[Leonard Guarente‘s pet field of improving human longevity] has moved from the fringes to science’s hot center. It’s drawn billions in investment in recent years, and is poised to draw even more attention under the Trump administration. Even so, the science behind longevity remains fiercely debated by those in the field, many of whom are building businesses based on still-emerging research—and Guarente is at the forefront there, too.
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Critics of his theories include former protégés and rival scientists. Many sell or promote their own supplements or champion other purported antiaging treatments in the murky longevity market. Ads for various products sometimes tout clinical evidence, but studies are generally small, preliminary and conducted over short periods—and there’s no proof that taking them over the long term is safe. Consumers can’t be sure where the science ends and the marketing begins.
