Hormone Hacking: How to engineer your quality of life
Has misinformation clouded our understanding of the anti-aging power of hormones?
DAVE ASPREY: Let's talk about hormones. And there's two big groups of hormones that I think most people know about. One is testosterone. The other is the estrogens.
Well, let's hit testosterone first. When I was 26, I had lower testosterone levels than my mother. And this is by lab testing.
That's not a good thing. And this happens when you're obese. Because even if you're just carrying that extra 20 pounds, your body will use the fat cells to convert testosterone into estrogen.
And this is why, for most of my life, but not now, I was really self-conscious about my man boobs. And they would just get all perky when I was a little bit puffy, because my testosterone was very quickly turning into estrogen. So what do you do about things like that? Should you be on hormone therapy as you age?
The evidence is in. And all the anti-aging doctors I've worked with, the functional medicine people, they know very well. But they're facing this wall of misinformation, mostly from the '70s and early '80s, about, testosterone will give you cancer, estrogen will give you cancer.
Well, the testosterone problems that we had were bodybuilders using synthetic forms of testosterone. What anti-aging doctors use and what I use is a bioidentical form of testosterone. And people go to their regular doctor, and they'll get a test, and they'll say, oh, your levels are within normal ranges for your age.
Did you ever see the movie Grumpy Old Men? Well, that is testosterone deficiency. You do not want the average hormone levels of a 60-year-old if you're 60. You want the average hormone levels of a 30-year-old if you're 60, and you want to live a long time. So what you do is, you supplement with testosterone.
Now, you could say, well, that was advice for men. No, it's advice for men and women. Because guess what happens when women have enough testosterone. It's way less than for men. No, they don't get a deep voice and a goatee. What they get is a zest for life. They start liking sex more than they did before. But they show up at work and they like it. They show up for their families better. Their brains are on. And they usually lose a little bit of fat and they have muscle tone. But you cannot get bulky on testosterone as a woman, if you're taking bioidentical normal doses. The bodybuilder look takes a lot more testosterone than that. So you don't need to be afraid of that whatsoever.
But what you will find is that you love your life and you feel more like yourself. And it's not about the bedroom, but it helps there too. And for men, it's an equivalent thing. It turns your brain on. It makes you just want to go out there and do things. And it's a really important anti-aging technology. And I consider it cruel when a doctor looks at a 60-year-old with levels of testosterone that are low and says, oh, you're fine. No, you're not fine. You're starting to decline. Guess what having adequate testosterone in men and women does. It can lower your risk of cardiovascular disease.
And let's cut over to estrogen. We've all heard, oh, estrogen replacement causes cancer, so let's quit doing it. Guess what estrogen they used for those studies. They used an artificial form of estrogen that is not the same as what humans make that was collected from horse urine from pregnant mares. That's actually how they did this. They had little horses walking around with little cups underneath them. And they collected that, purified it, and sold it to you. And it didn't do what bioidentical hormones do, because you can't patent bioidentical hormones, since they're already in your body.
What that means is that, when you work with a functional medicine doctor, and they measure your levels of estrogen, and you use topical estrogen replacement-- this is a cream you put in various parts on the body, or injections, or pellets-- there's different ways to get it-- your risk of all sorts of diseases go down. And if you're dealing with pre and perimenopause, it can really change the quality of your life in a very, very meaningful way. So, we are walking around with people suffering, tired, emotional ups and downs, all sorts of problems because we're afraid that a bioidentical compound your body makes will have the same effect as something a horse did 25 years ago.
And this is why anti-aging doctors and functional medicine doctors are the ones that I choose to see when I'm dealing with aging. And when I break my arm, I go to the hospital. Of course, I don't break my arm. I have high bone density, 'cause I manage that.
- Hormone therapy and supplementation have often been associated with cancer and unwanted side effects.
- However, this connection is fueled by misinformation and faulty sources of testosterone and estrogen outside the human body.
- When taken correctly, bioidentical hormone supplements can dial back the aging process and spark a zest for life while decreasing the risk of cardiovascular disease in both men and women.
