy Peptide Prices VaryIn the research-use-only peptide market the same compound, at the same dose, routinely varies severalfold in price between sellers. This explainer traces where that dispersion comes from and why a single average price tells a buyer almost nothing.Read the explainer Why We AgeExplainer17 min readWhy We AgeWhy does aging happen at all? This explainer separates the two great families of theory — stochastic damage (wear, mutation, free radicals, failing proteostasis) and evolutionary explanation (why selection permits aging once reproduction is done) — shows how they combine into a proximate 'how' and an ultimate 'why', and reviews the evidence that aging rates are not fixed.Read the explainer

Research category

Health systems & outcomes

Integrated reviews that compare multiple interventions around one physiological or clinical question.

Illustration representing Digestive Health, Motility and the Intestinal BarrierSystem reviewDigestive Health, Motility and the Intestinal BarrierA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on Digestive Health, Motility and the Intestinal Barrier.Integrated system and outcome reviewsRead Illustration representing Glycemic Control and Metabolic SupplementsSystem reviewGlycemic Control and Metabolic SupplementsA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on Glycemic Control and Metabolic Supplements.Integrated system and outcome reviewsRead Illustration representing Nootropics and Cognitive PerformanceSystem reviewNootropics and Cognitive PerformanceA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on Nootropics and Cognitive Performance.Integrated system and outcome reviewsRead

Research category

Exercise & physical performance

Training methods, adaptation, mobility, endurance, strength, and performance-focused evidence.

Illustration representing Endurance TrainingScience articleEndurance TrainingA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on Endurance Training.Exercise and training interventionsRead Illustration representing Ergogenic AidsScience articleErgogenic AidsA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on Ergogenic Aids.Exercise and training interventionsRead Illustration representing Exercise InterventionScience articleExercise InterventionA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on Exercise Intervention.Exercise and training interventionsRead Illustration representing Mobility and FlexibilityScience articleMobility and FlexibilityA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on Mobility and Flexibility.Exercise and training interventionsRead Illustration representing Motor LearningScience articleMotor LearningA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on Motor Learning.Exercise and training interventionsRead Illustration representing Strength TrainingScience articleStrength TrainingA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on Strength Training.Exercise and training interventionsRead Illustration representing Training AdaptationScience articleTraining AdaptationA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on Training Adaptation.Exercise and training interventionsRead

Research category

Nutrition

Dietary patterns, eating schedules, protein intake, clinical nutrition, and the evidence behind nutrition practice.

Illustration representing Amino-Acid NutritionScience articleAmino-Acid NutritionA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on Amino-Acid Nutrition.Amino acids and derivativesRead Illustration representing Clinical NutritionScience articleClinical NutritionA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on Clinical Nutrition.Foundational science and methodsRead Illustration representing Fasting and Intermittent FastingScience articleFasting and Intermittent FastingA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on Fasting and Intermittent Fasting.Whole-diet patterns and eating schedulesRead Illustration representing High-Protein DietsScience articleHigh-Protein DietsA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on High-Protein Diets.Whole-diet patterns and eating schedulesRead Illustration representing Sports NutritionScience articleSports NutritionA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on Sports Nutrition.Whole-diet patterns and eating schedulesRead Cover of The Superfood VaultInteractive guideThe Superfood VaultAn interactive SBL guide to superfood powders and smoothies, with ingredient evidence, pricing, and a live cost calculator.Nutrition resourceOpen the guide

Research category

Vitamins & supplements

Vitamins, minerals, amino acids, botanicals, fungi, metabolic cofactors, and other nutritional compounds.

