Biohacking, which optimizes health and well-being through lifestyle tweaks, has gained significant attention with 951 million TikTok views and is part of the growing $8.5 trillion global wellness economy.

Biohackers use methods like nutrition, physical activity, and supplements to improve their health, with popular approaches including intermittent fasting, keto diet, and high supplement intake.

Combining multiple biohacking methods can lead to risks like infection, toxicity, and dependence.

Approach biohacking with caution and consult medical professionals, as some methods can cause liver damage, kidney damage, and increased disease risk.

Biohacking methods often lack reliable scientific support and require more research to understand their long-term health effects.

Biohacking methods like intermittent fasting and keto diet may have health benefits, but also potential negative effects, including increased risk of heart disease and stroke.

Carefully evaluate the scientific evidence and consult medical professionals before adopting biohacking methods.

Healthcare professionals guide biohacking decisions to ensure safe and effective practices.

Biohacking requires a critical and informed approach, considering both potential risks and benefits.

Individuals can make informed biohacking decisions and achieve health goals by consulting medical professionals and evaluating scientific evidence.

Biohacking methods, like microchips and gene editing, must be used responsibly with proper oversight to mitigate environmental risks.

Biohacking, which optimizes health and well-being through lifestyle tweaks, has gained significant attention with 951 million TikTok views and is part of the growing $8.5 trillion global wellness economy.

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'It saved my life,' ADHD, trauma, OCD patients turn to neurofeedback therapy

Posted at 8:18 AM, Apr 05, 2024
and last updated 2024-04-05 08:18:12-04

CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio — Cracking the code to wellness is now costing Americans $1.8 trillion annually.

For the average American, that breaks down to more than $5,300 per year.

Those numbers come from the Global Wellness Summit's 2024 trends report.

The report also shows that the global wellness economy, which generated $5.6 trillion in 2022, will continue to surge and reach $8.5 trillion within the next three years.

A driver of those staggering stats is ‘biohacking,’ which is the term for do-it-yourself biology.

It has generated 951 million views on TikTok and over on Google, there's been a 900% increase in searches for ‘biohacking.’

"The way that i like to describe it is using what we know about biology to help us become better versions of ourselves," said Britney Cirillo with Alternative Therapeutics.

‘Biohacking’ can be anything from using a smartwatch to track our heart rate to jumping in an ice bath and neuro-feedback therapy.

The idea behind neuro-feedback therapy is that we can essentially re-train our brain to tackle mental health issues like depression, anxiety, trauma, and OCD, which Emily Dean suffered from for about a decade.

"Was pretty afraid to even leave my house alone. At my worst, I was unable to care for my physical health," said Dean.

Dean ultimately needed to check into the hospital as her mental health declined.

After being discharged, she discovered neurofeedback therapy.

"It completely changed my life," said Dean.

Dean said the sessions at Alternative Therapeutics in Cuyahoga Falls provided relief that medications and traditional therapies could not.

"We're not your average counseling practice," said Cirillo.

Cirillo uses neurofeedback therapy to balance electrical activity in a patient's brain, regulating delta, theta, alpha, and beta levels.

"If any of those brainwaves are being overproduced or underproduced, that will correlate with symptoms that the client is experiencing," said Cirillo.

The goal is to essentially retrain the brain using operant conditioning, a learning process in which voluntary behaviors are rewarded.

"We tell the brain to do a certain thing when it does that certain thing, they're rewarded instantly by that video game that they're playing," Cirillo.

I was so interested in how it works that Cirillo gave me a taste of a typical session.

My goal was to keep the flames of a fire burning bright and the sound of the crackling strong while playing a game on a tablet.

Cirillo was checking to make sure my brain was in an ideal zone.

I only sat there with the tablet for a short time, but a typical therapy session lasts about 20 minutes.

"And so, with more and more practice, the brain starts to recognize what it's supposed to do and it reinforces that pathway, strengthens it to the point that that's their new normal," said Cirillo.

Despite gaining popularity during this ‘biohacking craze,’ neurofeedback therapy is still considered experimental.

"I think it's an interesting phenomenon," said Dr. Robert Lufkin with the USC School of Medicine.

Lufkin said regulating the brain could give people better outcomes when it comes to their mental health.

"I think in my opinion, this can have beneficial effects on an individual," said Lufkin.

Lufkin said regardless of what form of ‘biohacking’ people choose, it's shifting the balance of the doctor-patient relationship.

"It's certainly exploding in recent years, and I think it reflects the fact that all of us as, as patients are taking control of our own health," said Lufkin.

Dean is beyond grateful she gained control.

"Neurofeedback therapy and Alternative Therapeutics saved my life," said Dean.

After completing 20 sessions five years ago, Dean has been able to maintain her progress with a few booster sessions, along with some tools to help her navigate the world.

A world that, for years, Dean navigated with crippling fear.

"Before neurofeedback I was afraid to go to the grocery store alone. Last year, I went to California alone. That is something that I never thought would be possible for me," said Dean.

With insurance companies still considering neurofeedback therapy experimental it is not covered.

However, Cirillo said many of her clients have success when they submit for out of network reimbursement.

On average, people will need about 20 sessions to get the end results they're looking for.

Biohackers use methods like nutrition, physical activity, and supplements to improve their health, with popular approaches including intermittent fasting, keto diet, and high supplement intake.

