“Antiaging” is a misnomer. With every tick of the clock, we’re all a little older. The only way to prevent aging, truthfully, is to stop living—which is really not what we want to accomplish! Instead, most adults want to be as healthy as possible for as long as possible. We’ll call it aging proactively.

Aging proactively obviously involves eating well, exercising regularly, and getting enough sleep. But a complete plan for healthy aging also includes the use of supplements to make up for nutrient deficiencies, system breakdowns, and assimilation problems caused by—well, aging. Consider adding these supplements to your proaging strategy:

Get the Bugs Out: Probiotics

Digestion doesn’t stop in your stomach. In fact, it barely begins there. Much of our food breakdown takes place in the intestines, thanks to millions of naturally occurring bacteria. Along with helping us to get the nutrients from our foods, these beneficial bacteria also play a role in the manufacture of vitamin K, which is essential for blood clotting.

According to Brenda Watson, ND, CNC, author of Renew Your Life: Improved Digestion and Detoxification, nearly 75 percent of your immune system is located in your digestive tract. Unfortunately, low stomach acidity, a diet high in processed foods, or the use of antibiotics can destroy the delicate bacterial balance in the intestines. “Impaired digestion is the beginning of a process that ends with chronic disease,” says Dr. Watson. Autoimmune diseases such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, irritable bowel syndrome, and others have also been linked to poor digestion.

Clinical research shows that the amount of good bacteria in our intestines declines considerably with age. As a result, Dr. Watson suggests, “adults over 50 should consider supplementing their diet with probiotics to obtain the immunity-enhancing benefits of these helpful bacteria.” Probiotics are live microorganisms (bacteria or yeast) that have been shown to help maintain a healthy balance of bacteria in the digestive tract. Bifidobacteria in particular are crucial for keeping the immune system in proper working order. “Take your probiotics immediately after your meals,” says Dr. Watson, “when stomach acid is buffered.”

Feed Your Brain

When most of us think about fueling our bodies, we get as far as the digestive tract—but that’s merely the first step in energy creation. Nutrients leave the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and travel via the bloodstream to every one of our trillions of cells. It’s in the cells where the real energy production takes place.

Tiny factories called mitochondria found in each of our cells are responsible for converting the proteins (amino acids), fatty acids, and carbohydrates that we eat into energy. Unfortunately, as we age, our cells contain fewer mitochondria and often don’t work as efficiently as they did when we were younger. As a result, our cells—and by extension, our bodies—are far less energetic than they could be. “Early on, the signs are subtle, although a lack of energy and mental sharpness may be initial indicators,” says Alan Logan, ND, author of The Brain Diet. “But advanced dysfunction of the mitochondria is associated with most neurobehavioral disorders.”

Dr. Logan recommends supplementing with a combination of the antioxidant alpha lipoic acid (ALA) and the nutrient acetyl-L-carnitine. “These nutrients work in a synergistic way,” he says, “supporting the antioxidant defense system and filling a nutritional void set by our typically poor diet.” ALA is the only antioxidant that is soluble in both fat and water, allowing it access to all parts of the cell. ALA is also one of the few substances that can cross the blood/brain barrier, giving it precious access to our brain cells.

Acetyl-L-carnitine works well with ALA because it transports long-chain fatty acids into the mitochondria while escorting small-chain fatty acids out. The acetyl portion of acetyl-L-carnitine is also essential in the formation of the neuro-transmitter (brain chemical) acetylcholine. Acetylcholine deficiencies have been linked to age-related dementias such as Alzheimer’s disease.

Animal studies have shown that the combination of acetyl-L-carnitine and ALA reduce age-related cognitive deterioration by slowing the speed of mitochondrial decline. These nutrients also inhibit age-associated DNA damage and alleviate the age-related decline in mitochondrial respiration. Other studies show that this combination protects heart mitochondria and reduces free-radical damage in the brain. According to Dr. Logan, prevention is key to making a short- and long-term difference in the aging process, starting at midlife.

