Podcast Summary: The Human Upgrade: Biohacking for Longevity & Performance
Episode: Biohacking News Weekly Update : 1363
Host: Dave Asprey
Date: November 14, 2025
Episode Overview
This week’s edition of The Human Upgrade delivers Dave Asprey’s rapid-fire rundown on the most impactful updates from the worlds of biohacking, longevity, and performance optimization. In just ten minutes, Dave explores a landmark cocoa extract study, advances in at-home health diagnostics, the generational surge in organ supplements, new science on spirulina, and crucial debate around personal health data and privacy law.
The tone is direct and energetic, with Dave’s trademark enthusiasm for science-backed, actionable biohacks.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. Cocoa Extract: From Dessert to Cardiovascular Biohack
Segment Begins: [01:26]
- Headline Study: The massive COSMOS trial from Mass General Brigham found that daily intake of cocoa extract rich in flavanols led to a 27% reduction in cardiovascular deaths among older adults.
- “Not better markers, not trends. Real measurable drops in mortality.” — Dave Asprey [01:36]
- Cocoa flavanols also substantially lowered inflammation (notably HSCRP).
- Sex-Specific Effects: Women showed unique anti-inflammatory cytokine shifts not seen in men.
- Mechanism: Improved nitric oxide production for relaxed blood vessels and better oxygen delivery—similar to beetroot or arginine.
- Caveat: Benefits pertain to high-flavanol cocoa extract, not chocolate bars—sugar and dairy negate benefits.
- High-quality cocoa extract may soon be considered a longevity staple alongside omega-3s and magnesium.
- “That’s a major shift for something that comes from a bean we've been eating for thousands of years.” — Dave Asprey [01:58]
2. AI-Powered At-Home Diagnostics: Lapsi Health’s Kekou 2.0
Segment Begins: [03:03]
- Breakthrough Device: Kekou 2.0 becomes the first FDA-cleared AI digital stethoscope for both home users and clinicians.
- How It Works: Users hold it to their chest; it records heart and lung sounds, transcribes, and analyzes them instantly for irregularities.
- Impact: Enables proactive (“predictive”) rather than reactive medicine. Early detection is possible—before symptoms appear.
- “A device like this lets you intervene while it’s still early. That’s the whole point of biohacking.” — Dave Asprey [03:44]
- Data is stored for longitudinal tracking and easily shareable with practitioners via telemedicine.
- Dave predicts this tech will become mainstream in every “quantified self toolkit” within five years.
3. Organ Supplements: A Social-Media-Driven Shift in Women’s Nutrition
Segment Begins: [04:09]
- Trend: Sales of beef organ supplements have exploded by over 8,000%—driven primarily by women.
- Reported Benefits: Increased energy, hormonal balance, improved mood and skin clarity. Online testimonials show better lab results for ferritin, thyroid, and menstrual health compared to synthetic multivitamins.
- “Women online are posting lab results showing improvements…after replacing synthetic multivitamins with clean organ supplements.” — Dave Asprey [04:31]
- Organs like liver, kidney, and heart are termed “nature’s multivitamins”—rich in vitamin A, heme iron, B12, copper, and choline.
- Key Message: This is a move from “fear-based nutrition” to evolutionary nutrition—“nature already built multivitamins, they just came wrapped in biology.”
- Debate continues over sourcing and purity—quality and transparency are crucial.
4. Spirulina: Revival of a Plant-Based Longevity Superfood
Segment Begins: [05:15]
- Renewed Interest: New studies show spirulina supports collagen production, DNA protection from oxidative stress, and glucose and lipid regulation.
- “Spirulina is one of the most complete plant based proteins you can get.” — Dave Asprey [05:27]
- Bioactive Compounds: Phycocyanin reduces mitochondrial oxidative damage; contains B vitamins, peptides, trace minerals.
- Trend: “Green stacking”—combining spirulina, chlorella, chlorophyll, and polyphenols—boosts detox and immunity.
- Audience Application: Athletes report improved recovery and endurance; longevity-focused biohackers use it as daily insurance against oxidative stress.
- Environmental Impact: Highly sustainable—low water use, high yield, eco-longevity flagship food.
5. Health Data Privacy: The Coming Legal Upgrade
Segment Begins: [09:08]
- Major News: The U.S. Senate is considering The Health Information Privacy Reform Act to extend HIPAA-level protections to wearables, apps, and genetic testing services.
- “Right now, those platforms aren’t covered under federal medical privacy law, which means companies can legally share or monetize your biological data without much restriction.” — Dave Asprey [09:18]
- Scope: Would apply privacy rights to devices and apps not traditionally seen as medical, such as OURA, Whoop, glucose monitors, and wellness apps.
- Implications: Puts data control back in the hands of users, letting them decide who sees, stores, or sells their “biological signals.”
- Warning: Tech pushback expected, but shift reflects the need for privacy in light of how revealing health data can be.
- “Your biology should belong to you, not the cloud.” — Dave Asprey [09:52]
Weekly Upgrade Protocol & Practical Takeaways
Segment Begins: [10:23]
- Cocoa Extract: Add high-flavanol cocoa extract to your daily regimen for vascular and brain health.
- Track Your Physiology: Use devices—stethoscopes, wearables, glucose monitors—to spot trends and intervene early.
- Micronutrient Audit: Consider quality beef organ supplements for foundational nutritional support, especially given modern dietary gaps.
- Daily Greens: Pair spirulina with chlorella or chlorophyll for detox, metabolic, and collagen benefits.
- Data Privacy Check: Audit your permissions on health-related apps. “Your biology should belong to you.” — Dave Asprey [11:18]
- Summary Point: “Curiosity and data are the real upgrade… You don’t have to wait for the future of personalized health. You’re already living in it.” — Dave Asprey [11:45]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “This doesn’t mean chocolate bars are a longevity hack. Sugar and dairy offset the benefits. But high flavanol cocoa extract—that’s now looking like a legitimate foundational nutrient for heart and brain health.” — Dave Asprey [01:56]
- “We’re rediscovering that nature already built multivitamins. They just came wrapped in biology. This is ancestral meets modern…” — Dave Asprey [04:48]
- “A device like this lets you intervene while it’s still early. That’s the whole point of biohacking.” — Dave Asprey [03:44]
- “Your biology should belong to you, not the cloud.” — Dave Asprey [09:52]
Important Segment Timestamps
- [01:26] — Cocoa extract’s clinical breakthroughs
- [03:03] — FDA-cleared AI stethoscope for home diagnostics
- [04:09] — Beef organ supplement surge, driven by women
- [05:15] — New science and trends around spirulina
- [09:08] — Health data privacy law update
- [10:23] — Weekly protocol and action steps
- [11:18] — Closing thoughts on curiosity, data, and human enhancement
Summary
Dave Asprey’s weekly upgrade delivers a blend of scientific rigor, actionable health protocols, and forward-looking cultural commentary. From surprising findings on cocoa flavanols and practical AI diagnostics, to grassroots changes in supplementation habits and essential legal reforms for personal data, the episode is a packed value-driven update for anyone serious about living longer, thinking faster, and performing better—now with the data, tools, and awareness needed to do it right.