You may have heard about biohacking or seen some versions of it. You may have read an article about Intermittent fasting, or heard celebrities such as Joe Rogan and Tim Ferriss discuss the supplements and nootropics that they recommend. You may have heard about biohackers injecting gene editing technologies such as CRISPR.
Soylent is a product that allows you to eat your food without having to “eat it”.
All of these are types of biohacking. This is a term used to describe a lifestyle which has become increasingly popular outside Silicon Valley. This post will cover the essential nootropics and biohacking supplements for summer that you can use to optimize your health. These recommendations can help healthy people improve their lives without prescription drugs.
Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant
Vitamin C can be used as a biohacking supplement that is safe and effective. Citrus fruits are often regarded as a source of Vitamin C. It’s true, but there are so many other benefits to Vitamin C.
It is often suggested that you take more vitamin C in your diet by your loved ones to help you get over a cold.
Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that has many positive effects on your body.
It is also used to produce glutathione in the body, which is a powerful anti-oxidant. We have all heard of scurvy…a deadly disease that plagued sailors on long ocean voyages. Scurvy may be rare today, but the importance of antioxidants cannot be denied. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps to eliminate free radicals.
Vitamin C is also a powerful immune booster. It has anti-inflammatory qualities.
Many people lack vitamin C because it’s hard to get enough from their diet alone. Vitamin C is abundant in fruits and vegetables, but cooking and storage methods can deplete the vitamin before consumption.
Vitamin C Allows Collagen Absorption
Supplementing with collagen peptides has become the new hot topic. Many people supplement collagen for a variety of reasons. The top reasons for supplementing with collagen are: improved skin health; relief from joint pain; slow or stopbone loss; possible muscle mass increase (in conjunction exercise and a solid diet); and general heart health.
What is the relationship between Vitamin C and collagen and connective tissues? Vitamin C is needed by the body to form collagen and connective tissues.
Collagen is an important component of connective tissues in the body. You can even take collagen peptides to increase your intake. It is the most abundant Protein within your body.
Collagen can be found in the skin, muscles, tendons, and bones. Without enough vitamin C in your diet …., no amount of collagen will be sufficient because it won’t be properly absorbed.
Vitamin C increases your iron absorption
Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) increases the body’s absorption of iron through the capture and storage of nonheme iron in an easily absorbable form. One study found that taking 100 mg of Vitamin C with food can increase iron absorption by 67%.
Iron is essential for cell growth and differentiation. Heme iron is easily absorbed iron and can be found in foods such as grass-fed meat, free range poultry or fish. Nonheme iron, on the other hand (from rice, eggs or fortified cereals, spinach or soybeans) is not readily absorbed by the body.
Vitamin C also counteracts tannins in food and phytates, which are known to inhibit the absorption of nutrients. Also, it increases serum iron, hemoglobin, and ferritin concentrations. Vitamin C intake through diet or supplementation can improve iron status.
Sun Power: Biohack your life!
The Sunlight Institute claims that you only get a quarter (or the sunshine vitamin) of your vitamin D from food. The sun provides the rest. Vitamin D is sometimes called Sunshine Supplement.
Vitamin D is essential for your body. Lack of Vitamin D can lead to many “known” problems, such as rickets and weak bones in children. Vitamin D is also important for other functions in your body. Some studies have shown that Vitamin D can help fight diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis Heart Disease and Flu.
It is also a key player in the fight against depression. Seasonal Affective disorder is also known as “SAD“. SAD is caused by a decrease in Vitamin D.
Vitamin D also plays a role in weight loss, which is a lesser-known benefit. Vitamin D deficiency can render even the most effective diet and exercise plan useless.
Vitamin D is a critical supplement for biohacking. It affects more than 1,000 genes in the body, and is a substrate for sex-hormones like testosterone, estrogen and human growth hormone.
We at EMH recommend you to practice safe sun exposure routines. You want enough Vitamin D but you should also consider the risks of excessive sun exposure.
How Can We Get Vitamin D?
How can you get Vitamin D from a home remedy? Your skin can produce Vitamin D with as little as 15 minutes of sunlight per day. We at EMH believe that the best thing you can do to start your day with is a little sunlight.
You will start your day off right if you get out in the sunshine first thing in morning (there’s enough sun even on a cloudy, overcast day). Start your day by taking a short trip outside. Wear shorts and a T-shirt if the weather allows. Allow the sun to shine in, and your body will start producing the Sunshine Supplement.
You can’t drink milk in order to get Vitamin D. There are many food sources of Vitamin D. These include fatty fish, liver, eggs, cheese, and beef. The body uses the Vitamin D that it produces (from the sunlight) much more efficiently than the Vitamin D you consume in your diet.
