In male mice, three months of vanadyl sulfate in drinking water raised median survival from 886.5 to 952 days

What the research found

Nature Aging published an open-access mouse and cell study on 6 November 2026. Wu, Yang, Li, and colleagues report that vanadyl sulfate, a mineral sold as a dietary supplement, killed senescent cells in culture and extended life in male mice. Senescent cells showed less cysteine reactivity across the proteome, more of the proteins that fold other proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum, and a buildup of oxidized glutathione. Vanadyl sulfate pushed disulfide bonds, protein misfolding, and cell death in those cells. In male C57BL/6J mice, drinking water with 0.15 mg per ml, started at 70 weeks of age and given for three months, raised median survival to 952 days, compared with 886.5 days on plain water (19 treated mice and 20 controls). In a separate 13-week test, old male mice on the same water had better hanging endurance and less fat gain than old controls. A 3-month test in aged female mice improved endurance and metabolic measures and lowered the senescent-cell burden. The lifespan curve itself is reported for males. Short courses also improved glucose handling in old mice and in a mouse model of type 2 diabetes, and reduced damage in mouse models of fatty liver, atherosclerosis, and bleomycin lung fibrosis. These are animal and cell experiments. They are not a human trial, and they are not a reason to start a vanadium supplement. DOI 10.1038/s43587-026-01253-5. Not medical advice. Not a substitute for a prescribed medicine. Off-label prescription use is clinician-only. VitaLonga does not diagnose, treat, or cure disease. Never start, stop, or replace a prescription with a supplement on the basis of a headline.

Evidence level: Animal study. Results in animals or cells often don't carry over to people.

Read the original at Nature Aging