Everyone wishes to live longer. We’re also living longer than ever before because of advancements in nutrition, lifestyle, and healthcare. In the USA, that’s an average of 76.33 years. The pursuits of longevity, however, never end. This has its own “trendy” name, just like a lot of other items in the health and fitness industry. It is biohacking this time.
From a scientific perspective, biohacking encompasses various innovative therapies. One of them is gene editing, which makes use of CRISPR technology to cut and splice genes. Transfusions of young blood are another.
On the other hand, biohacking can be as easy as taking a vitamin pill at the lower end of the spectrum. It entails taking care of your health and making minor adjustments to enhance your well-being. And maybe prolong your lifetime. Sometimes biohacking is also called do-it-yourself biology (DIY biology).
What is biohacking?
For those who are unaware, biohacking is the practice of “hacking” or “upgrading” your body using science, biology, and do-it-yourself experiments. Examples of these studies include tracking sleep patterns and injecting your veins with the blood of a younger person. The phrase was first used in 2011 by author and entrepreneur Dave Asprey, who created bulletproof coffee—a blend of coffee, MCT oil, and grass-fed butter—a biohack that helps you start the day with a strong, energy-boosting beverage. “Changing the environment outside of you and inside of you so you have full control of your biology” was Asprey’s definition of biohacking.
Over time, tech-bros and executives from Silicon Valley adopted it, eager to push their bodies to the maximum. In the words of one Vanity Fair article, “You’ve got an army of nerds now wearing every tracking device imaginable, the Zuckerbergs boasting of killing their own food [he only ate meat of animals he killed himself], and the Dorseys [Twitter co-founders] of the world bragging about how little they eat each day.” If taken too far, this could lead to an obsession with completely delaying aging.
The most well-known member of this community is multimillionaire Bryan Johnson of Los Angeles, whose obsession with avoiding death has become folklore. Johnson’s is practically unreal. He receives blood transfusions from his 17-year-old son, 111 nutritional supplements, a penile device that measures erections at night, and daily measurements from a team of 30 scientists, all of which add up to a total annual cost of $2 million. Through his wellness startup Blueprint, the tech entrepreneur claims to have turned back time by 5.1 years and is now revealing his secrets. He introduced Blueprint Stack on April 4; it costs $343 per month and comes with a drink mix, protein, eight pills, snake oil, and more.
Types of biohacking
Biohacking is done in a variety of ways. DIY biology, nutrigenomics, and grinders are the three most common kinds.
DIY biology
Experts in scientific domains share biohacking techniques and knowledge with non-experts through a phenomenon known as DIY biohacking, or garage biology as some people refer to it. As a result, more people can experiment on themselves outside of restricted settings.
DIY biology, in their opinion, fosters greater creativity, independence, inclusion, and improvisation. Several biohacking domains are included in DIY biology, such as nutrition, microbiology, and biomedical & synthetic biology.
Nutrigenomics
Nutrigenomics is a subset of biohacking that focuses on the genetic interactions between food and individuals. It also looks at how a person’s genes impact how their body reacts to certain foods.
Nutrigenomics is being used by researchers to get deeper insight into how a person’s food and genetics may influence their health risks and to develop new approaches to illness prevention and treatment.
A person can request that their genetic composition be examined by sending a sample of their DNA to a specialized lab. The results can then be used by their healthcare team to develop a personalized dietary plan. This could entail staying away from specific foods associated with illnesses to which they are genetically prone.
Grinders
Grinders are biohackers who see themselves as the forerunners of human enhancement.
This kind of biohacking typically includes under-the-skin implants and the use of technology for physical alteration.
Trendy biohacks to know about
Cryotherapy
Though the idea of cryotherapy, or cold therapy, dates back to the ancient Romans, it was made popular by the Dutchman Wim Hof, often known as the Iceman. Therapy options include whole-body cryotherapy, which entails brief exposure (usually two to three minutes) in chambers as cold as -130°C (-266°F), and ice baths lasting ten minutes in water between 10°C and 15°C. The advantages include less inflammation, accelerated muscle repair, and elevated mood and metabolism.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy
Administered in a chamber where the air pressure is two to three times higher than normal, which increases the amount of oxygen that the lungs can absorb. Increased blood oxygen levels help in the fight against germs and promote cell repair.
Intravenous therapy
A technique for improving general health by intravenously injecting fluids and a mixture of vitamins and minerals into a patient’s bloodstream.
Ozone therapy
The technique of raising blood oxygen levels by introducing an activated form of oxygen into the body, usually by taking a sample of your blood, combining it with UV-exposed medical-grade oxygen, forming O3 bonds, and then injecting it back into your bloodstream intravenously. Research indicates that this therapy may improve brain function and physical energy as well as enhance the immune system.
Photobiomodulation therapy
This NASA-initiated technique uses particular red or near-infrared light wavelengths (usually between 600 and 1,200 nanometers) to stimulate the mitochondria, which are our cells’ energy stores. This promotes the formation of collagen, reduces inflammation, and may even enhance cognitive performance.
Intermittent fasting
A diet practice known as intermittent fasting involves a person eating just during specific times and fasting during the rest of the day. For instance, one can eat between 12 AM and 8 PM, then fast from 8 PM to 12 PM the following day.
Fasting could be beneficial for decreasing body fat, lowering blood pressure, reducing the heart rate, reducing inflammation, and resistance to diabetes.
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP)
A regenerative procedure that helps to repair injured tissue and reduce pain by injecting a concentrated amount of the patient’s own blood platelets.
Is longevity possible?
The field of biohacking has multiple applications related to mitigating or reversing the effects of aging.
To prolong their natural biological life, those who are interested in nutrigenomics may concentrate on maintaining a nutritious diet, taking supplements, exercising, and practicing meditation. Biohacking can also refer to less prevalent and more experimental techniques, including gene editing, cryogenics, egg rejuvenation, and blood transfusions.
As these actions grow, increasingly widespread ethical questions may arise about getting older without aging, gendered aging, and barriers between people who have access to life-extension technology and those who do not.
Is it flawless or flawed?
It is reasonable for critics to claim that there is still inadequate study on the effectiveness of biohacking. Are you healthier if you use nutraceuticals? Do infusions of blood make you younger? Conclusive data does not support this claim, and experiments conducted by the Bryan Johnsons of the world provide no results. Indeed, these tests can cause serious harm in a lot of situations. Consider the instance of American biohacker Jo Zayner, who has edited his own genes in the past and currently has a business selling CRISPR kits, which enable users to alter their own DNA. This is a risky procedure that can result in potentially fatal abnormalities. At its best, biohacking is about taking charge of your own health, but at its worst, it can deviate into pseudo-scientific marketing that does more harm than good.