“Biohacking”. Have you heard that term before? It’s not new, but it has become a much more common term used during the past few years to mean experimenting with your own biology to make yourself live longer and live with more energy and health.
The person who really started the most recent evolution of bio-hacking is Dave Asprey, the creator of “BulletProof Coffee”. You may have heard of him and his “Butter in Coffee” energy formula. In fact, he has now created an entire line of “BulletProof” Supplements around his success with BulletProof Coffee.
Although he got the trend going many years ago with the “BulletProof” product line of nutritional supplements, some with exotic formulas, there are many more who have jumped on the “Biohacking” bandwagon since Asprey made the trend popular.
Dave Asprey walks the walk. He does his research. His “BulletProof Coffee” started the trend and so many have imitated his success. Many of those imitators claim to be expert biohackers, create and sell nutritional supplements, and claim to be true experts on the subject. Are they experts? I don’t know. Do their supplements work? I don’t know. Am I skeptical of those who make exotic claims to boost sales of their supplements? Yes. The supplement field is unregulated and is open to anyone. Supplements make a lot of money.
Do I take nutritional supplements? Sort of. I was taking a Collagen powder to help heal a torn tendon. Did it work? I don’t really know. I do take a protein powder after a workout at the gym. Does it help provide the protein I need after heavy strength exercises? I think so. I also take Vitamin D3 as prescribed by a doctor and a standard Senior Multi-Vitamin. But I’m not talking about normal over-the-counter vitamin pills here.
So, I’m not necessarily against supplements, I simply don’t necessarily believe all the claims of the people who sell privately developed, “specially formulated” nutritional supplements online. Be careful
Most recently, even the well known speaker and Life Coach, Tony Robbins, has jumped on the Biohacking bandwagon. His most recent book, Life Force written with X-Prize originator Peter Diamandes, is an excellent resource when it comes to biohacking. He has aligned himself with a number of scientists to come up with seemingly good insights on the subject of Biohacking. Robbins and Diamandes seem to have a good handle on the material involved and give some pretty complete explanations as to the research. They also acknowledge in the book, that they are developing their own line of supplements to keep you healthy and living longer
The book is lengthy at 700 pages and sometimes difficult to read. But it is probably the most complete treatise on the topic of anything I have read to date.
Most of the biohackers have aligned themselves with notable members of the scientific communities and refer to numerous “studies” conducted by themselves and others over the years. They cite many of these alignments and studies in their promotional material for their products
Do I have any suggestions as to all of this? There are numerous nutritional and dietary theories out there. Few have been “proven” to be better than another, but there is lots of “evidence” for the validity of each. So, my suggestion is . . .
. . . Stick to a healthy diet that you can live with. We are all different and have different needs. Most of us know what’s bad for us. Don’t eat it. We know what’s good for us. Eat that. We can get most of what we need at the Grocery Store if we choose carefully and stay away from those things we know she shouldn’t be eating.
Take a close look at the supplements you may buy and use. If you have questions about them, talk to a medical professional or a pharmacist who knows the ingredients that go into these supplements and what those ingredients actually do.
This has been a SeniorFlow Moment. Thank you for reading.