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Content: 18 +
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Health care
Naive biohacking: why is it dangerous to take vitamins “just in case ” and is it true that hacking the body is the way to nowhere (and not to eternal life)
To live longer (for herself and her family), to avoid cancer and heart disease, biohacking enthusiast (now in the past!) and lifestyle podcaster Teresa Skrobanek conducted an experiment and plunged into the world of a thousand and one supplements for longevity.
Whose infectious example was she inspired by?
What was the danger of taking her medicine for diabetes and vitamin B capsules (it is recommended for everyone to calm down!)?
After what biohacking did Teresa really feel better?
Let ’ s share her story.
Master1305
Biohacking experiment
At the end of 2022, Teresa Skrobanek, a responsible mother and grandmother, decided to try to include “longevity ” supplements in her diet.
The general goal is to live as long as possible (for yourself and your family) and avoid breast cancer and heart disease, the risk of which is higher in women over fifty (and Teresa was 57 at the time).
Anti-age drugs were prescribed by a doctor, but, apparently, the specialist was free to relate to the ratio of anamnesis and goals of taking drugs.
In April 2023, Teresa discovered that the capsules in her medicine cabinet were metformin, which is usually prescribed to patients with type II diabetes.
Although the woman did not suffer from this disease, the doctor prescribed the drug due to the fact that the results of the studies were encouraging (but not guaranteed!) - it helps to fight aging
Teresa has also tried over-the-counter drugs, such as nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) supplements, which supposedly, but not proven, speed up metabolism and reduce signs of growing up.
According to the experimentalist, she followed the example of the brightest biohacker – IT billionaire Brian Johnson, who takes about two dozen supplements a day, uses at least 7 skin creams and annually spends $2 million on unusual procedures to restore youth (for example, bowel photos, blood transfusions, weekly acid peels and laser therapy).
20 supplements a day and no rejuvenation
The more and longer Teresa took the drugs, the more she doubted.
Feeling worse, and Skrobanek plunged headlong into the study of dietary supplements - the results were contradictory.
For example, studies have shown that the widely advertised low-age supplements of nicotinamide riboside (a form of vitamin B3) increase the risk of brain cancer.
And the unpleasant consequences of the use of metformin (remember, Teresa took the medicine for diabetes, not being a diabetic!) were headaches, drowsiness and anxiety.
“I started to have a headache.
I felt very tired, although the pills were supposed to give me strength, ” Skrobanek told The New York Post, with whom she shared her entire story.
How do I know that taking these substances will not harm my kidneys or liver and will not cause cancer in 5-10 years? ”
beast01
Errors made by Teresa, which can not be made by biohackers novice
At TikTok, where the hashtag # BioHacking has garnered more than half a billion views, proponents of the biohacking movement boast of swallowing 70 to 150 different rejuvenating dietary supplements every day.
For example, to slow down the aging process, businessman Joe Cohen takes rapamycin, an FDA-approved drug that a 2014 study found could help increase life expectancy.
However, Cohen told The Post that he does not recommend a strict regime to his followers: mindlessly copying from and to the anti-age program of trendsetters is dangerous!
Instead, an experienced biohacker (Joe says he ’ s been studying this phenomenon for 20 years!) encourages newcomers to take blood tests first to determine the body ’ s biological needs and deficiencies, carefully examine the benefits and side effects of any supplements, and take only what seems right.
Cohen clarifies: “By understanding your physiology, you can take certain medications that will boost your energy, mood, and chances of avoiding age-related illnesses.
Preserving health is much more important than simply prolonging existence. ”
According to the businessman, his goal is to live as long and healthy a life as possible (and not necessarily up to 150 years)!
Roman Samborskyi
If not biohacking, then what (spoiler: food)
New York City Nutrition nutritionist Diana Rodriguez agrees with Cohen.
But to start your way to longevity offers still not with tablets, but with a healthy diet: “It is recommended to use food as the first method of preventing dangerous diseases.
Fruits, vegetables, low-fat proteins, nuts and legumes, in which "tons" of vitamins and minerals, can be very useful. "
Increasing nutrient intake through organic whole foods is something Teresa Scrobanek started doing in June 2023, when she gave up the supplement diet once and for all.
And she never felt better:
“If a long life meant that I got it with terrible side effects due to taking supplements, then I would prefer a shorter, but better life, which is based on proper nutrition and training, ” concluded Teresa.
The editors remind that drugs, vitamins, dietary supplements and food products have contraindications.
A specialist consultation is required.
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Combining multiple biohacking methods can lead to risks like infection, toxicity, and dependence.

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Five risks of taking vitamin booster shots

22 November 2022 4:43 PM
Tags:
vitamins
IV drip
Supplements
booster shots
Nutrients

Taking vitamin boosters has become somewhat of a global trend, gaining popularity particularly with the younger generation.

Clement Manyathela speaks to clinical dietitian, Mbali Mapholi, all about vitamin booster shots and what potential risks there are when taking it.

JOHANNESBURG: The boosters are taken intravenously through an IV drip, adding vitamins to the body directly through the bloodstream.

This method ensured that the vitamins are absorbed much quicker than it would if it were taken through food or supplements.

The procedure could lead to the person feeling energised, glowing and awake closely after the taking the shot.

However, they do have their drawbacks and risks.

Here are five risks of taking booster shots according to clinical dietician, Mbali Mapholi.

  • It's administration through an IV drip puts you at risk of getting an infection if the needle isn't sterile.

  • There is a risk of toxicity due to the high amount of nutrients being administered at once.

  • If you take shots too frequently there is a chance of becoming dependent on them.

  • This dependability increases your risk of kidney failure.

  • Lastly, because it's a shot, the direct effects of the vitamins are short-lived, and its benefits are unsustainable.

It's important to remember that although supplements and boosters with IV shots of vitamins may offer a small to one's overall health... [but] they should not and cannot be used as replacement for a healthy diet, that is a fact. We still want to aim to get a variety of food... The truth is, [booster shots] are still more of a marketing trend, than anything.

Mbali Mapholi, clinical dietician

Scroll up for the full interview.

22 November 2022 4:43 PM
Tags:
vitamins
IV drip
Supplements
booster shots
Nutrients

More from Lifestyle

Approach biohacking with caution and consult medical professionals, as some methods can cause liver damage, kidney damage, and increased disease risk.

