Expert advice on what can be done without the pursuit of longevity becoming madness (like that of entrepreneur Bryan Johnson, founder of a movement called Don’t Die)
The culture of well-being seems to have become the central organizing principle of our lives today, a role that was once perhaps more properly played by religion. Body care, obsession with health, constant technological measurement of biological parameters through rings, smartwatches or glycemic sensors they respond to the idea that collecting more and more data about oneself can lead, almost automatically, to a form of “personal perfection”.
Everything contributes to building a new secular liturgy, defined as biohacking. It is a concept that has gained ground in the last ten years, in the belief that enhancing the capabilities of the human body is possible. Biohacking has since gone from radical personal experimentation to TED stages to everyday products. The basic idea is to “hack” your lifestyle to increase mental and physical performance, improve productivity, keep a clear head and minimize performance drops. In one word: optimization.
Depending on the forums or communities of reference, biohacking can include almost any practice: from hyper-controlled diets to the reorganization of work rhythms, from intense physical activity to ice baths, from infrared saunas to hanging upside down to stimulate blood flow in the belief of “doping” the brain by nourishing it better. In some cases it leads to obsessive monitoring of every element that enters and exits the body, an anxiety that can take on almost pathological traits.
«At the beginning, biohacking mainly indicated interventions on the body such as the insertion of microchips under the skin or the use of technologies to enhance physical and sensorial capabilities, seeking a fusion between the human body and digital devices», he maintains Timothy Caulfield, professor of Law and Health Sciences and director of research at the Health Law Institute of the University of Alberta (Canada).
For years, with his team, Caulfield has been studying how health and science are represented in the public space: from food labels to the most insidious forms of misinformation, to the promotion of theories without scientific basis. «Today, however, the term has expanded, it still includes these practices, but it also includes the use of techniques, procedures or supplements designed to optimize oneself. The boundaries between the culture of well-being, longevity and biohacking are gradually blurring.”
A recent study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association highlighted a paradoxical effect linked to the use of wearable devices for health monitoring. The research, which followed a group of 172 patients suffering from atrial fibrillation (an irregular heartbeat) for nine months, observed that if on the one hand these tools can help in the daily management of the pathology, on the other they can fuel anxiety and hypervigilancewhich is harmful to the disease itself being treated. In particular, among the 83 people who used wearable devices to monitor their condition, greater concern emerged about symptoms and the effectiveness of therapies. Around one in five reported levels of “intense anxiety”.
«Fear and uncertainty can push some subjects to develop hypervigilance/self-monitoring behaviors in an attempt to “control” or mitigate the discomfort associated with a pathology or its risk», comments Roberto Pedretti, associate professor of Cardiovascular Diseases at the University of Milan Bicocca, director of the Cardiology Operational Unit, Erba Hospital (Como). «Wearable devices are valuable when they allow you to integrate objective information with the clinical picturefacilitating early diagnosis and personalization of therapies. However, they lose value when data collection becomes an end in itself or is not included in a finalized healthcare process. The boundary between usefulness and mania therefore depends on the ability to transform the data into a significant clinical decision.”
Activating and silencing genes
Among the most popular examples of biohacking is the cold bath: many report finding it invigorating and this subjective effect is not irrelevant. Some research suggests it may impact the immune system, however this is still early data. There is currently no convincing evidence demonstrating a direct effect on longevity. However, there are also practices supported by scientific evidence.
«In the context of varied biohacking, a positive element is the attention not only to what we eat, but to how nutrients interact with our biology at a molecular and genetic level», he explains Damiano Galimbertianti-aging dietician and nutritionist, founder of the International Longevity Science Association (ILSA), adjunct professor of anti-aging medicine, nutrigenomics and epigenetics at the University of Catania.
«A personalized diet based on one’s DNA which aims to exploit the ability of some bioactive compounds present in foods to modulate gene expression, so as to activate the transcription of genes favorable to health and silence potentially harmful ones. It is the field of nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics, two consolidated disciplines in the field of precision medicine. This approach also includes intermittent fasting which involves alternating phases of eating and phases of abstinence from food. Followed under medical supervision, it represents a scientifically consolidated practice, provided that it is calibrated both in its duration and in the choice of times. In addition to regulating energy metabolism, fasting appears to stimulate cellular processes such as autophagy, our internal “scavenger” that decomposes and recycles damaged cellular components, and promotes the activation of sirtuins, proteins involved in metabolic pathways associated with health and longevity.”
