The Best Biohacks are Boring and Free!
You don’t need to be a billionaire or a doctor to biohack. But you must be consistent with banal, daily stuff. A genetic scientist who biohacks, lists some basic and some free biohacks.
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Creative by Anjul D.| Everybody can Biohack!
All Biohacking is not rocket science.
Some of it is pretty basic. What’s more, some biohacks are also free and available to all. But before I list them for you, let’s understand what biohacking actually means.
What is Biohacking?
At its simplest, biohacking is a do-it-yourself or D-I-Y approach to taking care of your health. This could involve lifestyle changes, medication or invasive procedures, supplementation and high-tech tools.
Why do people biohack?
For multiple reasons – from losing weight to delaying disease to improving brain function. In fact, biohacking is not new. It’s the association with longevity is what has got it trending (and of course, Bryan Johnson).
But, longevity scientist Anu Acharya has a different perspective on why everyone should be biohacking.
“More than saying I could live to 120 or 150 years, I think everybody can at least get benefit of living healthier for longer, right? So for at least 10-15 years of your life, you will be able to actually make a huge difference by even doing some of the simplest things possible.
(In Biohacking) You can do a lot of stuff. You can understand the age of your different organs. You can gather a lot of information.
But I think some basic things that everybody can do, can actually already extend your healthy life by several years. And I think people have started to understand that,” Anu explained.
Now, Anu said this when I interviewed her on the ‘Basics of Biohacking’ for Longevity Shot – the podcast from Never Too Late. In that episode to be released next week, Anu has named her top ‘banal and free biohacks’.
Now, these are not ‘shiny, new things.’ However, doing them consistently could set you on the path to good health. Here’s a sneak preview of that list.
5 Biohacks that could change your life
(Some are banal, some are free. All, when done consistently, could be super-effective).
Basic Biohack #1: Fix your sleep
Why? For one, it is free. And it involves zero effort – you literally just have to sleep!
And secondly, as Anu explained, it was the first thing she fixed as well. “I think sleep is most important, and I can say this with experience. For 20 years I slept very less. I was sleeping, you know, 3-4 hours and feeling great about myself. And even though it didn't sound like anything was wrong, I made sure that that was the first thing I changed. And I think that's really helpful,” she said. And she should know, considering her day job is studying the impact of our habits and environment on our genes and our ageing process.
Of course, as readers of Never Too Late, you are not unfamiliar with the powers of sleep. Skipping sleep could have serious impact on your body’s ability to break down blood glucose and on your cognitive health, as you read in the previous issue.
Getting enough sleep could also add years to your life – five more years for men and a little over two years for women - as we reported in an earlier issue based on this Feb 2023 research paper.
Act Now: Prioritise Sleep. It will help you live healthier, for longer. It could also help you snag that promotion.
Basic Biohack #2: Get some morning sun
Before you go out and get yourself an infrared light, do this. Bask in the morning sunlight for at least 15 minutes after you wake up.
Why?
Getting a high amount of daylight from the sun could cut the risk of early death by 17-34%, as per this study.
Conversely, getting too much light at night could increase risk of early death by 21-34%.
Maximum increase in mortality risk was observed in those exposed to bright light between 2 and 3am.
Researchers attribute it to how sunlight exposure affects our circadian rhythms. Think of it like the old wind-up clocks that had to be reset every day. The circadian rhythm is the body’s internal clock. It gets reset every day when sunlight hits our eyes.
This reset process is responsible for a variety of important functions, including body temperature, metabolism, digestion and hunger, consolidating memories, timing of hormone secretion and repair and healing of the body.
Any disruption to circadian rhythms could “…lead to various health issues including diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, mental health issues and increase the risk of death,” senior author of the study Professor Sean Cain, said in this release issued by the Flinders University.
And don’t go thinking that our blazing hot summers guarantees Indians our daily dose of sunlight. This Karnataka study found that wasn’t the case – Indians, ironically, get less sun and Vitamin D deficiency is rampant (sunlight exposure is the only way the body can get this vitamin). This impacts attention and fluency of the brain as we age and our cholesterol levels as well.
Need more reasons to ‘soak up some sun’? Getting early morning sunlight could help you sleep better at night, as per this article on the Stanford Lifestyle Medicine website.
Act Now: Step out in the morning sun every day on waking up. Use the time to take a walk, buy your daily veggies or just drink your coffee.
Basic Biohack #3: Breathe
Yes, that most basic of life functions can also be a biohack, if harnessed right. Of course, In India, we already have a long tradition of breathwork, through Yoga and Pranayama.
In fact, AIIMS doctors had researched the impact of Yoga on longevity. What they found: Even 12 weeks of Yoga could impact the body at the cellular level.
Practising Yoga, researchers found reduced DNA damage, oxidative stress and inflammatory responses. Antioxidants and telomerase – an enzyme that protects telomeres became more active. Yoga also improves mitochondrial integrity and all of these put together could delay ageing and improve healthspan.
