You must be familiar with Peter Attia's podcast if you are keen on nutrition science. Peter is a medical doctor keen on improving human performance and life expectancy.
Peter's approach mainly revolves around using nutrition, supplements, and exercise to increase your lifespan.
Take a look at Peter's pictures and look at how lean and fit he is for a man in his late 40s. But how exactly does he look at dieting and supplements? We took a closer look and found some interesting things to share.
Quick Summary
- Peter Attia supplements lists range from magnesium, BCAAs, glutamine, methyl folate, and N-acetylcysteine, among others.
- Omega-3 fish oil supplements improve the heart's health while preventing different heart conditions.
- Magnesium supplements promote both physical recovery and improved sleeping patterns.
- Peter Attia recommends Vitamin D supplements, which improve muscle performance and increase bone density.
Who Is Peter Attia, MD?
Peter Attia is a medical doctor who was born in Canada and went to medical school at the prestigious Stanford University.
After a stint as a surgical resident at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, Peter Attia started to branch out into nutritional science and peak human performance.
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He founded Attia Medical, which is a practice that focuses on researching nutrition to boost human performance and life expectancy.
Many people see Peter Attia as one of the leading medical scientists in the field, which has featured him on many TV shows and prominent podcasts, including Tim Ferriss and Joe Rogan.
Now we get to the interesting stuff.
What Is Peter Attia’s Approach To Diet?
You could get all the information about the Peter Attia diet by spending a few hours on his blog and listening to some of his podcast episodes.
But if you want the TLDR version, we’ve had a nutritionist summarize it like this.
There are 3 aspects to the Peter Attia diet.
Calorie Restriction
This is one of the most common ways to approach dieting, alongside sunlight exposure. It means that you eat less energy-dense foods and try to exercise more to achieve a net negative calorie intake. It also ensures you avoid exercise-induced stress.
Intermittent Fasting
This is not about spending days without food and only taking in water. Peter says that he often skips breakfast and a morning snack altogether.
His first meal often is a late lunch, but he still does some fasted exercising.
It’s a tough one to do, but research does back this up as a good approach to weight management [1].
If this phenomenon is a bit hazy in your memory, check out this guide we created for intermittent fasting beginners like you.
Food Restrictions
Peter has been a long-time advocate of limiting carbohydrate intake and used to be on a strict ketogenic diet.
“My approach focuses on increasing lifespan (delaying the onset of chronic disease), while simultaneously improving healthspan (quality of life). To do this, my practice applies nutritional biochemistry, exercise physiology, sleep physiology, techniques to increase distress tolerance, lipidology, pharmacology, and endocrinology.”
- Peter Attia, MD
That has slightly changed over the years, but Peter Attia still avoids sugary foods and highly processed carbs.
His overall philosophy on these three areas is that you should try to trigger at least two of them at a time. But for the best results, you may want to try and cover all three of them as often as possible.
His Supplements Over The Years
What you have to keep in mind is that Peter has made changes in his diet over the years. He’s gone from a full ketogenic diet to a more general low-carb approach, and this may have influenced a lot of his supplement choices.
What I want to do in this section is to show you how things have changed based on the interviews we found.
You can also check out supplement recommendations another health niche celebrity, Dr. Rhonda Patrick, has revealed.
2011 - Blog Post
- Magnesium (400mg)
- Potassium (200mg)
- Fish Oil (10ml)
It seems like Peter was still in very early stages of research with supplement choices In 2011. And I find it is a promising sign that he took his research seriously and only added new products when research supported it.
2012 - Interview
- Multivitamin
- Fish Oil (10ml)
- BCAAs (3g)
- Glutamine
Two things stood out for me in this interview. Firstly, it’s clear that Peter has switched to taking individual vitamins rather than a multivitamin.
Secondly, he’s added aspirin to help reduce the risk of blood clots. That may be down to the fact that he flies a lot.
I would suggest getting medical advice before taking aspirin regularly as there could be some unintended side effects. With these medical professionals' advice, you will prevent some potentially dangerous situations stemming from unknown factors like allergies.
2015 - Interview
- Vitamin D
- Baby Aspirin (1 per day)
- Methylfolate
- Vitamin B12
- Fish Oil (10ml)
- Berberine
- Probiotic
2016 - Book Chapter
- Vitamin A and E
- Vitamin K
- Vitamin C
- Magnesium
We took this information from a chapter in Tim Ferriss’ book Tools of Titans. It’s very clear that the recommended approach now is to stay away from multivitamins and switch to individual products.
2018 - Podcast
- Vitamin D
- Methylfolate
- Vitamin B12
- Lithium
- Fish Oil
- Selenium
- Baby Aspirin
- N-acetylcysteine
- Curcumin
- Magnesium
This is possibly one of the most comprehensive lists he has shared on his podcast in an ask me anything episode.
It’s a long list of minerals, vitamins, and amino acids.