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Content: General Supervision
Elham Aboul Fath
Editor-in-Chief
Thank you for your patience.
General Supervision
Elham Aboul Fath
Editor-in-Chief
Thank you for your patience.
The dangers of consuming dietary supplements in a large amount.
Dr. Abdulrahman Shams, a nutritionist, said that consuming supplements in large quantities can pose health risks.
Risks of consuming dietary supplements in a large amount
Shams explained through special statements to Echo El Balad, some of the risks that can result from consuming dietary supplements in excess quantities:
Vitamin and mineral toxicity: Some vitamins and minerals if taken in excess may be toxic to the body.
For example, consuming large amounts of vitamin A can lead to vitamin A poisoning and cause symptoms such as headache, dizziness, nausea and vomiting.
Drug interactions: Some supplements may interact with other medications taken, consuming excessive amounts of some supplements with medications may lead to unwanted interactions and side effects.
Increased risk of diseases: In some cases, consuming supplements in large quantities may increase the risk of certain diseases.
For example, consuming excessive amounts of antioxidants such as vitamin E and vitamin C may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Negative effects on the digestive system: Some supplements in large quantities can irritate the digestive system and cause symptoms such as nausea, diarrhea, and bloating.
Fungal poisoning: Some supplements that contain natural ingredients such as mushrooms can be toxic if consumed in excess quantities or if unsafe types of mushrooms are used.
It is crucial that you follow the guidelines and recommended dosages for dietary supplement use and consult with a dietitian or doctor if you intend to take large amounts of them, dietary supplements should be used as a supplement to a healthy diet and not a substitute for it, and you should choose supplements from reliable and approved sources.

Biohacking methods often lack reliable scientific support and require more research to understand their long-term health effects.

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Content: BioWorld by Clarivate Explores the Concept of Extending Human Lifespan in New Report

Special report on aging investigates the latest science, key biological drivers and companies driving the development of potential “Fountain of Youth” candidate drugs

LONDON, July 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — BioWorld published by Clarivate Plc (NYSE:CLVT), a global leader in providing trusted information and insights to accelerate the pace of innovation, today announced the release of a new report, Extending the Human Lifespan, which examines the science around extending our time on earth alongside our quality of life. The report provides an in-depth analysis of the latest science, the key biological drivers that can be targeted pharmacologically and the companies developing these potential “Fountain of Youth” candidate drugs.

According to United Nations data, the global population of people 65 and older rose 468% between 1950 and 2020. This dramatic increase in population reinforces the goals of researchers and companies to develop ways for people to live longer in a healthy way. Biopharmaceutical research can positively impact the prevention of diseases that come with aging, thereby extending life for the masses. Many forward-thinking scientists are focusing on the biology of aging. While no drug will halt the inevitable process of getting older each year, anti-aging drugs could simultaneously reduce the risk of multiple age-related illnesses, such as Alzheimer’s, cataracts, strokes and other diseases of aging. In addition, equitable access to drugs and therapies tackling aging could reduce health care costs in a major way and improve quality of life.

The BioWorld special report explores these scientific advances in a four-part series paired with the latest episode of BioWorld Insider Podcast, Extending the Human Lifespan. Key report findings include:

  • There are currently 139 trials testing seven existing drugs targeting aging, some of which reliably extend lifespan in one or both sexes by up to 30%, including metformin, sirolimus, resveratrol, alendronic acid, denosumab, donepezil and zoledronic acid. But the number of therapeutics being studied to combat aging is much bigger.
  • Cortellis Clinical Trials Intelligence™ lists another 106 trials of those therapies in clinical development for everything from osteoporosis to Alzheimer’s disease. There are dozens of other therapies in development as well, with 26 current clinical trials for end-stage renal disease, liver cirrhosis, Alzheimer’s disease, cancers, infectious diseases and osteoarthritis and other aging conditions.
  • According to BioWorld data, from 2020 through early July 2022, $1.95 billion was raised through 38 financings for private aging disease companies. Cortellis Clinical Trials Intelligence lists 16 current clinical trials focused on metformin, sirolimus and resveratrol – three therapies that have shown positive results in aging indications. Expanding to recently completed trials, the list climbs to 33.
  •  There is a clear risk of anti-aging approaches exacerbating gender differences in health span. The male body has been used as biology’s baseline for much of the last century. The majority of what is known about aging comes from the study of males, with the female sex being understudied.
  • The overlap between science and commerce can be problematic for several reasons. It may become hard to distinguish consumer marketing from solid evidence-backed science, especially as it relates to research that extends lifespans.
  • In the biopharma industry, sirtuins have highlighted some of the challenges in translating aging research. Research in the early 2000’s suggested that activation of sirtuins could extend lifespan, but the idea of getting enough resveratrol to boost lifespan through the diet in forms such as red wine was, ironically, short-lived.

Lynn Yoffee, Publisher, BioWorld said: “Researchers in the life sciences are pioneering new work related to our existence. In order to ensure society and patients can benefit from therapies old and new, it is critical that we understand the implications of these discoveries. The new BioWorld report delves into whether research can validate if we can live longer in a healthy way, if therapies can both extend life and reduce the risk of multiple age-related illnesses, whether equitable access to these therapies is possible and more.”

For more exclusive, in-depth analysis of the concept of extending lifespan, read the multipart special report here.

About BioWorld

With writers and editors stationed around the globe, BioWorld published by Clarivate, reports the breaking news – and provides key perspective on hundreds of therapeutics and devices in development, the companies behind those candidates, the business development transactions that evolve the markets, and the regulatory hurdles that both challenge and guard the processes. BioWorld has a long tradition of excellence in journalism. Collectively, the news services have been honored with 63 awards dating back to 1998, including 15 for its daily news services.

Join the conversation and mention BioWorld on Twitter and Clarivate for Life Sciences & Healthcare on Twitter and LinkedIn.

About Clarivate

Clarivate™ is a global leader in providing solutions to accelerate the pace of innovation. Our bold mission is to help customers solve some of the world’s most complex problems by providing actionable information and insights that reduce the time from new ideas to life-changing inventions in the areas of Academia & Government, Life Sciences & Healthcare, Professional Services and Consumer Goods, Manufacturing & Technology. We help customers discover, protect and commercialize their inventions using our trusted subscription and technology-based solutions coupled with deep domain expertise. For more information, please visit clarivate.com.

