1장
The Biohacker's Guide to Immortality: Defying Death at 180
Dave Asprey's "Super Human" begins with a provocative premise: living to 180 isn't just possible-it's achievable through strategic biohacking. As Silicon Valley's most famous biohacker and creator of Bulletproof Coffee, Asprey has transformed himself from an overweight, cognitively impaired twenty-something into a lean, high-performing entrepreneur. His methods have attracted a cult following among tech executives and celebrities like Jimmy Fallon and Shaquille O'Neal, who credit his protocols with dramatic energy improvements. "Super Human" has become a cultural touchstone in the growing longevity movement, alongside David Sinclair's "Lifespan" and Peter Attia's work, reflecting our collective obsession with extending not just lifespan but "healthspan"-quality years of vibrant living. Asprey's approach stands out for its accessibility: while some interventions require significant investment, many are surprisingly affordable and immediately beneficial, offering returns both now (enhanced energy) and later (additional quality years).
2장
The Four Horsemen of Aging: Understanding What Kills Us
Our ancestors were biohackers by necessity-those who embraced fire and other technologies survived, while the skeptics perished. This drive to extend life through innovation is hardwired into our DNA. The fundamental program running in our mitochondria is simple: "Don't die." However, our base instincts often sabotage longevity through short-term thinking like consuming excessive sugar or avoiding beneficial stressors.
My personal journey into biohacking began after childhood exposure to toxic black mold triggered premature aging symptoms. By age fourteen, I was diagnosed with arthritis in both knees and becoming obese despite exercise. By my twenties, I had the hormone profile of someone much older, with low thyroid and testosterone, cognitive dysfunction, and high risk for stroke and heart attack. This experience taught me that aging results from cumulative cellular damage, particularly to mitochondria-our cellular powerhouses.
When functioning properly, mitochondria extract energy from food to produce ATP while maintaining a balance between free radical production and antioxidant protection. As mitochondria age, they become inefficient, creating an imbalance that accelerates aging. The resulting chronic inflammation creates ideal conditions for developing what I call the Four Killers: heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's, and cancer.
Heart disease begins with damage to the arterial lining, allowing fats to penetrate and form plaques. Contrary to conventional wisdom, these plaques come primarily from bad gut bacteria rather than dietary fat. A landmark 25-year study demonstrated that reducing inflammation significantly lowers cardiovascular risk without other medical interventions.
Diabetes is definitively an inflammatory disease, dramatically increasing cardiovascular risk. Research shows that when immune cells infiltrate healthy tissues, they release inflammatory compounds causing insulin resistance. With over one-third of Americans now prediabetic, this condition significantly increases risk for all other killers through damage to the entire vascular system.
Alzheimer's involves specialized immune cells in the brain called microglia that, when chronically activated, trigger inflammatory responses that damage neurons. In my twenties, a SPECT scan revealed my prefrontal cortex-responsible for complex thinking-showed virtually no activity during concentration, explaining my cognitive struggles despite high intelligence.
Cancer risk increases dramatically when mitochondria become dysfunctional. Nobel Prize winner Otto Warburg discovered that damaged mitochondria switch from oxygen-based energy production to inefficient anaerobic metabolism-a process associated with most cancers. Only 2-5 percent of cancers are truly genetic; most stem from mitochondrial dysfunction.
Despite overwhelming evidence linking mitochondrial dysfunction and inflammation to these killers, society accepts declining function as normal aging. Between ages thirty and seventy, mitochondrial efficiency decreases by about 50 percent. My approach is twofold: optimize mitochondrial function and promote autophagy, the body's natural cellular recycling process.
3장
The Seven Pillars of Aging: Cellular Damage Mechanisms
After avoiding the Four Killers, we must address the Seven Pillars of Aging-the cellular and molecular damage processes underlying aging. While some degeneration seems inevitable, numerous strategies can significantly slow or reverse these processes.
Pillar 1-Shrinking Tissues occurs as stem cell reserves diminish and mitochondria trigger improper cell death. This causes muscle loss (sarcopenia), brain shrinkage, and the classic "old person" appearance. Preventing this requires maintaining healthy mitochondria through proper nutrition and sometimes stem cell therapy. I went from having chemical-toxin-induced brain damage to having hippocampal volume in the 87th percentile through these interventions.