Not all of them might be necessary for everyone. For example, Berberine is linked to insulin resistance and may only be needed if you’re at risk of type 2 diabetes [2].
The two things that have remained consistent since 2011 are magnesium supplementation and fish oil.
Recommended Supplements
Omega-3 Fish Oil - Viva Naturals
Fish oil is the one thing that Peter has been taking continuously.
But you’re going to need to pay close attention to the balance of EPA and DHA and the quality of the oil as well.
Viva Naturals claims to have formulated its oil in the precise balance for maximum heart health benefits.
- It might be the fastest fish oil to digest
- Claims to be the best formula to prevent heart disease
- No reports of fishy burps and aftertaste
- Some people recommend a combination with Omega-6
Magnesium - Performance Lab Sleep
Most people choose a standalone magnesium supplement, which can work well for most people.
But our research and experience have found that with just a few extra ingredients, you might be able to speed up your recovery and get better rest.
This Performance Lab supplement is what we recommend taking after an intense exercise routine or strength training.
Our clients have all provided positive reviews, as they find they wake up the next morning with less stiffness.
- Includes melatonin to help get to sleep faster
- May promote better sleep and physical recovery
- Free from the most common allergens
- Some mild stomach discomfort is possible
Vitamin D - Transparent Labs
Transparent Labs is the vitamin D levels supplement recommended by all the nutritionists we talked to.
We have encountered several clients who may have improved their bone density with the right combination of exercise and this D3 supplement.
It’s not a miracle pill, but if you give it time, then it should show some significant benefits.
It also seems to help us with a boosted immune system, which may help to avoid the common cold.
- A strong dose of D3 for better immune responses
- May increase bone density and improve muscle performance
- Completely transparent label with no added fillers
- You’ll need to place a bulk order to get free shipping
Multivitamin - Performance Lab NutriGenesis
I know that Peter Attia doesn’t really recommend taking a multivitamin, but I believe that is based on the fact that many of them are of low quality.
This Performance Lab option claims to use different methods of extracting and producing vitamins to make them more efficient and easier to absorb.
- Available as a male and female formula
- Includes essential minerals to support many body functions
- Most vitamins and minerals are dosed strong enough to cover the daily need
- You’ll need to take four capsules per day
BCAA Glutamine - Transparent Labs
We recommend this “repair and recovery” supplement to our bodybuilding clients and athletes to reduce exercise fatigue, increase post-workout muscle growth, and accelerate fat loss, among other benefits.
BCAA Glutamine’s ingredients are included in clinically effective dosages and contain no artificial sweeteners, coloring, or preservatives.
Its 100% transparent formula is also definitely a bonus.
The company suggests taking two servings of this product a day for maximum results.
- Increases muscle growth, reduces post-exercise fatigue, speeds up fat loss, and improves workout performance
- Gluten-free and non-GMO
- All ingredients are backed by scientific research
- Some customers say the flavors taste awful
Vitamin B12 - Live Conscious Vegan 12
B12 is an important supplement for vegans, but many non-vegans may also become deficient.
But rather than take one large dose, this Live Conscious (formerly known as Livewell) product may give you the flexibility to measure a more precise amount.
We’ve seen plenty of positive reviews about it helping as a mood and energy booster as well.
Most people are reporting that you may notice some health and mood improvements within about two weeks.
- Comes in liquid form for more precise dosage
- Positive comments about it showing signs of working within a few weeks
- Certified vegan option to suit more diets
- The bulk discount offers are a bit limited
Probiotics - 1MD Complete Probiotics Platinum
1MD seems to be the favored probiotic among dietitians, mainly because it claims to have a large enough volume of live bacteria.
Many people have reported significant benefits to their digestive issues, which may be down to the fact that it contains 11 of the most important gut bacteria.
- May provide over 50 billion colony-forming units from 11 strains
- Added prebiotic fiber to further help feed good gut bacteria
- Free from the most common allergens for less chance of a reaction
- Some people find the capsules difficult to swallow
Curcumin - Performance Lab Flex
You can get pure turmeric powder to add to meals or even in supplement form.
But because one of the main benefits is relief from joint inflammation, we suggest you consider this Performance Lab product.
The formula contains proven ingredients that may have significant benefits for preventing most joint issues.
- Contains added ingredients to help improve joint health
- May help with pain relief through anti-inflammatory benefits
- Suitable for daily use as it’s free from common allergens
- Free shipping is only available on orders over $100
Final Thoughts to Peter Attia Supplements
I strongly recommend that you start listening to Peter’s podcast for some great tips on how to make small changes in your life. His research-based approach gives all his tips a lot of credibility.
You should also start ordering some of the products we list above to see how they might start making general health improvements right now.
In the long term, they should also help you prevent major health issues like heart disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes.
If you could even marginally improve your chances to avoid those kinds of problems, your life expectancy should increase considerably.
References:
- https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-014-0054-7
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3310165/
- https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Fulltext/2010/04000/Amino_Acid_Supplements_and_Recovery_from.33.aspx
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