Illustration representing BerberineScience articleBerberineA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on Berberine.Botanical extracts and whole herbsRead Illustration representing Beta-AlanineScience articleBeta-AlanineA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on Beta-Alanine.Amino acids and derivativesRead Illustration representing Branched-Chain Amino AcidsScience articleBranched-Chain Amino AcidsA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on Branched-Chain Amino Acids.Amino acids and derivativesRead Illustration representing Collagen PeptidesScience articleCollagen PeptidesA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on Collagen Peptides.Protein and peptide preparationsRead Illustration representing Conjugated Linoleic AcidScience articleConjugated Linoleic AcidA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on Conjugated Linoleic Acid.Fatty acids and structural lipidsRead Illustration representing CordycepsScience articleCordycepsA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on Cordyceps.Medicinal fungiRead Illustration representing Creatine HCl, Buffered Creatine and Alternative Creatine FormsScience articleCreatine HCl, Buffered Creatine and Alternative Creatine FormsA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on Creatine HCl, Buffered Creatine and Alternative Creatine Forms.Metabolic cofactors and energy intermediatesRead Illustration representing Creatine MonohydrateScience articleCreatine MonohydrateA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on Creatine Monohydrate.Metabolic cofactors and energy intermediatesRead Illustration representing DehydroepiandrosteroneScience articleDehydroepiandrosteroneA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on Dehydroepiandrosterone.Hormones and hormone precursorsRead Illustration representing Essential Amino Acid BlendsScience articleEssential Amino Acid BlendsA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on Essential Amino Acid Blends.Amino acids and derivativesRead Illustration representing FenugreekScience articleFenugreekA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on Fenugreek.Botanical extracts and whole herbsRead Illustration representing Ginkgo BilobaScience articleGinkgo BilobaA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on Ginkgo Biloba.Botanical extracts and whole herbsRead Illustration representing GlucosamineScience articleGlucosamineA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on Glucosamine.Metabolic cofactors and energy intermediatesRead Illustration representing GlutathioneScience articleGlutathioneA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on Glutathione.Amino acids and derivativesRead Illustration representing GlycineScience articleGlycineA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on Glycine.Amino acids and derivativesRead Illustration representing Horny Goat WeedScience articleHorny Goat WeedA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on Horny Goat Weed.Botanical extracts and whole herbsRead Illustration representing Hyaluronic AcidScience articleHyaluronic AcidA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on Hyaluronic Acid.Metabolic cofactors and energy intermediatesRead Illustration representing Injectable GlutathioneScience articleInjectable GlutathioneA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on Injectable Glutathione.Amino acids and derivativesRead Illustration representing L-ArginineScience articleL-ArginineA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on L-Arginine.Amino acids and derivativesRead Illustration representing L-Citrulline and Citrulline MalateScience articleL-Citrulline and Citrulline MalateA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on L-Citrulline and Citrulline Malate.Amino acids and derivativesRead Illustration representing L-OrnithineScience articleL-OrnithineA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on L-Ornithine.Amino acids and derivativesRead Illustration representing L-TheanineScience articleL-TheanineA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on L-Theanine.Amino acids and derivativesRead Illustration representing L-Tyrosine and N-Acetyl-L-TyrosineScience articleL-Tyrosine and N-Acetyl-L-TyrosineA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on L-Tyrosine and N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine.Amino acids and derivativesRead Illustration representing Lemon BalmScience articleLemon BalmA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on Lemon Balm.Botanical extracts and whole herbsRead Illustration representing Lion's ManeScience articleLion's ManeA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on Lion's Mane.Medicinal fungiRead Illustration representing MagnesiumScience articleMagnesiumA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on Magnesium.Minerals and trace elementsRead Illustration representing MelatoninScience articleMelatoninA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on Melatonin.Hormones and hormone precursorsRead Illustration representing MethylsulfonylmethaneScience articleMethylsulfonylmethaneA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on Methylsulfonylmethane.Metabolic cofactors and energy intermediatesRead Illustration representing PhytosterolsScience articlePhytosterolsA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on Phytosterols.Other lipid preparationsRead Illustration representing Pyrroloquinoline QuinoneScience articlePyrroloquinoline QuinoneA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on Pyrroloquinoline Quinone.Metabolic cofactors and energy intermediatesRead Illustration representing ShilajitScience articleShilajitA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on Shilajit.Botanical extracts and whole herbsRead Illustration representing Stinging NettleScience articleStinging NettleA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on Stinging Nettle.Botanical extracts and whole herbsRead Illustration representing TrimethylglycineScience articleTrimethylglycineA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on Trimethylglycine.Amino acids and derivativesRead Illustration representing ValerianScience articleValerianA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on Valerian.Botanical extracts and whole herbsRead Illustration representing Vitamin DScience articleVitamin DA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on Vitamin D.VitaminsRead Illustration representing Yerba MateScience articleYerba MateA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on Yerba Mate.Botanical extracts and whole herbsRead

Research category

Aging biology & longevity

The biological processes, research frameworks, and intervention hypotheses that shape longevity science.

Illustration representing Autophagy and AgingScience articleAutophagy and AgingA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on Autophagy and Aging.Foundational science and methodsRead Illustration representing Biology of AgingScience articleBiology of AgingA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on Biology of Aging.Foundational science and methodsRead Illustration representing Caloric-Restriction MimeticsScience articleCaloric-Restriction MimeticsA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on Caloric-Restriction Mimetics.Foundational science and methodsRead Illustration representing InflammagingScience articleInflammagingA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on Inflammaging.Foundational science and methodsRead Illustration representing SenolyticsScience articleSenolyticsA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on Senolytics.Foundational science and methodsRead

Research category

Sleep & circadian health

Sleep disorders, circadian timing, recovery, and the physiology that connects them.

