Who doesn’t want to live longer and live healthier?
The urge to extend our lifespan has prompted some, including celebrities (such as model and TV personality Kendall Jenner and former U.S. football star Tom Brady) to embrace ‘biohacking’, the art (some say dark art) of optimising health via methods that generally aren’t available or approved by mainstream medicine.
This includes everything from wearing continuous glucose monitors (which measure blood sugar levels) and smartwatches (to monitor your health stats), to taking a barrage of supplements.
Celebrities like model and TV personality Kendall Jenner (pictured) have embraced ‘biohacking’, the art of optimising health via methods that generally aren’t available or approved by mainstream medicine
But while fans argue it’s all about optimising your body and extending your life, critics say it’s using your body as a laboratory and could be dangerous (or just an expensive waste of time).
In the UK, more than 3,000 biohacking diehards recently attended the Health Optimisation Summit in London, a showcase for the latest pills, potions and gizmos promising to add years to our lives.
So what are the ‘must-have’ breakthroughs for 2024 and can they really transform your health? We asked Dr Clare Nieland, a GP with an interest in longevity and preventative medicine, based at Hooke, a healthcare clinic in London, for her assessment about whether they’re worth trying…
The DIY oxygen chamber
£13,495 (or £695 a month to rent), henshawhyperbarics.co.uk
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) involves breathing pure oxygen in a pressurised environment and is best known for treating divers with the ‘bends’.
This at-home hyperbaric chamber looks like a large black or grey tube and is eye-wateringly expensive. A typical session lasts for an hour. Increasing the body’s absorption of oxygen in this way can ‘promote healing, repair tissue damage, offset dementia, increase blood flow, and prevent premature ageing’, says the manufacturer.
EXPERT VERDICT: These are traditionally used in hospital settings to aid wound healing and improve outcomes after traumatic brain injury and strokes, by increasing the amount of oxygen dissolved in the blood and reaching damaged tissues.
But can it slow down ageing? Possibly, according to a 2020 study published in the journal Aging, which found it could significantly increase the length of telomeres, the protective caps on the ends of chromosomes that shorten as we age.
Longer telomeres are associated with reduced cellular ageing and a lower risk of age-related diseases, such as dementia.
If you have the money to spare, this might be worthwhile. But don’t overdo it — risks include damage to the ears if there’s a sudden change in air pressure and oxygen toxicity (too much oxygen can lead to breathlessness, chest pain and even respiratory failure).
Handheld ‘gym’ for lung workout
Airofit Essential, £217, airofit.com
The manufacturer of this device claims using it daily for a month can increase lung capacity by 30 per cent. It works by providing resistance against your air flow when you breathe in or out through the mouthpiece — which apparently works the lungs in much the same way as lifting weights strengthens arm muscles.
First, you set the resistance level up high and exhale as hard and fast as you can. The results are transmitted from a chip in the device to an app on your smartphone. Then you do the same breathing in.
Daily training consists of two sessions lasting up to four minutes, with the app telling you, on the basis of your results, which level of resistance to select on the device.
EXPERT VERDICT: Expensive but useful. The muscles involved in breathing work harder when performing against resistance, and research supports the effectiveness of these devices in improving respiratory muscle strength and endurance, particularly in people with conditions such as asthma.
Nerve zapper that chills you out
£211, pulsetto.tech
Oprah Winfrey calls the vagus nerve ‘the rockstar of the nervous system’ — a super highway that links the brain with key organs such as the heart and gut.
Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is now becoming accepted in mainstream medicine — being used to treat conditions from anxiety and treatment-resistant depression, to irritable bowel syndrome and even endometriosis (where womb-like tissue is found elsewhere in the body).
It usually involves surgically implanting a battery-powered generator beneath the collarbone or in the chest wall. But now non-invasive techniques, including ear clips that stimulate a branch of the vagus nerve in the ear, are also being used.
Pulsetto is a DIY device that looks like a set of slim headphones slung round your neck and sends electrical impulses to the top of the nerve where it passes through the neck. The manufacturer claims it can ‘boost your body’s relaxation response long-term, reducing stress and anxiety, and promoting better sleep’.
EXPERT VERDICT: VNS is an innovative therapeutic approach — the nerve plays a critical role in regulating the body, including heart rate, digestion and mood.
But there are equally effective (and cheaper) methods available to stimulate the nerve — such as slow deep breathing, yoga and meditation.
‘Spring clean’ for your cells
Primeadine Original Spermidine Supplement, £75 for 90 capsules, oxfordhealthspan.com
Spermidine is a kind of protein found naturally in the body (including in semen — hence the name) but which we also get from diet.
Research shows it may combat ageing — by cleaning out old dysfunctional cells while triggering the renewal of healthy cells.
Unfortunately, as we get older, our bodies don’t produce as much spermidine so we need to rely on outside sources: it’s found in wheatgerm, soy products, seeds and legumes, shiitake mushrooms and aged cheese.
