The Human Upgrade: Biohacking for Longevity & Performance

Host: Dave Asprey
Episode: Biohacking News Weekly Update #1359
Date: November 7, 2025

Episode Overview

In this rapid-fire news roundup, Dave Asprey delivers concise summaries and sharp commentary on the week’s most important stories in biohacking, longevity, and cutting-edge health science. Covering everything from new research on melatonin risks to breakthroughs in AI-driven cellular research and a diagnostic test for chronic fatigue syndrome, the episode arms listeners with actionable insights and protocols to upgrade their own biology.

Key Topics & Insights

1. Melatonin’s Risks When Used Long-Term

[01:11]

• Major Story: New research presented at the American Heart Association finds adults with chronic insomnia who take melatonin for over a year are “almost twice as likely to develop heart failure and three and a half times more likely to be hospitalized.”
• Mortality Impact: “Even all-cause mortality rates nearly doubled. And that’s after adjusting for age, activity, and other health factors.”
• Context: Melatonin is a hormone—using it nightly can suppress other hormones (e.g., LH and FSH, impacting testosterone, fertility, thyroid).
• Dave’s Take:

  “Biohack your environment before you biohack your hormones.” (02:18)

• Recommendation:
  • Use melatonin for targeted, short-term use (jet lag, circadian resets), not nightly.
  • Focus on upstream sleep factors: morning sunlight, evening darkness, caffeine and blood sugar timing, and mineral balance.

2. Brian Johnson’s Microplastics Detox Protocol

[03:15]

• Context: Biohacker Brian Johnson conducted an extreme self-experiment—achieving an “85% reduction in microplastics in his semen over one year.”
• Protocol: Daily 200°F dry saunas (20 min), immediately followed by ice packs directly on the groin.
• Possible Mechanisms: Combo of heat shock proteins and cold exposure facilitating toxin elimination and improving testicular circulation.
• Bigger Conversation: Microplastics are found in blood, lungs, livers, and now reproductive fluids; they can disrupt hormones.
• Advice:
  • Avoid plastic water bottles, use glass/stainless steel.
  • Reduce ultra-processed foods.
  • Never heat food in plastic containers.
• Notable Quote:

  “People experiment, share data, and challenge what medicine says is normal. That’s how biohacking moves forward.” (04:26)

3. Urolithin A—Mitochondrial and Immune Rejuvenation

[05:00]

• Study: Timeline Nutrition trial (Nature Aging): Four weeks of daily Urolithin A (Mitopure) improved immune function in adults aged 45-70.
• Findings:
  • Increases in youthful CD8 T-cells, natural killer cells.
  • Enhanced mitochondrial function.
• Mechanism: Urolithin A triggers mitophagy—clearing old mitochondria so new ones grow.
• Why It Matters:

  “It moves mitochondrial rejuvenation from hype to hard data.” (05:44)

• Recommendations:
  • Support mitophagy for immunity and healthy aging.
  • Consider pairing Urolithin A with CoQ10, PQQ, and resistance training for amplified effects.

4. AI Model: “Cell2Sentence” by Google DeepMind & Yale

[06:02]

• Innovation: Open-source AI model translates cellular processes into natural language queries—like “ChatGPT for biology.”
• Uses: Predicts how cells change (e.g., healthy to cancerous); suggests molecular interventions.
• Implications:
  • Dramatically speeds up hypothesis testing—compressing “years of work into days.”
  • Democratizes advanced research to smaller labs and individuals.
• Vision: Personalized cellular modeling for drug, supplement, or therapy responses before human trials.
• Notable Quote:

  “Imagine…you could model how your specific cells respond to NAD precursors, rapamycin, or hyperbaric oxygen... That’s where this is heading. Isn’t AI a beautiful thing?” (07:29)

5. Omega-3s Lower Aggression

[08:51]

• Meta-Analysis: November study—omega-3 supplementation lowers aggression up to 28% (both reactive and proactive).
• Biological Basis:
  • The brain is ~60% fat by dry weight; omega-3s (EPA/DHA) are vital for stability of neuronal membranes and neurochemistry.
  • Modern diets have flipped the omega-6/omega-3 ratio from “roughly 2:1 in ancestral diets…to as high as 20:1 today.”
• Practical Advice:
  • If not eating cold-water fish weekly, supplement daily with 1-2g of combined EPA/DHA from high-quality, 3rd-party tested sources.
• Notable Quote:

  “The mind-body calm you get from that balance isn’t placebo, it’s biochemistry working as designed.” (10:01)

6. Blood Test Breakthrough for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS/ME)

[10:19]

• Innovation: First accurate molecular test for CFS using DNA methylation and micro-RNA patterns to distinguish CFS from healthy or other chronic illnesses.
• Significance: Enables objective diagnosis, targeted treatments, early intervention, and true legitimacy for patients.
• Bigger Picture: Sets precedent for other “invisible” illnesses (fibromyalgia, long COVID).
• Notable Quote:

  “This test proves…their mitochondria and immune systems are in dysfunction, not their heads. Data is how suffering becomes solvable.” (11:07)

Weekly Protocol / Action Steps

(11:38–12:45)

• Melatonin: Use only short-term; focus on circadian hygiene (light, darkness, magnesium, glycine).
• Detox: Regular sweating via sauna, exercise, or hot/cold contrast to help excrete microplastics and toxins.
• Mitochondrial Health: Support mitophagy (Urolithin A, CoQ10, PQQ) plus resistance training.
• Omega-3 Intake: 1–2g EPA/DHA daily or eat fatty fish 3x/week.
• Data Tracking: Monitor HRV, sleep, recovery—see how these changes affect you.
• Mindset:

  “Most of all, stay curious. These breakthroughs…are proof that we’re entering a new age of precision biology. You don’t need to wait for the future of medicine. You can participate in it right now.” (12:44)

Memorable Quotes

• On Melatonin Overuse:

  “Melatonin is not a harmless vitamin. It’s a hormone, and your body’s circadian rhythm runs on tight hormonal timing.”
  Dave Asprey, [01:31]

• On N=1 Experiments:

  “Ten years ago, nobody was even testing for microplastics in semen. Now we’re having that conversation.”
  Dave Asprey, [04:14]

• On Urolithin A:

  “Think of it like swapping out the worn out batteries in your cells. When your mitochondria work better, your immune system gets sharper, inflammation calms down, and your overall resilience improves.”
  Dave Asprey, [05:27]

Important Timestamps

• [01:11] – Melatonin and heart failure risk
• [03:15] – Brian Johnson’s microplastics self-experiment
• [05:00] – Urolithin A, mitophagy, and immune rejuvenation
• [06:02] – Google DeepMind’s Cell2Sentence AI model
• [08:51] – Omega-3s and aggression reduction
• [10:19] – CFS/ME blood test breakthrough
• [11:38–12:45] – Weekly actionable biohacking protocol

Tone & Style

Dave Asprey is energetic, data-driven, and encourages listener agency and experimentation. He combines research highlights with practical advice and a sense of optimism about the future of precision health.

This summary skips all advertisements and non-content sections to deliver actionable biohacking highlights and context for The Human Upgrade episode on November 7, 2025.