Media Contact:
Catherine Daniel
Director, External Communications, Life Sciences & Healthcare
media.enquiries@clarivate.com

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Biohacking methods like intermittent fasting and keto diet may have health benefits, but also potential negative effects, including increased risk of heart disease and stroke.

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Content: Study bears surprising result: Intermittent fasting increases risk of death from heart disease
A recent study has found that people who follow an intermittent fasting regimen may be at a higher risk of heart-related death.
The study, led by Dr. Victor Waines Chung, professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at Shanghai University, was presented at the American Heart Association ’ s Epidemiology and Prevention – Lifestyle and Cardiovascular Health Sessions March 18-21.
The researchers analyzed data from more than 20,000 adults across the United States.
The scientists found that those who ate only 8 hours of the day (i.e. fasted 16 hours a day) following a specific eating schedule were 91% more likely to die from cardiovascular disease than those who followed a normal schedule.
This finding is unexpected, as previous studies have found that intermittent fasting improves blood pressure, blood glucose levels and cholesterol.
Intermittent fasting
Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern that moves between fasting and eating periods.
There are several methods of intermittent fasting, but the most common ones include the 16 / 8 method, which involves fasting for 16 hours a day and restricting the period of eating to 8 hours, and the 5: 2 method, which involves eating normally for 5 hours during weekdays and restricting calorie intake to 500-600 calories for two non-consecutive days.
“Restricting daily eating time for a short period, such as eight hours a day, has gained popularity in recent years as a way to lose weight and improve heart health, ” Chung said.
The Jiao Tong University School of Medicine in Shanghai, China, said in a statement: "The long-term health effects of time-restricted eating, including the risk of death from any cause or cardiovascular disease, are unknown."
The researchers found that for people with cardiovascular disease, eating 8 to 10 hours a day increased the risk of death from heart disease or stroke by 66 percent, and that intermittent fasting did not reduce the overall risk of death from any disease.
The researchers also found that people with cancer who ate more than 16 hours a day had a lower risk of death.
"We were surprised to discover that people who followed a specific 8-hour eating schedule were more likely to die from cardiovascular disease," Chung said.
"It shows that compared to the typical eating time range of 12 to 16 hours per day, shorter eating time was not associated with living longer."
“It is important for patients, especially those with heart disease or cancer, to be aware of the association between eating for 8 hours and an increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease.
"Our findings encourage a more cautious and personalized approach to dietary recommendations."
"Although the study identified an association between an eight-hour window of food intake and cardiovascular death, this does not mean that time-restricted food intake causes cardiovascular death."
Some of the limitations in this study include the fact that people self-reported their dietary schedule, which means that this data may be affected by a patient ’ s memory.
The analysis also did not include factors such as the duration of food intake, or even the cause of death.
Beware of results
The research study has not yet been published, so it is too early to judge the credibility of the findings.
However, be cautious about the results, and do not jump to general conclusions that intermittent fasting is harmful to health, as the majority of current studies confirm its benefits.
Duane Mellor, a dietitian lecturer at Aston Medical School, Aston University, who was not involved in the study, said: "It is impossible to determine whether how a person restricts time to eat is associated with the risk of health outcomes as suggested by the study, because it is unclear, given that the data is so limited based on two days of diet recall, why they do it."
Mellor explained: “They were probably restricting the time they were eating.
Perhaps some people do it for health reasons, while others are due to stressful work environments or poverty, which are risk factors for death from cardiovascular disease. ”
"We have to be very careful not to make worrisome headlines and stories based on such limited information.
“Perhaps what you eat and your overall lifestyle is more important than if you ate all your food in less than 8 hours over two days a year. ”
Baptiste Laurent, associate professor of medical statistics at the University of California, Los Angeles, who was not involved in the study, said: "The results presented in the summary of this conference are very astounding and suggest that those who follow a time-restricted diet may have twice the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.
This would challenge the commonly perceived health benefits of this common diet. ”
The information available was very limited.
The full research has not yet been published, and these results are too brief to draw any conclusion: for example, it is not clear if the reported results take into account the fundamental difference between the comparison groups: if people on this diet tend to be older, or more at risk of cardiovascular disease, then it would be understandable that intermittent fasting is associated with an increased risk of death.
Source: Websites + Newsweek

What are the risks and dangers of adhering to the keto diet for a long period of time?

negative impact on heart and kidney function

Carefully evaluate the scientific evidence and consult medical professionals before adopting biohacking methods.

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Content: I’m 58 but have a biological age of 21 – this is how I did it

After eight rounds of failed fertility treatments and a rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis, Leslie Kenny changed her lifestyle with the aim of reducing inflammation – the results, she says, were dramatic

Leslie Kenny was 39 and had endured eight rounds of failed fertility treatments, including IVF using a donor egg, when her doctor delivered even more bad news: the pain she’d been feeling in her wrists and fingers was rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and her blood tests showed signs of the disabling autoimmune condition lupus.

“The doctor prescribed me immunosuppressants and said, ‘You have five good years left’,” Kenny says. “I don’t know what that meant but I took it as ‘that’s all you’ve got’ – that this was the end. I was crushed.”

Lupus is an autoimmune condition in which the immune system attacks the body’s own tissues and causes inflammation that can cause permanent damage to the skin, joints, heart, lungs, kidneys and even the brain. There is no known cure, although it may relapse and remit. RA, another autoimmune condition, affects the joints leading to inflammation and thickening in the joints, which causes pain and reduced mobility. Again, there are treatments available, but it cannot be cured.

That bombshell diagnosis came in 2004. Today, Kenny is 58 and a slim, healthy woman with boundless energy. Her arthritis and lupus – a diagnosis she now questions – have gone into remission. But more than that, she appears to have beat the ageing process: recent blood tests show her biological age is just 21.