Super Human: The Bulletproof Plan to Age Backward and Maybe Even Live Forever
- Hack Your Flow: Understanding Flow Cycles, with Steven Kotler ... ›
- Testosterone Therapy Studies Discover Mixed Results, As Usage ... ›
Big ideas.
Once a week.
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Japanese government appoints new "Minister of Loneliness"
While not the first such minister, the loneliness epidemic in Japan will make this one the hardest working.
- The Japanese government has appointed a Minister of Loneliness to implement policies designed to fight isolation and lower suicide rates.
- They are the second country, after the U.K., to dedicate a cabinet member to the task.
- While Japan is famous for how its loneliness epidemic manifests, it isn't alone in having one.
The Ministry of Loneliness
<iframe width="730" height="430" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/I5FIohjZT8o" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe><p><a href="https://www.jimin.jp/english/profile/members/114749.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tetsushi Sakamoto</a>, already in the government as the minister in charge of raising Japan's low birthrate and revitalizing regional economies, was appointed this <a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/02/21/national/japan-tackles-loneliness/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">month</a> to the additional role. He has already announced plans for an emergency national forum to discuss the issue and share the testimony of lonely <a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/02/12/national/loneliness-isolation-minister/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">individuals</a>.</p><p>Given the complexity of the problem, the minister will primarily oversee the coordination of efforts between different <a href="https://www.insider.com/japan-minister-of-loneliness-suicides-rise-pandemic-2021-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ministries</a> that hope to address the issue alongside a task <a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/02/21/national/japan-tackles-loneliness/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">force</a>. He steps into his role not a moment too soon. The loneliness epidemic in Japan is uniquely well known around the world.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hikikomori" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Hikikomori</em></a><em>,</em> often translated as "acute social withdrawal," is the phenomenon of people completely withdrawing from society for months or years at a time and living as modern-day hermits. While cases exist in many <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00247/full" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">countries</a>, the problem is better known and more prevalent in Japan. Estimates vary, but some suggest that one million Japanese live like this and that 1.5 million more are at <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/article/japan-hikikomori-isolation-society" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">risk</a> of developing the condition. Individuals practicing this hermitage often express contentment with their isolation at first before encountering severe symptoms of loneliness and <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/01/200110155241.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">distress</a>.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kodokushi" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Kodokushi</em></a>, the phenomenon of the elderly dying alone and remaining undiscovered for some time due to their isolation, is also a widespread issue in Japan that has attracted national attention for decades.</p><p>These are just the most shocking elements of the loneliness crisis. As we've discussed before, loneliness can cause health issues akin to <a href="https://www.inc.com/amy-morin/americas-loneliness-epidemic-is-more-lethal-than-smoking-heres-what-you-can-do-to-combat-isolation.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">smoking</a>. A lack of interaction within a community can cause social <a href="https://bigthink.com/in-their-own-words/how-religious-neighbors-are-better-neighbors" target="_self">problems</a>. It is even associated with changes in the <a href="https://bigthink.com/mind-brain/loneliness-brain" target="_self">brain</a>. While there is nothing wrong with wanting a little time to yourself, the inability to get the socialization that many people need is a real problem with real <a href="https://bigthink.com/mind-brain/brain-loneliness-hunger" target="_self">consequences</a>.</p>The virus that broke the camel's back