Emblem of biohacking is, among others, Bryan Johnson, 48-year-old American entrepreneur, ex-Mormon, who sold his payments company for $800 million in 2013. Since then he has dedicated himself full time to the challenge of reversing the aging process, to the point of leading a movement he called Don’t Die. Netflix dedicated a documentary to him and millions of followers follow with amazement, and sometimes skepticism, the meticulousness with which he faces his rigid routines every day.
“HACKING” SLEEP
Johnson has become one of the most visible faces of one of the most extreme fascinations that began in Silicon Valley: the transhumanist dream of defeating death or at least postponing it indefinitely. He spends about $250,000 a year in an attempt to achieve this goal, investing in experimental therapies, genetic tests, drugs, plasma transplants and restrictive dietary protocols. His eating window, for example, is concentrated between 5 and 12 in the morning.
«The best investment, the one that returns the most lasting return, it is given by knowledge, not by obsessive behaviors nor by a systematic control of the body”comments Galimberti. Many people are looking for something that makes the passage of time kinder. Despite the limits of miraculous promises, there is authentic value in the desire to recover a form of control over one’s physiology: that of adding life to years, rather than years to life. As? With little natural biohacks, backed by science. One of them is sleep. Sleeping takes no effort and costs nothing, yet people tend to go out of their way to not do it enough and brag about it.
«Among the most useful aspects of biohacking is the possibility of monitoring (without anxiety) the quality of sleep. In fact, those who sleep little tend to age more quickly. It is during the night hours that the body most efficiently activates the processes of detoxification, regeneration and cellular renewal, at the same time modulating the production of numerous hormonal molecules, including those linked to metabolism and mood regulation. Disturbed or insufficient sleep alters, among other things, the balance between ghrelin and leptin, two hormones that influence the sensation of hunger and satiety respectively. When this balance is broken, the probability of disordered eating behavior increases”, clarifies Galimberti.
«Reserve the last hour of the day for relaxing activities, away from work and screens. Limit caffeine, stimulants and alcohol and respect your sleep-wake rhythm as much as possible. Another biohack is movement. Finding a physical activity that you like, there’s no need to chase current trends. The point is not performance, but consistency. Also train the brain, like the body, the mind also needs continuous exercise to stay active. Skill games, memory and concentration exercises, creative activities such as music, painting or reading stimulate neural connections and keep the head young. It also helps to break your everyday routine: change your route to go to work, don’t always sit in the same place, use your non-dominant hand for small gestures, take a shower with your eyes closed, keep your balance on one leg while brushing your teeth. A biohack as old as man is, however, maintaining strong social bonds as it reduces stress, improves mood and protects against cognitive decline. Social connection is a protective factor on par with diet and exercise. Equally important is having a purpose. Having an active role in social life and feeling part of a community strengthens the sense of belonging, giving meaning to everyday life. Finally, let’s get excited, let’s laugh, let’s be moved, let’s surprise ourselves, every emotional state contributes to keeping our neuronal network alive and plastic, strengthens the immune system and, according to numerous studies, also affects life expectancy. Like contact with nature for a few minutes a day: it reduces cortisol levels, lowers blood pressure and protects us from illnesses and bad moods.”
Supplements, no magic
Supplements are another very common example of biohacking. According to analysis by Grand View Research, the global food supplement market reached a value of 193 billion dollars in 2024 and could more than double by 2033, reaching 415 billion. Growth driven by growing attention to health, changing lifestyles and an increasingly widespread interest in preventive medicine. «It is essential that they are prescribed by a scientifically updated doctor, capable of evaluating the state of the organism through specific tests, and then defining, if necessary, a personalized strategy to be monitored over time», recommends Galimberti. «The approach must be based on solid scientific data, not on generalist promises. There is no pill or combination of substances that guarantees immortality. The difference is made by medical expertise and scientific rigor.”
So let’s embrace the motto of Dean Ornish, professor of clinical medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and founder of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute: “Eat well, move more, stress less, love more.” Almost all proponents of longevity believe in at least two things that cannot yet be proven: we will soon discover the secret to eternal life, and we will be better off once we do. We’ll see. Perhaps, however, the awareness of death, however difficult to accept, has a positive side: giving value to time and choices. The idea of immortality would redefine the boundaries of humanity because without a common destiny some fundamental foundations of empathy and morality which are based on the recognition of our shared fragility would be lost.