She took the “GlycanAge” blood test while attending a conference on longevity in the US. It is offered by a London-based bioinformatics company and measures levels of inflammation in your body. The results are based on determining the process of ageing as an accumulation of damage to your body over time by over-activation of the immune system, leading to inflammation of the tissues and cells. The result generates an estimated “biological age” depending on the average level of inflammation observed in the body at various points during a normal lifespan.

“Inflammation is the thing that I have been paying attention to for the last 19 years, so I suppose it’s not a surprise,” Kenny says.

Kenny is likely one of only a handful of people who could achieve such results. She is one of a breed of ‘biohacking’ devotees who swear by putting cutting-edge research into cell rejuvenation into practice in their own lives to keep their bodies and minds young, and to fight off the common causes of ageing, including inflammation, high blood sugar and cardiovascular degeneration.

The most well known of these biohackers is Bryan Johnson, the American multi-millionaire entrepreneur and venture capitalist. At 46, he spends $2m (£1.5m) a year on treatments and techniques – including restricting calories, taking large amounts of daily supplements, a strict sleep schedule that involves early nights and very early mornings, and blood transfusions – in an attempt to stop the ageing process.

He claims to have reversed his heart age by five years and has the lung capacity of an 18-year-old. Of his particular quest, Kenny reflects: “That very British saying ‘horses for courses’ comes to mind… but he is biohacking for immortality, whereas I prefer to think of myself as ‘bioharmonising’ for a healthy lifespan.”

Kenny is the co-founder of a not-for-profit group, the Oxford Longevity Project, whose aim is to get the latest groundbreaking ideas and research findings on anti-ageing and longevity to the widest possible audience – and she’s testing them out on her own body.

She set up the organisation with Oxford biologist Professor Denis Noble; Dr Paul Ch’en, a GP with a special interest in the ageing process; and academic and multiple marathon runner Sir Christopher Ball. Kenny brings lived experience as a patient who has seen her own health transformed by putting the latest academic findings into practice.

It was the shock of such a devastating diagnosis at such a young age that prompted Kenny to start doing her own research into autoimmune conditions and inflammation. It encouraged her to turn away from the pharmaceutical answers given by her doctors and find a new approach.

“I did try immunosuppressants and I really hated them. You had to jab yourself in the tummy. There are lots of bruises and it hurts. I just felt I shouldn’t be doing this,” she explains. “I have more of an Asian philosophical orientation, of the idea of bringing the body into balance rather than ‘let’s squash this symptom’. What I wanted to do was bring the body back into harmony.”

Back in 2004 the internet was still in its relative infancy, but patient groups had already started forming to share information on common health conditions. Kenny searched for anything she could find about the link between autoimmune disorders and inflammation in the body. She found there were common causes of inflammation including poor diet, lack of sleep, stress and undiagnosed allergies.

Kenny quit her job (she was, at the time, running a matchmaking agency) to reduce stress and improve sleep, and then overhauled her diet. Allergy testing found she was reacting to wheat and dairy, so she cut both out, and also reduced her sugar intake.

“At the time the idea that sugar was bad for you was kind of a new thing, but I removed sugar from my diet as much as I could and then took lots of foods that were anti-inflammatory,” she says. This involved a largely plant-based diet, also including oily fish such as salmon, lots of extra virgin olive oil and plant milks. She followed guidance from Dr Barry Sears, whose bestselling book The Zone Anti-Inflammatory Diet, had been recently released.

Then, after much discussion with autoimmune sufferers in the US, Kenny took a very radical – and expensive – step: online patient networks in the US were recommending intravenous immunoglobulin, a treatment that resets the immune system by replacing antibodies in your blood but was not recommended on the NHS. Kenny underwent two eight-hour blood transfusions at a hospital in Denver, Colorado in the United States, costing £24,000 and funded by health insurance provided by her then-husband’s employer. It is offered as a treatment for some conditions on the NHS, but not for lupus or RA.

Six months later her blood results had been reversed. The three readings her doctor was monitoring – C Reactive Protein, cytokines and TNFalpha, all of which measure inflammation and the function of the immune system – had reduced rapidly. Her doctor reported that her lupus appeared to be in full remission and she was free of disease and in control of her arthritis symptoms.

Kenny’s rapid success at improving her health kicked off a passion for self-management of illness and ageing that has defined her last two decades. “I really feel that patients need to have a chance of a fair fight,” she says, adding that not everyone can afford expensive blood infusions, but there are many things we can all do cheaply to improve our health.

Living in Oxford and surrounded by academics, Kenny began discussing her results with local friends and neighbours, including Lachlan MacKinnon, who was working on commercialising biotechnology for the Oxford Science Enterprise. He introduced her to Prof Katja Simon and Dr Ghada Alsaleh, who were both working at the Kennedy Institute for Rheumatology at Oxford University at the time, who had discovered something quite surprising – spermidine. “He [Lachlan] said, ‘It’s a terrible name, but it’s really interesting because it seems to be helping with the immune system’.”

In mice, spermidine – a polyamine found in high levels in plants such as mushrooms and fermented foods – was able to boost antibody levels in elderly subjects, keeping the immune system strong, and activate the process of autophagy: a natural cell rejuvenation process that usually happens during periods of fasting.

You may have heard the word recently due to Rishi Sunak’s commitment to a 48-hour fast every week. Consuming spermidine is believed to make the same cellular process happen, but without the inconvenience of starvation. Studies are ongoing but the first published papers also show the same effect in humans as mice.

Kenny has been taking a spermidine supplement ever since, and now promotes these findings alongside other new research through the Oxford Longevity Project.

Kenny also follows a ketogenic diet, very low in carbohydrate and higher in protein, which some academic research shows can help to preventing and treat diabetes, controlling blood sugar spikes and reducing inflammation.