<iframe width="730" height="430" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Hp-L844-5k8" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe><p> A global loneliness pandemic existed before COVID-19, and the two working in tandem has been catastrophic. </p><p>Japanese society has always placed a value on solitude, often associating it with self-reliance, which makes dealing with the problem of excessive solitude more difficult. Before the pandemic, 16.1 percent of Japanese seniors reported having nobody to turn to in a time of need, the highest rate of any nation <a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/02/21/national/japan-tackles-loneliness/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">considered</a>. Seventeen percent of Japanese men surveyed in 2005 said that they "rarely or never spend time with friends, colleagues, or others in social groups." This was three times the average rate of other <a href="http://www.oecd.org/sdd/37964677.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">countries</a>. </p><p>American individualism also creates a fertile environment for isolation to grow. About a month before the pandemic started, nearly<a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/01/23/798676465/most-americans-are-lonely-and-our-workplace-culture-may-not-be-helping" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> 3 in 5</a> Americans reported being lonely in a <a href="https://www.cigna.com/about-us/newsroom/studies-and-reports/combatting-loneliness/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">report</a> issued by Cigna. This is a slight increase over previous studies, which had been pointing in the same direction for years. </p><p>In the United Kingdom, the problem prompted the creation of the Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness. The commission's <a href="https://www.ageuk.org.uk/globalassets/age-uk/documents/reports-and-publications/reports-and-briefings/active-communities/rb_dec17_jocox_commission_finalreport.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">final report </a>paints a stark picture of the U.K.'s situation in 2017, with millions of people from all parts of British society reporting feeling regular loneliness at a tremendous cost to personal health, society, and the economy.</p><p>The report called for a lead minister to address the problem at the national level, incorporating government action with the insights provided by volunteer organizations, businesses, the NHS, and other organizations on the crisis's front lines. Her Majesty's Government acted on the report and appointed the first Minister for Loneliness in <a href="https://time.com/5248016/tracey-crouch-uk-loneliness-minister/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2018</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tracey_Crouch" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tracey Crouch</a>, and dedicated millions of pounds to battling the problem. </p><p>The distancing procedures necessitated by the COVID-19 epidemic saved many lives but exacerbated an existing problem of loneliness in many parts of the world. While the issue had received attention before, Japan's steps to address the situation suggest that people are now willing to treat it with the seriousness it deserves.</p><p>--</p><p><em>If you or a loved one are having suicidal thoughts, help is available. The suicide prevention hotline can be reached at 1-800-273-8255.</em></p>How art and design can rebuild a community
MIT professor Azra Akšamija creates works of cultural resilience in the face of social conflict.
Octopus-like creatures inhabit Jupiter’s moon, claims space scientist
A leading British space scientist thinks there is life under the ice sheets of Europa.
- A British scientist named Professor Monica Grady recently came out in support of extraterrestrial life on Europa.
- Europa, the sixth largest moon in the solar system, may have favorable conditions for life under its miles of ice.
- The moon is one of Jupiter's 79.
Neil deGrasse Tyson wants to go ice fishing on Europa
<div class="rm-shortcode" data-media_id="GLGsRX7e" data-player_id="FvQKszTI" data-rm-shortcode-id="f4790eb8f0515e036b24c4195299df28"> <div id="botr_GLGsRX7e_FvQKszTI_div" class="jwplayer-media" data-jwplayer-video-src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/GLGsRX7e-FvQKszTI.js"> <img src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/thumbs/GLGsRX7e-1920.jpg" class="jwplayer-media-preview" /> </div> <script src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/GLGsRX7e-FvQKszTI.js"></script> </div>Water Vapor Above Europa’s Surface Deteced for First Time
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9c4abc8473e1b89170cc8941beeb1f2d"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WQ-E1lnSOzc?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>Here's what happened when AI and humans met in a strawberry-growing contest
Do they really need the human touch?
- In Pinduoduo's Smart Agriculture Competition, four technology teams competed with traditional farmers over four months to grow strawberries.
- Data analysis, intelligent sensors and greenhouse automation helped the scientists win.
- Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies such as AI are forecast to deliver huge productivity gains – but need the right governance, according to the Global Technology Governance Report 2021.
Pinduoduo
<h3>Growing potential</h3><p>Numerous studies show the potential for Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies like AI to boost economic growth and productivity.</p><p>By 2035, labour productivity in developed countries could rise by 40% due to the influence of AI, according to<a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/12/ai-productivity-automation-artificial-intelligence-countries/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> analysis from Accenture and Frontier Economics</a>.</p><p>Sweden, the US and Japan are expected to see the highest productivity increases.</p>