Cellular health research is rapidly converging on mitochondria, NAD⁺ metabolism, immune aging, autophagy, gut-derived metabolites, and oxidative stress as core drivers of healthy aging, with recent studies spanning human trials, animal models, and mechanistic reviews. New evidence highlights polyphenol-based NAD⁺ boosters that outperform single-ingredient precursors in improving mitochondrial markers, cognition, and physical performance; growing interest in ergothioneine as a diet-derived cytoprotective compound linked to antioxidant defense, mitochondrial health, and cognitive aging; and human data on urolithin A showing improved immune cell profiles and reduced inflammation, reinforcing its role in mitophagy. Additional findings include synbiotic formulations that increase endogenous urolithin A and butyrate production, pomegranate polyphenols associated with modest IGF-1 increases and lower inflammatory markers, herbal terpenoids such as thymol and carvacrol activating autophagy and cellular stress resistance in preclinical models, and L-theanine demonstrating neuroprotective effects under sleep-deprivation stress. Reviews further connect polyphenols like curcumin, quercetin, and resveratrol to modulation of cellular senescence pathways, while observational and animal data link omega-3 fatty acids and beta-carotene to mitochondrial support and telomere preservation, collectively signaling a shift from isolated antioxidants toward multi-pathway, systems-level cellular resilience strategies