Illustration representing Circadian RhythmsScience articleCircadian RhythmsA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on Circadian Rhythms.Foundational science and methodsRead Illustration representing InsomniaScience articleInsomniaA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on Insomnia.Clinical conditionsRead Illustration representing Sleep ApneaScience articleSleep ApneaA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on Sleep Apnea.Clinical conditionsRead

Research category

Mind-body & manual therapies

Behavioral, movement, and hands-on approaches evaluated as health interventions.

Illustration representing MassageScience articleMassageA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on Massage.Manual and hands-on therapyRead Illustration representing YogaScience articleYogaA South Beach Longevity science article examining the research literature on Yoga.Mind-body and behavioural practicesRead

Research category

Noninvasive & device-based therapies

Neuromodulation, infrared and light-based therapies, hyperbaric oxygen, and other technologies that do not require an injection or implant.

Noninvasive Neuromodulation TechnologiesEvidence Review2 min readNoninvasive Neuromodulation TechnologiesAn evidence review of noninvasive brain-stimulation technologies — TMS, tDCS, tACS, tRNS, and CES — covering the underlying physics, targeting and dosing, mechanism from field to synapse, and the current evidence and safety landscape.August 19, 2026Read

Belief, evidence, and human consequences

Beyond Primitive Delusions

A layered reading room on religious claims, textual ethics, historical conduct, and the empirical study of belief. Begin with the shortest brief or move directly into the deeper record.

Layout previewSource editions are provisional pending the next Editor Pipeline check; opening the papers is disabled until publication clearance.

Forthcoming studies

Ten empirical questions now in development

Research series · in development
  1. STUDY 01Belief or Belonging?
  2. STUDY 02Does Prayer Change Health Outcomes?
  3. STUDY 03The Missing Nulls
  4. STUDY 04When Religion Helps—and Hurts
  5. STUDY 05The Secularity Context Effect
  6. STUDY 06Faith and Longevity
  7. STUDY 07The Active Ingredient in Faith-Based Health Programs
  8. STUDY 08Saints, Strangers, and Out-Groups
  9. STUDY 09How Belief Takes Hold
  10. STUDY 10Leaving Faith

Read this first

Methods, Evidence, and Ethical Frameworks

The common evidence rules and ethical framework for the collection.

Editorial review pending

Christianity

Textual ethics, public argument, and historical studies from selected cases to the exhaustive record.

5 reads

Shortest read to deepest study

Judaism

A short brief, a public argument, and the full textual review.

3 reads

Shortest read to deepest study

Islam

A three-depth examination of revelation, authority, and ethics.

3 reads

Shortest read to deepest study

Hinduism

A concise brief, public-facing argument, and full textual study.

3 reads

Shortest read to deepest study

Research category · complete reference series

Peptide science

9 volumes and 115 chapters covering therapeutic peptides, adjacent compounds, manufacturing, testing, evidence, and regulation.

The Science of Therapeutic Peptides

Open the series for the continuous chapter atlas, alphabetical compound index, or individual book contents.

Browse the seriesAlphabetical index
Cover — Volume I: Foundations of Peptide ScienceVolume ICover — Volume II: Metabolic, Incretin & EnergyVolume IICover — Volume III: Growth Hormone, Growth Factors & Body CompositionVolume IIICover — Volume IV: Tissue Repair, Regeneration & Extracellular MatrixVolume IVCover — Volume V: Neuroactive, Behavioral & CognitiveVolume VCover — Volume VI: Immune, Inflammatory & AntimicrobialVolume VICover — Volume VII: Reproductive, Sexual & EndocrineVolume VIICover — Volume VIII: Longevity, Senescence & Organ-Specific BioregulatorsVolume VIIICover — Volume IX: Companion: Peptide-Adjacent Compounds, Formulation & Laboratory PracticeVolume IX

Field journals

De-identified personal research

Historical first-person records presented for transparency and context—not as protocols, prescriptions, or medical advice.

One case study · Two presentations

Both publications present the same de-identified case record in different formats. They are not separate case studies or independent evidence.

Cover of Anonymous Personal Research: Six Months, RecordedField journalSame case study · Journal presentationAnonymous Personal Research: Six Months, RecordedA de-identified reconstruction of one person’s peptide-administration journal, presented as historical documentation—not a protocol.Anonymous personal researchRead the journal Cover of Six Months to Vitality Through PeptidesField journalSame case study · Research presentationSix Months to Vitality Through PeptidesA de-identified 148-day case study reconstructing the recorded administrations, calories, cycle lengths, washouts, and measured outcomes.Codex research edition · 100 pagesRead the journal