Kenny’s daily routine also includes supplements of collagen, antioxidant-rich raw cacao, and glutathione, which helps repair tissues. She takes HRT to manage her body’s transition through the menopause and says the progesterone helps with restful sleep.

Two days a week she fasts for 16 hours, but she admits “I’m not slavish about it”. More important is the foods you do eat. “The Japanese drink and smoke like chimneys but they only lose four years of life to this, but in the UK we lose 10. It’s because they’re microdosing every day with green tea, they’re eating natto, which is full of spermidine; they’re eating fish full of Omega 3, and lots of fermented foods.”

Kenny walks her dog for at least 30 minutes a day and has an active life. She uses katsu bands, a product from Japan similar to a blood pressure cuff, which pulls the blood into one limb for 30 seconds then when it releases “the blood hits the pituitary gland and says ‘I’ve been lifting heavy weights’, and sends hormones to repair the body,” she explains.

She also uses an inversion chair – a small stool that makes doing a headstand easy for anyone, whatever their age – that trains the core and stimulates the vagus nerve, responsible for the regulation of organ functions such as digestion, heart rate and respiratory rate.

The efforts of figures like Kenny are being watched by experts. Vasa Curcin, professor of health informatics at King’s College London, says the “exciting work” going on among the global community of biohackers is “a huge opportunity to raise awareness and identify challenges for novel therapies and lifestyle tech interventions”.

But he adds: “We need to start considering pragmatic methods that would allow for these efforts to stop being just anecdotal evidence and start contributing to larger knowledge bases to support scientifically rigorous validation studies.”

So what is Kenny’s advice to the rest of us? “The most important thing is to get started and just do one thing. Whether that’s diet or putting a weight by the kettle and doing a bicep curl while you boil it. Just ask yourself to do it once a week, and the next week do it twice a week. Do it slowly and then it becomes a habit.”

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Healthcare professionals guide biohacking decisions to ensure safe and effective practices.

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Content: Russian Federation
Moscow
-3 °
HEALTH27 February 2023 10: 00
Treating the patient, not the disease: personalized medicine is the focus of the RAS
On February 16, the Russian Academy of Sciences held the first meeting on personalized medicine at the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Photo: Vladimir VELENGURIN
The meeting of the Council of the Russian Academy of Sciences on personalized medicine attracted the attention of leading experts in the field of medicine.
Representatives of the Academy of Sciences took part, and the agenda included the most pressing issues of the development of personalized medicine in our country.
The Chairman of the Council, Academician E.V. Shlyakhto, outlined the prerequisites for the creation of the Council: the priority in the Strategy of Scientific and Technological Development of the Russian Federation until 2030, the growing number of competencies in this area, the need to create a common platform and consolidate forces in order to transition from a common approach of therapy to personalization.
The activities of the Council will cover: personalized diagnostics, therapy, prevention, information technology and artificial intelligence, pharmacogenomics and personalized biotherapy, including regenerative projects, cell and gene therapy.
The functions of the Council will include expertise, planning, integration, scientific approach to the implementation of technologies based on modern best practices.
Deputy Chairman of the Council, Academician D.A. Sychev recalled that the concept of personalized medicine was approved by the order of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation in 2018 and highlighted the stages of the formation of personalized medicine in Russia, focusing on the personalization of drug therapy based on ADME markers.
He stressed that, according to modern data, the individual response to a drug depends on the genetic parameters of a particular patient by at least 50%, which determines the importance of a pharmacogenetic approach to therapy.
They were presented with algorithms for personalized drug therapy.
Academics discussed interdepartmental interaction, training and popularization of personalized medicine, the necessary level of the data collection system, the organization of data banks, equal access to them by scientific teams.
"The present time dictates the need to shift the focus from processes to results that can be provided only by the synergy of fundamental and applied science," said in his speech, Vice-President of the biotechnopark "GENERIUM", corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences D.A. Kudlai. - "Personalized medicine has a powerful potential in changing people's lives and health for the better.
The results of the work of scientific teams in this area should affect the socio-economic indicators of society in the foreseeable future and determine the next goals for the coming periods on the basis of new technological platforms.
The society is interested in the results of research based on modern regulatory and evidence-based medicine.
To this end, both chambers of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation are currently discussing changes to the federal law of 23.06.2016 No 180-FZ (on biomedical cell products), accessibility to people and the readiness of the health care system to economically accept new effective and safe technologies.
The Scientific Council for Personalized Medicine was established on December 27, 2022 under the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences as part of the Strategy for Scientific and Technological Development of the country until 2030.
At the moment, this is the 4th Council under the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences on medical topics.
This Council is a scientific advisory, coordinating and expert body under the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences, whose issues include the development of individual approaches in medicine, as well as ensuring the coordination and continuity of scientific research, the translation of research data into medical practice and the development of medical and pharmaceutical products.
It includes 40 of the most authoritative Russian scientists with broad competence and a solid scientific and practical base in the field of medicine, pharmaceuticals, biology and related industries.

Biohacking requires a critical and informed approach, considering both potential risks and benefits.

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Biohacking & Toxic Masculinity: How Women Dismantled The Boys Club

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By Jamie Schneider
Beauty & Health Editor
Jamie Schneider is the Beauty Editor at mindbodygreen. She has a B.A. in Organizational Studies and English from the University of Michigan, and her work has appeared in Coveteur, The Chill Times, and Wyld Skincare.
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Bindiya Gandhi, M.D.
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Dr. Bindiya Gandhi is an American Board Family Medicine–certified physician who completed her family medicine training at Georgia Regents University/Medical College of Georgia.
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Take a quick search for “biohacker” on TikTok (a tag with over 137 million views), and you’ll discover a slew of men discussing their muscle gains, testosterone levels, and cold plunge routines. You’ll see some women on the page, but the space is undoubtedly dominated by male energy. And think of the outspoken biohackers you may listen to on podcasts—chances are most of them are men, too.