Keep the Beat: CoQ10

Creating a healthy body really does come down to the health of individual cells, and it takes a well-rounded (i.e., well-digested) diet to guarantee we have all the nutrients required to make that happen. One antioxidant, in particular, has proven to be at the heart of preserving our health.

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a vitamin-like substance that is an essential component of every cell in our bodies. In fact, because it’s found everywhere (ubi-quitous) and due to its quinone structure, it’s also known as ubiquinine. A fat-soluble antioxidant, CoQ10 is necessary for the conversion of food energy into usable (ATP) energy. Although our cells synthesize CoQ10, production becomes less effective with each birthday. A 2007 report in the Alternative Medicine Review indicates that deficient levels of CoQ10, while rare, are linked to male infertility, diabetes mellitus, thyroid disorders, periodontal disease, and Parkinson’s disease, among others. The report suggests that supplementation with CoQ10 is beneficial in all of these conditions.

The area where ubiquinine has received the most attention, however, is heart health. Studies show that supplementing with CoQ10 may be beneficial for those with congestive heart failure, chronic heart failure, and coronary atherosclerosis, for example, as well as in protecting the heart from free-radical damage. Consider your daily CoQ10 supplement as a heartfelt gift to yourself.

Anti-Inflammatory EFAs

Our bodies are amazing machines, capable of dismantling the food we eat and putting the various pieces back together in new ways to help us meet most of our nutritional requirements. Sometimes, however, the body can’t make a particular nutrient, so we have to consume it in its exact form. These foods are identified with the word “essential,” and certain fats belong to this group.

The essential fatty acids (EFAs), including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are necessary to the cell membranes in the human body. Among other duties, cell membranes are important in the transport of nutrients into and waste out of the cell, facilitating hormone binding and communication between cells. Douglas MacKay, ND, founder of Makai Naturopathic Center in Dover, NH, says that deficiencies in EFAs often show first as dry skin, brittle nails, or dry eyes. “More serious manifestations of EFA deficiency include a decline of mental function, as well as heart disease, blood sugar imbalance, or other chronic diseases.”

Dr. MacKay also cautions that EPA and DHA are important precursors for supporting the body’s natural anti-inflammatory response. “Excess and chronic inflammation has been directly correlated to accelerated aging,” says Dr. MacKay. Giving the body a steady supply of the essential nutrients EPA and DHA reduces excess inflammation and promotes long-term cellular health. EPA and DHA are found naturally in fish, nuts, and seeds, but since most diets are lacking in these nutrients, Dr. MacKay recommends adding a fish oil supplement to your daily proaging health regimen.

Face It: Resveratrol

None of us want to feel old—or to look old either. Most skin aging is the result of poor diet and lifestyle choices that include imbibing dehydrating alcoholic beverages too frequently and breathing in oxygen-robbing cigarette smoke. The other major culprit in a weathered appearance is our attraction to the sun. Fortunately for us, Mother Nature has provided help in the form of grapes and other foods, including berries, peanuts, and Japanese knotweed, that contain a phytonutrient known as resveratrol.

Resveratrol helps plants protect themselves from fungal infections and to heal wounds. It also provides a shield from ultraviolet radiation from the glaring sun, and animal studies suggest it may have cancer-protective properties. While this is all good news for your skin, research shows that resveratrol may also be linked to heart health.

Red wine is a source of this healing nutrient because resveratrol is primarily found in the grape’s skin, and red wine is fermented with the skin intact. But to obtain the benefits of resveratrol, you’d have to drink about 100 glasses of wine per day—and this would lead to serious negative health consequences! Fortunately, resveratrol is now available as a supplement, and this concentrated form is worth adding to your plan to live healthy longer.

We all want to celebrate a lot of birthdays. We might as well feel good—and look good—at the party! With a little help from these supplements, you’ll have healthy longevity all wrapped up.