Summary
The Human Upgrade episode covering biohacking strategies for peak performance and longevity.
Key Points
- Biohacking for optimization
- Technology and biology combined
- Practical implementation
Key Moments
In 1986, Vanderbilt researchers found pharmaceutical nicotine reversed Alzheimer's symptoms
Dr. Newhouse at Vanderbilt published the first study showing pharmaceutical nicotine (not tobacco) reversed Alzheimer's symptoms. Asprey started using 1mg/day of nicotine at the dawn of the biohacking movement based on this research.
"Pharmaceutical nicotine, not smoking, not chewing tobacco, but pharmaceutical nicotine reversed Alzheimer's disease in patients."
The nicotine inverted U-curve: a little improves working memory, too much erases the benefit
Meta-analyses show nicotine improves working memory in a dose-dependent inverted U-curve. No nicotine means poor performance, a small dose improves it, but more does not mean better. The Goldilocks zone is key.
"What that means is that if you have no nicotine, you don't perform very well. You have a little bit, you perform better."