Pillar 2-Mitochondrial Mutations may be more significant for predicting aging than human DNA. Unlike human DNA, mitochondrial DNA has limited self-repair capabilities. If DNA provides the blueprint for a building's structure, mitochondrial DNA controls its essential systems. When damaged mitochondrial DNA creates dysfunctional mitochondria, they produce excess free radicals, causing further damage and generating inflammation throughout the body.
Pillar 3-Zombie Cells (senescent cells) refuse to die when worn out, becoming a major focus of anti-aging research. These cells no longer function properly yet persist while secreting inflammatory proteins that accelerate aging. As they accumulate, they lead to insulin resistance, increased visceral fat, and weakened immune response. Several interventions show promise: calcium-magnesium-potassium AEP salts, metformin, rapamycin, and natural compounds like fisetin (from strawberries), ashitaba, and piperlongumine.
Pillar 4-Cellular Straitjackets form when the extracellular matrix-the protein network between cells-stiffens. This happens when blood sugar permanently binds to proteins, essentially caramelizing your insides. The most abundant of these advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in collagen, glucosepane, contributes to diabetes and vascular dysfunction. Prevention requires maintaining stable blood sugar levels and reducing chronic inflammation.
Pillar 5-Extracellular Junk accumulates inside and outside cells as we age. The primary culprits are misshapen proteins called amyloids that form plaques disrupting healthy cellular interaction. Multiple factors contribute to amyloid formation: autoimmunity, chronic inflammation, consistently low insulin levels, vitamin D deficiency, and heavy metal exposure. Boosting autophagy through specific foods and fasting helps break down these proteins.
Pillar 6-Junk Inside Cells builds up when lysosomes (cellular waste disposal systems) can't break down certain materials. This happens when lysosomes are damaged or when we consume foods containing advanced glycation end products that lysosomes can't process-particularly charred, fried, or blackened meat. A 2019 study found that eating fried foods daily increased death risk from heart disease by 8%.
Pillar 7-Telomere Shortening affects the protective endcaps of DNA that prevent chromosomes from fraying. Though maintained by the enzyme telomerase, telomeres naturally shorten with each cell division until they can no longer protect the cell. Shortened telomeres correlate with weakened immunity and chronic diseases. Stress significantly impacts telomere length-one study showed highly stressed women had telomeres shorter by the equivalent of a decade compared to less-stressed women.
To combat these pillars, take immediate action: eliminate fried and charred meat, manage stress through meditation or quality sleep, supplement with vitamin D, identify food sensitivities, consider anti-aging compounds like fisetin and AEP, and consult with a functional medicine doctor about medications like rapamycin or metformin.
4장
Food as Anti-Aging Medicine: Optimizing Your Metabolic Health
After discovering that inflammation was accelerating my aging, I conducted extensive self-experiments to determine which foods supercharged my mitochondria versus those causing dysfunction. This aligned with my research for Game Changers, which surveyed nearly 500 high performers and found that optimizing nutrition was their number one priority for success.
Gluten causes intestinal permeability by triggering zonulin release, allowing bacteria, undigested food, and inflammatory compounds to enter the bloodstream. Beyond gut issues, gluten reduces brain blood flow, interferes with thyroid function, and depletes vitamin D stores. Most grains contain plant compounds designed to weaken animals, along with storage toxins and mold. Many are sprayed with glyphosate, classified as "probably carcinogenic," causing DNA mutations and oxidative stress.
After reading The China Study, I tried a raw vegan diet and initially felt energetic while dropping weight. This temporary boost happens because vegetable oils reduce thyroid function, causing hormones to temporarily increase to compensate. But soon I experienced tooth sensitivity, coldness, and malnutrition. When reintroducing meat, I realized The China Study had serious flaws-it condemned all animal protein based on casein studies without considering animal type, diet, or preparation methods.