This gendered approach to biohacking, while pervasive, is simply misguided. But now, women are asserting their authority in health optimization, and we expect their emphasis to soar in the year ahead.

Meet the experts

Molly Maloof. M.D.

Molly Maloof. M.D. provides health optimization and personalized medicine to high-achieving entrepreneurs, investors, and technology executives. Since 2012, she has worked as an advisor or consultant to more than 50 companies in the digital health, consumer health, and biotechnology industries. Her company, Adamo Bioscience, is working on sexual health optimization.

Gabrielle Lyon, D.O.

Gabrielle Lyon, D.O. is a board-certified family physician leading a disruption in modern medicine that focuses on the largest organ in the body: skeletal muscle. With a background that includes a combined research and clinical fellowship in geriatrics and nutritional sciences at Washington University and undergraduate training in nutritional sciences at the University of Illinois, she is a subject-matter expert on protein for health, performance, aging, and disease prevention.

Stacy Salvi

Stacy Salvi is the vice president of product and strategy at the medical device company Movano Health—the creator of the Evie Ring, the first medical-grade health wearable designed for women.

Mona Vand, PharmD

Mona Vand, PharmD studied pharmacy at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences before developing her platform that shares holistic wellness advice.

Why biohacking isn’t just for “bros”

“Women are the original biohackers,” declares family physician, Molly Maloof, M.D. “Our hormones change throughout our lives, and this requires us to adapt accordingly.” Our biology means that women often need to constantly edit their health routines and experiment with lifestyle habits as time goes on. Isn’t that the very definition of biohacking?

Let's back up: Here at mindbodygreen, we think of “biohacking” as the practice of making lifestyle tweaks to optimize health and promote longevity. Not shortcuts—contrary to popular belief—but low-lift, everyday habits that complement and enhance an existing well-being routine. Think: optimizing your exercise regimen using tools and techniques (the “biohacks”) to enhance muscle growth. It’s essentially all about advancing health with “do it yourself” biology—a topic that can pique anyone’s interest, regardless of gender.

“[Women] have a most complex physiological lifecycle that requires us to track and manage fertility, pregnancy, breastfeeding, sexuality, perimenopause, and menopause. So we should be looking at biohacking as a path to even greater health and owning the opportunity to improve our lives,” says Maloof.

Yet many women feel intimidated to enter the biohacking scene as it exists today, turned off by the male-dominated energy in the room.

Women are the original biohackers

Molly Maloof, M.D

“Biohacking has always grabbed my attention, and I want to learn, but it sometimes makes me really stressed out, because I go into this state of perfectionism where I have to do all the things,” says doctor of pharmacy and wellness practitioner Mona Vand, PharmD. “The few biohackers that I followed were all males… it just doesn't really resonate with my energy.”

This male energy is not only frustrating but can potentially harm women’s health in the long run. After all, building muscle, prioritizing protein, and keeping an eye on various health metrics are crucial for longevity—in some cases, these proactive measures can save lives. When women don’t get involved, it can totally impact their well-being.

“Physical strength is nonnegotiable,” says functional medicine doctor Gabrielle Lyon, D.O. “I've been a physician since 2006, and I've never heard someone say, ‘I regret being physically strong.’” And the muscle-building space impacts more than just physiological changes, she says. “You optimize fertility, you make healthier babies, you help the epigenetics of your child,” Lyon adds. “You age better, your skin is better, you're less likely to fall and break a hip… There's nothing that doesn't get better the stronger you are.”

So let’s be clear: Dismantling the biohacking boy’s club is not just about helping women feel included; there are real health implications at stake here.

Why the biohacker space actually really needs a dose of feminine energy

I’d be remiss not to mention how biohacking culture can easily become synonymous with hustle culture (some experts don’t even like to use the term, as it implies you can achieve optimal health with quick fixes). But as more women enter the biohacking space, we expect it to become more intuitive and less about hitting every single benchmark. From there, we predict women will focus more on sustainable changes long-term instead of a gazillion quick hacks.

“I used to think it was a flex to do a million things at the same time and habit stack,” Vand recounts. “I now carve out time for doing things that have no efficiency to them, that are strictly for joy or rest and relaxation, versus benefiting my longevity or health. It can be a little bit obsessive when you get into this thought pattern, and I just don't resonate with it.”

This doesn’t mean biohacking will become “softer” as it embraces feminine energy. But there’s an opportunity here for women to introduce some much-needed flexibility into a space that has long felt needlessly rigid.

How the biohacker game is changing — and where it’s headed next

Thanks to a growing awareness that healthcare protocols should not be gendered, more women are now starting to pay attention to markers of performance like lean muscle, hormetic stressors, VO2 max, HRV, zone 2 training, etc. “Cold plunging, saunas, and harder, more physical activities are not just for the boys anymore,” adds Lyon—and we expect an even bigger shift to come in 2024.

“I think it’s super exciting to see biohacking become more mainstream and more women joining the conversation,” adds Maloof. She praises apps like Wild.AI, for women who aim to make lifestyle adjustments based on their menstrual cycle, and Zero, for women who want to dabble in time-restricted eating, both of which have helped to herald the shift.

Other existing health optimization companies are now inviting women into the conversation by introducing specific features informed by their unique physiology. WHOOP, for example, is currently working on upgrades to their popular health-tracking band: “We did a study recently where we learned a lot about how a woman's body changes during pregnancy and how her heart rate variability (HRV) will evolve. It'll decrease, and then about seven weeks before she gives birth, it will increase sharply,” explains Will Ahmed, WHOOP founder and CEO, on the mindbodygreen podcast

If a woman didn’t know that this was supposed to happen, she might look at this stark increase with a critical (or anxious) eye. “We've been able to take population-level data on pregnant women and now have a feature in the app, where a woman can see how her body is evolving alongside what other pregnant women are experiencing,” he adds.