But biohackers love a supplement and the maker of this one claims it can help with everything from boosting the brain and heart, to giving you better hair and nails. ‘Other benefits include deeper, sounder sleep, grey hair reversal and improved gut health,’ its website says.
EXPERT VERDICT: This is one to watch. A notable study in 2018 reported in Nature Medicine found higher dietary intake of spermidine was associated with reduced mortality from cardiovascular diseases and increased overall lifespan in a cohort of adults aged 45-84 over 20 years.
It seems to reduce inflammation [a key factor in the development of heart disease] and improve mitochondrial function [mitochondria are the ‘batteries’ that provide cells with the energy they need]. Taking spermidine certainly won’t do you any harm.
High-tech pyjamas for better sleep
£229, dagsmejan.com
This range of ‘smart’ pyjamas promises to help you sleep better by keeping your body at the ideal sleep temperature.
During sleep, the hypothalamus — the area of the brain that controls both sweating and sleeping — sends messages to our 4 million sweat glands to produce the amount of sweat needed to keep our body temperature at the right level.
Our skin temperature is fed back to the brain which, in turn, sends out revised instructions.
The fabric acts by ‘wicking’, absorbing moisture from the skin and bringing it to the surface of the fabric, where it evaporates. In tests, the maker says, it was found to be four times better than cotton at drawing sweat away from the skin.
EXPERT VERDICT: These seem like an expensive gimmick. Thermoregulation (how the body maintains its internal temperature) is important to aid sleep but I would get the basics right before investing. There’s no substitute for avoiding excess caffeine, regular exercise, good nutrition, stress management and opening your bedroom window at night to keep cool.
Soothe sore joints – with a laser strap
MOVE+ Pro LED & Laser, £400, kineon.io
This adjustable strap has three light units that emit red light, which is thought to have healing and pain-relieving qualities.
It’s placed over a painful joint and supposedly increases blood circulation and growth of new cartilage to soothe the agony of osteoarthritis, the age-related wear and tear of joints. The maker also claims it decreases inflammation and stimulates mitochondria.
Other ailments it apparently helps with include slipped discs, tendonitis (inflamed tendons) and lower back pain.
EXPERT VERDICT: Red light therapy has shown promising results in alleviating pain, though more extensive clinical trials are needed to establish standardised protocols and confirm long-term efficacy.
While I wouldn’t rush out and get one yet, it’s unlikely to cause harm if used correctly. And it could be better than relying on strong painkillers.
‘Superberry’ powder to prevent disease
Haskapa Superfood Berry Powder, 100g for £18, haskapa.com
Haskap berries are being hailed as the new super fruit. Also known as honeyberries, they’re the fruit of a form of honeysuckle from northern hemisphere countries such as Canada, Japan and Russia.
The claim is that they have up to four times as many potent compounds known as anthocyanins, weight for weight, as blueberries — and research suggests they can help reduce inflammation, may protect against cancer, and lower the risk of type 2 diabetes. Add 1-2 teaspoons of the mix to smoothies.
EXPERT VERDICT: Haskap berries are a nutritional powerhouse. They are particularly high in anthocyanins and polyphenols, compounds known for their potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Regular consumption may protect cells from oxidative stress (where harmful molecules destroy cells), reduce inflammation and lower the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer. They’re also rich in vitamin C.
Are they better than blueberries? No. And don’t waste your cash until you get the basics right first — i.e. avoiding ultra-processed foods and cooking from scratch.
Trainers that tap into Earth’s ‘healing’ power
Grounding running shoes, £149, Bahe.co
‘Grounding’ is the idea that allowing our bodies to connect with the earth’s electrical field — by going outside barefoot — can do our health good. It’s popular with biohackers, who commonly use ‘grounding’ sheets or mats to help them absorb particles, called electrons, from the soil into their bodies.
Now you can supposedly do it with these trainers, which have conductive elements between the ground and the foot, so it’s like going barefoot.
EXPERT VERDICT: The concept of grounding is based on the idea that direct contact with the Earth’s electrons can have positive effects on health, such as reducing inflammation, improving sleep, and enhancing overall wellbeing. However, there is no reliable evidence for this.
That said, these are no more expensive than other good running shoes, so why not? They are well designed with a wide toe box, and look comfortable.
Beef smoothie to bolster gut health?
Organised, £79 for 30 servings, organised.co
The carnivore diet is huge among biohackers — partly because people often lose weight very swiftly (though not necessarily healthily) on it.
This powder contains beef proteins — bovine collagen, bovine colostrum (the milk from cows in the first few days after giving birth, said to soothe gut inflammation), bovine organ complex (liver, heart, kidney, spleen, lung) — all derived from grass-fed cattle in Sweden, as well as Celtic sea salt, raw honey, maple syrup and organic dates.
EXPERT VERDICT: Vegetarians, cover your eyes! I would always advocate a real food approach, but not everyone can achieve that so this is a great alternative. Having a diet rich in essential nutrients helps our body to function to the best of its ability, avoiding lifestyle-related chronic diseases and promoting better health.