My experiments taught me that most people eat far too much protein. Excess animal protein increases mortality risk by 75%, cancer risk by 400%, and diabetes risk by 500%. Protein restriction can increase lifespan by 20% by reducing methionine intake. The ideal protein intake is about 0.5 grams per pound of lean body weight (0.6 for athletes, elderly, or pregnant women), with collagen protein being a beneficial exception.
Fat is essential for longevity and health-we need it for reproductive health, temperature regulation, brain function, and cell protection. The myth that dietary fat causes heart disease persists despite evidence showing it's gut bacteria, not dietary cholesterol, creating arterial plaques. Cell membranes are made of fat droplets, with about 45% saturated fat in brain and liver cells. Saturated fats act as stable "bricks" in cell walls, while monounsaturated fats provide flexible "mortar." Polyunsaturated omega-3s are anti-inflammatory, while excess omega-6s from vegetable oils accelerate aging through inflammation.
After experiencing the revitalizing power of yak butter tea in Tibet, I discovered that energy fats like MCT oil convert directly to ketones, providing clean energy even when carbs are present. These don't count toward your daily fat ratios since they convert directly to energy rather than being stored.
Our bodies naturally produce ketones toward the end of our fasting cycle-typically in the morning. These ketones signal "clock neurons" in the brain to become alert. By extending our daily fast to a 10-hour eating window, we can reduce inflammation, lower triglycerides, decrease cancer risk, and improve sleep within weeks. However, metabolic flexibility-the ability to efficiently burn either glucose or ketones-is crucial for longevity.
5장
Sleep Quality: The Ultimate Anti-Aging Tool
Despite enjoying an active mind, I've spent most of my life skimping on sleep, viewing it as wasted time. For years, including the first two after founding Bulletproof, I slept only four hours nightly-a deficit that likely contributed to my premature aging. Quality sleep doesn't just prevent fatigue; it dramatically slows aging.
Poor sleep directly increases your risk of dying from the Four Killers. When melatonin is released at night, insulin-producing cells shut down, making late-night sugar consumption particularly harmful. With less than six hours of sleep, hunger hormones work against you: ghrelin increases while leptin decreases, making you hungrier and less easily satisfied.
Sleep is crucial for preventing Alzheimer's disease through the glymphatic system-a natural brain detoxification process that flushes out cellular waste and neurotoxins. Even one night of missed sleep increases amyloid proteins in the brain. Side-sleeping improves glymphatic clearance compared to back or stomach sleeping.
Contrary to conventional wisdom, research studying over 1 million adults found that people who lived longest slept just 6.5 hours nightly, while those sleeping 8 hours died more frequently from all causes. This doesn't mean sleeping less makes you live longer-rather, healthier people need less recovery time. I use sleep duration and energy levels to measure whether daily activities are aging me: bouncing out of bed after 6 hours indicates health, while grogginess after 8 hours suggests inflammation.
Sleep tracking reveals crucial patterns: when you fall asleep, wake times, sleep interruptions, and time spent in light sleep. Tracking snoring is particularly valuable as it indicates inflammation-I can now connect rare snoring episodes to inflammatory foods consumed the previous day.
Sleep cycles between REM (dreaming) and non-REM sleep, with deep delta sleep being most critical. During this phase, breathing and heart rate reach their lowest levels and brain waves slow to 1-4 hertz. Deep sleep strengthens memory consolidation, reduces cortisol, and triggers immune-supporting hormones. Unfortunately, deep sleep declines significantly with age, but I've hacked my sleep to achieve 2+ hours of deep sleep in just 6-7 hours total-more restorative sleep than teenagers get in 8-10 hours.
Heart rate variability (HRV) measures the inconsistency between heartbeats, indicating which part of your autonomic nervous system is dominant. High HRV correlates with cardiac resilience, while low HRV links to anxiety and cardiovascular disease. Poor sleep activates the sympathetic nervous system and reduces HRV. Aging, poor fitness, stress, inflammation, and infections all lower HRV, but meditation, breathing exercises, hot baths, better sleep, improved diet, reduced toxin consumption, and targeted supplements can increase it.