Similarly, creatine supplements—from the ingredients to the packaging—are no longer marketed toward dudes looking to bulk up, and we are certainly here for it. After all, muscle mass is a predictor of longevity and healthspan, so supplements that promote it can help all of us “hack” our health in a big way.

And as Lyon notes, women have lower endogenous creatine stores compared to men (meaning, they have less available). And the amino acid has been associated with significantly increased muscle mass1 in both men and women, without increasing the risk of adverse outcomes2, like weight gain. “Most of the women in my practice will go on creatine, and they find anecdotally that it really improves both anaerobic and aerobic exercise performance,” Lyon shares.

Not to mention the supplement’s brain health perks: Taking creatine has been shown to benefit both working memory and processing speed3 as well as cognitive longevity4. “It is above and beyond simply sport performance,” adds Lyon, who has certainly seen an uptick in women curious about creatine.

As women feel intimidated (or even restricted) by biohacking spaces, some experts have taken it upon themselves to create new ones that center the feminine. For example, neuropsychophysiologist Kayla Osterhoff, MPH, offers a Women's Biohacking Mini Course, consisting of lifestyle routines and tips aligned with female physiology.

Osterhoff also recently presented at the 2023 Dragonfly Live Conference—among other female biohackers—to discuss the latest advancements in women's well-being and the “health revolution” that’s sweeping the mainstream. This conference aims to gather the “who's-who” in the health space to discuss cutting-edge strategies and innovations that optimize well-being—by having women biohackers at the forefront of the conversation, we can expect them to hit the main stage in a broader sense.

Or take the brand new Evie Ring, the first medical-grade health wearable designed for women, created by medical device company Movano Health. The technology ties hormonal information to a woman’s sleep, activity, and heart health data (among other metrics).

For instance, “If we notice a more restless night of sleep in the luteal phase, we'll point it out and also give some strategies for how somebody may attack their day, despite having not gotten as good of a night of sleep,” says Stacy Salvi, vice president of product and strategy at Movano Health. Similarly, “We know that there are cardiovascular implications when your estrogen drops, so they would want to keep a better look on the function of their heart,” she adds. “This would be something that they would be able to do from our app.”

Even the design itself was made with women in mind: The ring features an open band meant to accommodate how women’s fingers change in size throughout the day, so it can stay comfortable.

To avoid needless stress, Evie also limits the amount of goals you can set on the app. “You can only set three at a time, because we do not want to overwhelm [users] with a bunch of different things,” says Salvi. “I mean, I'm an overachiever. I probably would set every single goal and then fail at them.” And heaven knows we don’t need yet another way for busy, overwhelmed women to feel like they’re failing in a society with unsurmountable standards.

Forecasting the future

A woman walks up to the weight rack in 2024. She sees the usual suspects—bros pounding protein shakes and grunting through their bicep curls—but now she also sees a fair amount of women on the scene. They’ve got creatine supplements! Fitness trackers! Kettlebells! (And no, they aren’t pink.)

Granted, we still have a ways to go before women feel totally embraced by the biohacking space (we’d first have to close the centuries-long gender gap in science and medicine), but it’s clear that the arena is becoming way less of a boy’s club. “And the world is ready, my friend,” says Lyon. “The world is absolutely ready for this.”

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Individuals can make informed biohacking decisions and achieve health goals by consulting medical professionals and evaluating scientific evidence.

Biohacking methods, like microchips and gene editing, must be used responsibly with proper oversight to mitigate environmental risks.

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Content:   • Tech

Startup raises questions with unconventional method of removing pollution from air: 'There is a risk of environmental harm'

"It really depends on how and where you store it."

Photo Credit: Charm Industrial

Charm Industrial, based in San Francisco, is using leftover parts of corn plants to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The company's technique has received attention and praise, but the unconventional method has also raised questions among experts regarding potential environmental risks.

Charm's mission is to bring Earth's carbon dioxide levels back to what they were prior to the Industrial Revolution.

Currently, the earth has excessive amounts of carbon dioxide in the air, which acts like a blanket, trapping heat in the atmosphere. This is often referred to as the greenhouse effect. While some greenhouse gasses are necessary to keep our planet warm enough to support life, too much can lead to global overheating.

This can cause a host of environmental issues, including more extreme weather events, rising sea levels, and changes in wildlife habitats. To combat these issues, many companies and institutions have looked for new methods of carbon removal.

Charm Industrial's technology involves collecting the stalks, leaves, and husks of corn that remain after harvest. Traditionally, these residues were left to decompose or used for energy production. However, Charm converts these leftovers into bio-oil — a dark-brown liquid rich in carbon. This bio-oil is then injected into underground disposal wells, effectively storing the carbon dioxide and preventing it from entering the atmosphere.

Charm's approach is gaining a lot of attention and funding because of its efficiency and scalability. The company claims to have removed over 6,200 metric tons (6,800 tons) of CO2, making it a leader in the field of carbon removal technologies. However, critics warn of potential environmental harm associated with the process.

One of the main concerns raised by experts is the risk of leakage. Bio-oil injected underground could potentially leak into groundwater, posing a threat to the environment.

"It really depends on how and where you store it. There is a risk of leakage. There is a risk of environmental harm. It's nasty stuff," said Hans-Peter Schmidt, who heads the Ithaka Institute, a nonprofit research foundation for carbon strategies in Switzerland, according to Canary Media.

Additionally, there are uncertainties about the long-term effects of storing bio-oil underground and the possibility of the trapped carbon dioxide escaping back into the atmosphere or entering groundwater.

Experts emphasize the need for rigorous evaluation to ensure that environmental risks are properly addressed.

Without proper oversight and regulation, the company's unconventional approach could have unintended consequences for the environment. Collaboration with regulatory agencies and independent organizations is essential to establish standards and protocols for carbon removal technologies.

"They're learning fast and iterating quickly," said Nan Ransohoff, who leads Frontier and the climate program at Stripe, both financial supporters of Charm. "That gives us a lot of confidence that they'll continue to do this in the future."

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