Tally Health, a specialist in longevity support products including dietary supplements, an at-home biological age test kit, and more, recently launched Restore, a formulation of magnesium bisglycinate chelate complex, L-theanine, and apigenin, designed to support sleep and longevity as measured through markers of cellular health.
 
Co-founded by David Sinclair, PhD, a Harvard genetics professor specializing in longevity research, and Whitney Casey, a serial entrepreneur and investor, Tally Health also offers Amplify and Vitality, which are formulated to support longevity by acting on 12 hallmarks of cellular aging.
 
As reported in the Wall Street Journal, Sinclair has faced some criticism of late for claims he’s made related to age reversal and his business ventures.
 
Those with memberships to Tally Health, in addition to a supplement subscription, are able to track changes in these genetic hallmarks, through taking a routine at-home TallyAge test. Results come with personalized insights and recommendations from the company.
 
Restore, the latest addition to the brand’s portfolio, is a melatonin-free formulation containing 250 mg of a magnesium bisglycinate chelate complex, 200 mg of L-theanine, and 50 mg of apigenin. It’s meant to be taken 30-60 minutes before bed on an as needed basis.
 
Magnesium, in the bisglycinate form, can cross the blood-brain barrier, and has been shown to reduce sleep onset latency time, and has also been linked to a more “youthful movement profile” in older adults. It has also been associated in a clinical study with reductions in mild and moderate self-reported stress.
 
L-theanine can support restorative sleep, sleep efficiency and satisfaction, and relaxation, Tally Health reported. The molecule has been shown to support sleep quality and cognition.
 
Apigenin, in the form of a chamomile extract, has been shown to support mood. In mice, it was evidenced to target healthy aging by elevating NAD+ levels. Multiple placebo-controlled clinical trials suggest that chamomile extract, which is rich in apigenin, can support mood, Tally Health noted.
 
“Poor sleep is a health crisis which is decreasing our lifespans; 28% of U.S. adults sleep less than 7 hours per night, with 14.5% of adults saying they have trouble falling asleep each night. Yet most are still reliant on prescription sleep aids or products like melatonin with limited efficacy and even potential safety concerns,” said Melanie Goldey, Tally Health CEO. “Restore leverages the latest science-backed compounds to create a supplement which is not only stand-out in the sleep category but also provides powerful improvements to longevity, as demonstrated by peer-reviewed research.”

Sleeping for the Health Span

Goldey and Trinna Cuellar, PhD, head of R&D and VP of biology, discussed with Nutraceuticals World how Tally Health formulated Restore and other products, as well as how the role of measuring biological hallmarks of cellular aging can elevate the consumer experience.
 
“Our goal was to create a supplement that is both deeply rooted in longevity science and unique in its dual benefits of sleep and longevity support,” said Goldey. “In terms of the specific ingredients, each was selected based on outlined benefits across sleep latency and quality, anxiety and calm, mental cognition, and demonstrated potential to extend health span and/or lifespan.”
 
Restore’s formulations, developed by the company’s in-house team of research scientists follow the company’s selection criteria. All ingredients in Tally Health products must be:
 

• Subject to multiple double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled human clinical studies demonstrating a specific dose is safe and well-tolerated;
• Strong mechanistic evidence showing each molecule has an effect on established hallmarks of aging;
• Peer-reviewed, published data on small mammals demonstrating that each molecule extends lifespan or health span.

The TallyAge Test

Supplements are just one part of the bigger picture when it comes to longevity. Through its proprietary at-home test kits, Tally Health encourages consumers to follow a range of lifestyle interventions.
 
“Based on published clinical trials, we know that biological age can be changed in as little as months. The extent of the change and the duration required to observe an effect likely differ based on the intensity and consistency of individual lifestyle interventions,” Trinna said. “The easiest low-impact change to make is to include supplements, which mimic the effects of wellness habits, in a daily health regimen. Restore promotes longer sleep duration and more restful sleep, so users can expect to feel more rejuvenated. Users can create maximum impact when they pair Restore with other changes to their sleep habits, such as setting a 30-minute earlier bedtime.”
 
TallyAge is a proprietary epigenetic age clock trained to predict epigenetic age while incorporating lifestyle factors like sleep, diet, exercise, and stress, Goldey said, based on data from over 8,000 buccal samples from people between ages 18 and 100, with an even ratio of men and women and over 30% non-white individuals. The test involves a simple cheek swab which provides the DNA sample needed to use TallyAge.
 
“TallyAge measures approximately 850,000 DNA sites, analyzing DNA methylation patterns, which refers to changes in DNA over time. DNA methylation clocks are considered to be the gold standard for estimating epigenetic age. In fact, our team just unveiled a first-of-its-kind next-generation buccal tissue based epigenetic age clock, CheekAge, in March, validating the proprietary innovative clock used for our TallyAge test.
 
Accompanying the results are personalized action plans, based on individuals’ results and lifestyles, which demonstrate how certain changes, such as sleeping another 30 minutes per night, can improve epigenetic age.

Emerging Science Surrounding Apigenin

To complement existing research supporting the inclusion of apigenin in Restore, Tally Health recently published a review summarizing the emerging evidence that it can support both sleep and markers of aging.
 
The flavonoid, according to the review, inhibits NAD+ consuming glycoprotein CD38, contributing to elevated NAD+ levels in animal models. Certain animal model studies also have found that apigenin can increase lifespan in models of neurodegenerative disease, the authors noted, and beyond CD38 inhibition, apigenin can also modulate other targets like GABA and inflammatory pathways.

Thinking Beyond Melatonin

While melatonin has been a boilerplate ingredient in sleep support formulations in the dietary supplement industry, formulators today often consider melatonin alternatives for a variety of reasons.
 
Goldey said the company decided to forgo melatonin because safety and efficacy in long-term applications are under-studied.
 
“We felt that more research is needed to better assess melatonin’s impact. The dosage and label claims on many melatonin products have also recently come into question, with some doses being more than 300% of what is listed on the label. Some products contain undisclosed add-ons, such as serotonin, which can be detrimental to those being treated for mood disorders. Unintended high doses or undisclosed ingredients can pose adverse health effects for all users,” Goldey said.
 
Magnesium bisglycinate, however, supports the body’s own production of melatonin, while the glycine present in the chelate may have a role to play in mitigating the biological process of aging, Goldey noted.

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About the Author: Mike Montemarano has been the associate editor of Nutraceuticals World since 2020. He can be reached at mmontemarano@rodmanmedia.com.