To improve sleep quality, reduce blue light exposure from screens and LED lights, especially in the evening. Blue light suppresses melatonin production and stimulates retinal ganglion cells that regulate circadian rhythms. Beyond sleep disruption, blue light forces eye mitochondria to work harder, triggering systemic inflammation and metabolic problems. Consider using blue-blocking glasses, amber bulbs at night, and light filter apps on devices.
6장
Light as Medicine: Harnessing Photobiology for Longevity
Light isn't merely a tool for visibility-it's fundamental energy that activates cells and controls hormones and metabolism as powerfully as food or pharmaceuticals. Our bodies operate on a 24-hour cycle with approximately 20,000 clock neurons in our brain serving as master timekeepers. A quarter of these neurons detect only blue light, signaling wakefulness when stimulated.
Modern light sources contain unhealthy amounts of blue light and too little of beneficial light spectrums, creating what I call "junk light." White LED bulbs emit five times more blue light than sunlight while lacking infrared, red, and violet frequencies our bodies need. This excessive blue light creates free radicals in eye cells without triggering the antioxidant production that full-spectrum light would.
Simultaneously, we've begun avoiding beneficial ultraviolet light from the sun. UVB exposure helps convert vitamin D to its activated form, essential for preventing amyloid protein buildup and regulating blood sugar. Studies show people with "active sun exposure habits" have 30% lower diabetes risk, and avoiding sunlight entirely is as dangerous as smoking, reducing life expectancy by 0.6-2.1 years.
Beyond avoiding harmful light, strategically adding beneficial light frequencies can dramatically improve health and reverse aging. Red and infrared light therapy (630-670nm and 810-880nm wavelengths) penetrates 8-10mm into skin, activating dormant stem cells, improving mitochondrial function, increasing cellular energy production, and boosting nitric oxide for better circulation.
Red/infrared light creates exclusion zone (EZ) water inside cells, preventing cellular dehydration and enhancing mitochondrial function. It effectively treats muscle fatigue and injuries, decreases inflammation, improves skin tone, repairs sun damage, fades scars, promotes hair growth, stimulates collagen production, and heals wounds.
Yellow/amber light therapy (570-620nm) doesn't penetrate as deeply but increases ATP production and effectively treats skin conditions like spider veins, rosacea, and sun damage. One remarkable study found that cancer patients receiving yellow light therapy with radiation had only 5% incidence of painful skin reactions compared to 68% in the control group.
Intravenous laser therapy (IVL), developed in the Soviet Union in the 1980s, introduces UV light directly into the bloodstream. Studies show IVL reduces inflammation, boosts mitochondrial efficiency, stimulates ATP production, and produces a massive wave of activated vitamin D3. Recent research demonstrates that IVL replenishes blood cells and positively affects the vascular, immune, and endocrine systems, potentially reducing vascular diseases and extending lifespan.
7장
Reversing Brain Aging: Cognitive Enhancement Strategies
As we age, our brains naturally shrink and degenerate when cells die and aren't replaced-a consequence of the Seven Pillars of Aging. But this decline isn't inevitable. With proper care, we can maintain mental sharpness at eighty comparable to our twenties, and even reverse existing damage.
My own brain SPECT scan revealed premature aging that explained my cognitive struggles-frequent word-finding difficulties and task disorientation. Mental decline shouldn't be normalized at any age. What we dismiss as "senior moments" are actually dysfunction symptoms and Alzheimer's precursors. According to Dr. Dale Bredesen, Alzheimer's is typically diagnosed twenty years after the underlying process begins.
Through my anti-aging network, I discovered neurofeedback, a treatment that helped rewire my stress response. During sessions, I played a simple video game while watching my brain's electrical patterns, learning to self-regulate through visual and auditory feedback. After witnessing dramatic transformations in others receiving the same treatment, I acquired my own EEG machines. Today, neurofeedback is widely available in most cities for roughly the cost of a massage.
Despite conventional medicine's reluctance to recommend laser therapy for the brain, I experienced profound effects from using infrared light on my forehead and the back of my head. Now research confirms that infrared light restores mitochondrial function in the brain, increasing cellular energy production. Doctors now use this technology for strokes, traumatic brain injuries, degenerative brain diseases, and even to enhance normal brain function.