You can take a supplement if you find it difficult to get enough Vitamin D.
Biohacking your life is easy with these products and tips
The phrase “when in doubt go without” is applicable to all biohacking supplements that are discussed below. The fact that a product’s label states it is a natural remedy or herbal supplement does not mean you can take it without care.
Theodore Levitt said, “Anything in excess is poison”. Don’t be afraid by this quote. Too much water can become poisonous. This quote is used to show that supplements are intended to be a supplement.
Check the product label for information on sourcing and testing quality before purchasing.
Here are the essential biohacking products that can benefit everyone, including healthy individuals, with very few side effects.
1. Nootropics
Smart drugs and nootropics are great biohacking supplements you can use all year. Synthetic, natural or prescription substances can improve your brain function and memory by improving cognition. Think of supplements that boost the results from Charlie Munger’s Mental Models. Nootropics can affect hormones in a similar way to antidepressants, and others may affect the neurotransmitter, acetylcholine. Nootropics are designed to improve mental performance, cognitive functions, and memory. Nootropics are cognitive enhancers that boost brain function.
Nootropics, or smart drugs, include:
- L-Theanine
- Creatine
- Bacopa Monnieri
- Rhodiola Rosea
- Panax Ginseng
- Ginkgo Biloba
- Noopept
- Phenotropil (phenylpiracetam)
Some of the other benefits are reducing inflammation, improving clarity and focus and boosting productivity.
Onnit makes one of our favorite nootropics. It’s their memory and concentration product Alpha Brain. It is a complete nootropic.
2. Magnesium
Magnesium is beneficial for the whole body. It can be used in over 300 enzymatic reactions, including ATP production (energy). It is essential for the transcription of DNA and RNA. Its deficiency can cause severe symptoms, including heart arrhythmias and tachycardia.
Health experts have also linked conditions such as diabetes, asthma and cardiovascular disorders to magnesium deficiencies.
Nearly all Americans are magnesium insufficient. It is nearly impossible to consume enough magnesium through diet alone due to factors such as poor farming practices or soil depletion. Everyone could benefit from a daily magnesium boost of 200-800mg, preferably just before bedtime.
Thorne makes one of our favorite Magnesium products. Thorne’s Magnesium CitraMate Product is our favorite.
3. Vitamin K2
Vitamin K2 is fat soluble and involved in the calcium metabolism. It improves heart and bone health by reducing calcification, and decreasing vascular function due to the accumulation of calcium in arteries. Dietary vitamin K2 is found in animal products that are grass-fed. Vitamin K2 is divided into two subsets: MK-4, and MK-7. You need to consume at least 2,000mcg of each, or 100mcg per day.
Thorne has another of our favourite Vitamin K2 supplements. This product can be found here.
4. Iodine
Iodine plays a vital role in thyroid, brain, metabolism and immunity. The deficiency of iodine is common, so supplementing it is best. People who are physically active have a greater risk of deficiency, as they lose iodine when sweating. Although seafood contains iodine, it is only enough if it’s consumed with each meal.
Thorne will be bringing in another EMH favorite here, their Iodine & Tyrosine product.
5. Essential Fatty Acids
Fish oil in small doses can reduce inflammation, improve muscle growth and brain function. Low quality and high dosages can cause more harm than good. If you can’t find a high-quality fish oil supplement that isn’t contaminated, oxidized or potent, it’s better to avoid them.
You can combine krill and fish oil. It is also phosphorylated, which is a form that your brain can use more naturally. It contains astaxanthin which is an antioxidant.
6. Vitamin A
Vegans, vegetarians and people who do not eat organ meats such as beef liver or kidney need to take vitamin A supplements. Vitamin A is an essential co-factor in many metabolic reactions as well as other bodily functions. Plants don’t have vitamin A. They have beta-carotene, which the body converts poorly into vitamin A. This is why vegetarians and vegans need to take vitamin A supplements.
7. L-Tyrosine
L-Tyrosine is an amino acid which boosts mental function, cognition and mood. It also helps with stress management. It increases dopamine and neurotransmitters epinephrine and norepinephrine as soon as it is ingested. It is also one of its building blocks.
You may need to take a supplement during the summer, as your body’s L-Tyrosine production is quickly depleted when you are stressed. Take between 500mg and 2,000mg of L-Tyrosine per day.
8. Probiotics
Probiotics are helpful bacteria and yeasts which help to maintain a healthy gut. Probiotics can be found in foods such as yogurt or biohacking supplements.
Over to You
Everyone should consider taking biohacking supplements, but the amount you take will depend on your lifestyle and diet. Talk to a functional or naturopathic physician to create a plan that is right for you.
Enjoy a fun, healthy summer!