Newer methods to harness the power of breath include box breathing, 4-7-8 breathing, diaphragmatic breathing etc. While research is yet to pinpoint the most effective route, one thing is very clear: no matter how you choose to harness it, breathing right can be particularly effective.
And as Anu points out, “Breathing is very easy for most people to do if they want to do it and its free.”
Act Now: Breathe deeply, more often. And explore how you can incorporate some form of breathwork into your every day.
Basic Biohack #4: Fix your air quality
Yes. I know you can’t change the air in your locality or city. But here’s what you can do: track the air quality for your location, especially in the dry season. If the air quality in your area is more orange and red than green, consider investing in an air purifier.
Why should you care? Because, Indians could live 3.6 years longer if the air we breathe met WHO standards. People in Delhi could gain 7.8 years of life expectancy.
That’s as per the EPIC or the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago report which converts local air pollution data into impact on life expectancy. This data is now used by researchers worldwide and has also been cited by Parliamentarians in India. Click on the map here to locate your district and find the Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) for your area. Head here to read the India report.
FYI, Air polluted with particulate matter affects literally every organ in the body, including the lungs, heart, brain and liver. It can cause cancers, affect fertility, and increase risk for miscarriages and diabetes. The impact of air pollution on life expectancy equals that of smoking.
Act Now: Merely shutting the windows won’t help. Poor ventilation could compound the problem, because air pollution inside the home is also a concern. Instead, track the AQI in your home and if needed, get that purifier!
Basic Biohack #5: Recognise and manage stress
You know what else affects literally every organ system in your body? Chronic stress.
Of course, you know and have probably experienced the various maladies of stress. But, left untreated, stress has more far-reaching consequences.
Ever come across the word ‘inflammaging’? Blame stress. So, the body reacts to stress through a series of actions in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. This is what triggers the release of cortisol as a response to stress. When stress becomes ever-present, then the communication between the HPA and the Brain gets impaired. Cortisol levels stay elevated and our body is primed for a ‘fight-or-flight’ response through the day. This causes chronic inflammation.
Chronic inflammation could cause numerous physical and mental health conditions, including chronic fatigue, metabolic disorders (e.g., diabetes, obesity), depression, and immune disorders. Needless to say, it could also cause you to age faster.
Therefore, recognising and managing stress is key to extending our healthspan. And the easiest way is to stop and listen to what our body is telling us. As Anu put it: “You can measure with the ring or any of the ways that you can. But I think if you are an experienced person, you will also start to feel it. Right? You can see the signs of when your body is stressed. And recognising what causes stress in your body is an important part of how do you then counter it, right? Whether it's through mindfulness or exercise or breathing or anything.”
Act Now: Learn to identify your stress. Manage it in the way that suits you best. If that fails, seek help.
Follow this list of small things you can do that can make a big impact in your life. Additionally, fix your diet. Move more often in a day. These are essentials, whether or not you want to biohack.
And if you do want to join the biohackers’ tribe, ensure you do all of the above. Think of it as getting to Level 1.
🎙️Wannabe Biohacker? Don’t miss this episode of Longevity Shot!
In the next episode of Longevity Shot, Anu and I discuss everything from smart drugs, fasting and nutrigenomics to bullet coffee and microdosing.
Anu or Anuradha Acharya is the CEO of MapMyGenome, a Hyderabad-based genetic testing firm. Her team was responsible for identifying the longevity gene in the Indian population. NTL readers would recall that interview.
Anu and I recently caught up to discuss all things biohacking for Longevity Shot. That episode drops next week and as usual, I will send you an email.
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Before You Go
Biohacking too much for you? Don’t worry, here’s some good news for weekend warriors!
Manage to work out only during weekends?
New research shows that weekend warriors also benefit from a significantly lower risk of premature death, cardiovascular disease and cancer. The benefits are comparable with those who work out through the week.
Note here that persons classified as weekend warriors in the study were those who managed to hit the quota of 150 minutes of moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) over the weekend instead of distributing the activity throughout the week. The benefits were also compared only with those who managed to hit the 150 minute mark through the week.
Scientists involved in the study said the findings are particularly significant for people who are time-poor.
“This message is encouraging news for busy people who struggle to fit in daily workouts but can manage a concentrated burst of activity on weekends or over a couple of days,” study corresponding author Zhi-Hao Li, of the Southern Medical University in Guangzhou, China said.
“The research provides reassuring evidence that even sporadic physical activity can have lasting health benefits, making it easier for people to prioritize their well-being amid busy schedules,” Li added.
The study drew its conclusions by analysing health and physical activity data for more than 93,000 participants in the UK Biobank, a large biomedical database in the U.K. The study had several limitations, including that physical activity was only measured at baseline; participants lived in the U.K. and most were white. Hence researchers believe, more study is needed.
But here’s my takeaway: If you have missed some workouts during the week, don’t beat up yourself. Here’s proof that you can make it up.
But, of course, whenever possible, take time out for some physical activity every day.
That’s it from me this week. I will see you Monday.
Kavita Krishnan.