Any inflammatory food damages brain function-period. But protecting your brain requires more than just avoiding inflammatory foods. Maintaining low blood sugar, avoiding spikes, and keeping ketones in your bloodstream becomes crucial as you age. Today you can monitor your blood glucose with inexpensive meters or continuous monitoring systems that show real-time levels on your phone.
In 1997, I discovered racetams, pharmaceuticals that increase brain oxygen and improve mitochondrial function after oxidative stress. Despite being around since the 1960s with positive studies since 1971, these drugs remained virtually unknown in the United States. I've taken aniracetam (500-750mg twice daily) and phenylpiracetam (100-200mg 2-3 times daily) regularly for nearly twenty years with significant benefits.
Other cognitive enhancers I've found valuable include modafinil, which dramatically enhanced my mental clarity; low-dose nicotine (1mg, about 5-10% of a cigarette's content) which helps grow new mitochondria; deprenyl, which blocks the enzyme that destroys dopamine; and supplements like CoQ10, PQQ, L-theanine, Lion's Mane mushroom, and curcumin.
8장
Detoxification: Removing Heavy Metals and Environmental Toxins
Heavy metals silently accelerate aging by disrupting our cellular electrical processes and increasing oxidative stress. I discovered my own heavy metal toxicity in my twenties, which contributed to arthritis and cognitive dysfunction. Most people have dangerous levels of metals like arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, thallium, and aluminum in their bodies without realizing it.
While avoiding toxins is important, complete avoidance is impossible in our modern world. Periodic detoxification is essential for longevity. Your body naturally eliminates most metals through stool, but a small percentage accumulates in fat cells, compounding over decades.
Glutathione, the body's most powerful antioxidant, naturally chelates heavy metals by forming bonds with metal ions and preventing mercury from entering cells. Though our bodies produce glutathione naturally, production decreases with age and toxic exposure. I've used glutathione IVs since 1999, finding immediate benefits when feeling unwell.
Activated charcoal, with its massive surface area and negative charge, binds to positively charged chemicals including cadmium, copper, nickel, and lead, allowing you to excrete them before they damage your cells. In one remarkable study, activated charcoal increased test animals' lifespans by 34 percent-an unprecedented increase for any intervention.
Modified citrus pectin (MCP) has remarkable detoxification powers, effectively removing lead, cadmium, arsenic, and thallium. In one study, just 15 grams daily for five days increased urinary arsenic excretion by 130 percent, cadmium by 150 percent, and lead by a staggering 560 percent. Beyond metal detox, MCP reduces cancer's ability to spread and lowers levels of galectin-3, a molecule that increases with age and creates chronic inflammation.
EDTA chelation therapy, first used in 1950 for lead poisoning, is the most powerful metal detox method. After my glutathione IV in 1999, I tried EDTA chelation because tests showed my blood was dangerously sticky despite being under thirty. The results were immediate-my skin changed from an unhealthy gray to pink as blood flow improved.
Sweating naturally eliminates heavy metals and foreign compounds like plastics and petrochemicals. A 2012 review of fifty studies confirmed that sweating helps remove lead, cadmium, arsenic, and mercury, especially in people with high toxicity. I recommend infrared saunas for detoxification, especially after potential toxic exposure from restaurant meals.
9장
Hormones and Regeneration: Restoring Youthful Vitality
Hormone balance is crucial for longevity, yet conventional medicine often accepts age-related hormone decline as inevitable. After discovering my own hormonal imbalances at age twenty-six, I learned firsthand how critical optimal hormone levels are for overall wellbeing and performance.
Hormones control far more than reproduction-they govern thyroid, adrenal, pituitary functions and more. As we age, declining levels of pregnenolone and DHEA reduce testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone production, accelerating aging through increased skin wrinkling, fat gain, muscle loss, bone density reduction, poor sleep, and sexual dysfunction.
Testosterone benefits both sexes by building muscle, burning fat, maintaining cognitive function, and reducing heart attack risk, while estrogen helps prevent cancer, bone loss, and heart disease. Yet doctors routinely underdiagnose and undertreat hormone decline, despite research showing hormone replacement can decrease mortality risk.
I began hormone replacement in my twenties when my testosterone was depleted. In my twenty years on bioidentical testosterone, I've experienced restored sex drive, increased energy, improved brain function, weight loss, and muscle gain-essentially regaining my youthful vitality. A ten-year study found men who had sex twice weekly lived twice as long as those having it monthly, highlighting another benefit of healthy hormone levels.
Beyond natural aging, modern life devastates our hormones. American men's testosterone levels have declined about 1% annually in recent years. The culprits include low-fat diets (testosterone requires cholesterol for synthesis), vitamin D deficiency from avoiding sunlight, and environmental hormone disruptors.
Several simple strategies can boost hormones naturally before considering hormone replacement therapy. Exercise, particularly high-intensity interval training (HIIT), sharply increases testosterone and human growth hormone in both men and women while also lengthening telomeres. Proper recovery between workouts is essential as sleep quality directly affects hormone release.
Regenerative medicine offers powerful tools for reversing aging. Stem cells are the body's master regeneration cells that maintain and repair tissues. As we age, our stem cell reserves deplete, causing slower healing and tissue deterioration-a condition called stem cell exhaustion.
I underwent a full-body stem cell makeover, with injections into my spinal canal, major joints, tendons, face, scalp, and even genitals. Within sixty days, I experienced dramatically increased deep and REM sleep, greater resilience to stress and travel, and enhanced physical performance-effectively feeling younger.
For those unable to access stem cell treatments, alternative methods to boost stem cell production include boron supplementation, fasting for 24+ hours, short-term calorie restriction, eliminating sugar, weightlifting, and supplements like turmeric, resveratrol, vitamins D3 and C, and green tea extract.
10장
The Future of Longevity: Advanced Biohacking Technologies
Performance-enhancing substances can significantly improve longevity alongside immediate performance benefits. Peptides-chains of amino acids that function like words in the body's communication system-show particular promise for anti-aging.
Vladimir Khavinson of the Russian Academy of Sciences has pioneered research on bioregulator peptides that maintain protein synthesis in critical organ systems. These peptides work quickly, are affordable (about $60 for a month's supply), and are taken only every few months.
Healing peptides like TB500 (thymosin beta-4) and BPC157 show remarkable regenerative properties. TB500 promotes wound healing, decreases inflammation, helps regenerate blood vessels, and increases stamina. BPC157 reduces inflammation and promotes rapid healing of tendons, ligaments, bones, and gut lining.
Selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs) offer muscle-building benefits without the harsh side effects of steroids. Unlike steroids with their 1:1 anabolic-to-androgenic ratio, SARMs are more selective with ratios from 3:1 to 90:1, building muscle without causing unwanted effects. MK-2866 (Ostarine) has been shown in human trials to help elderly participants gain lean mass, decrease fat, improve mobility, and show impressive metabolic improvements.
Carbon 60, a Nobel Prize-winning molecule shaped like a geodesic dome, shows remarkable anti-aging potential. As a superconductor, it helps mitochondria produce energy efficiently while providing powerful antioxidant effects. In a 2012 rat study, carbon 60 increased lifespan by 90%-theoretically extending human lifespan from 79 to 150 years by reducing oxidative stress.
The ancient Greeks' quest for immortality mirrors our own desires today. The myth of Tithonus, granted immortality without eternal youth by Zeus, parallels modern aging where people wither and lose their faculties. But this fate isn't inevitable. The interventions in this book can provide immediate performance benefits while preventing future decline.
At forty-six, I reject the notion that my best years are behind me, instead viewing it as my "25 percent birthday" with 75% of my life still ahead. We have a moral obligation to live well and share wisdom with future generations. Rather than being a burden, longer-lived, energetic elders can contribute tremendously to society, which is why countries like China and Russia are investing in anti-aging technologies. The quest to become "Super Human" isn't just about living longer-it's about living better and contributing more to the world.
