Biohacking and Optimising Your Health During Covid-19

How to Optimise Your Health During Covid-19 With Biohacking

By Dr Jonathan Seah | 14 Mar 2022

This article is a repost which originally appeared on PRESTIGE

Edited for content. The opinions expressed in this article may not reflect the opinions of this site’s editors, staff or members.

Our Takeaways:

· Dietary biohacks can be used for more efficient recovery from illnesses like Covid-19.

· It is possible to potimize the health beyond functional levels with diet and supplementation.

· Plant based and ketogenic diets are considered optimal for dealing with Covid-19.

For most of the past two years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’d been relatively fortunate in Hong Kong compared to many other cities in the world, without full lockdowns, mass testings, and most importantly, significant numbers of severely sick and dying people.

Unfortunately, this has all changed these past two months, with almost 500,000 cases and 2,000 deaths[1]. While most of these have been amongst the unvaccinated, elderly or chronically ill, some younger people and even children have been affected. Even though most of my friends are already vaccinated, they wanted to know if there was anything else they could do to improve their chances if infected. So after a chat with some LifeClinic doctors, I’ve summarized some suggested biohacks below – all of which are backed by peer-reviewed scientific research (links to the research papers are at the end).

Before I begin, it might be useful to understand how my medical philosophy differs from that of regular doctors. Most “conventional” doctors were taught, like I was over 30 years ago, that there are essentially only two states of health – either you are sick, or you are not sick. “Functional” medicine doctors, however, who are conventional doctors with extra related training, believe that it is possible to achieve an even better, “optimal” level of health – essentially a super-powered state that will allow you to function better than the average person at both work and play (potentially more energy, better memory, better sex, look younger), and to possibly live longer.

While media attention has focused on Hollywood and Hong Kong movie stars and Silicon Valley billionaires who see functional medicine doctors reverse both their internal and external ageing with advanced treatments like intravenous NAD+, peptides, exosomes, or cytokines, I personally believe that much of the benefits of functional medicine – especially with regards to improving your body’s immune functions to potentially reduce the severity of a COVID-19 infection – can be achieved with relatively inexpensive micronutrients you can purchase yourself[2].

What causes severe Covid-19 disease and death

As we have now seen over the past 2 years, about 80 percent of people who get COVID-19 have no symptoms or only mild symptoms, 14 percent get severe symptoms like pneumonia, and 5 percent get critical symptoms like respiratory distress or multi-organ failure, and about 2 percent die[3]. The mechanism for these bad outcomes is still being investigated, but much of the research points to abnormal immune responses (culminating in what has come to be called a “cytokine storm”) and the presence of chronic inflammation. We believe this is probably why the outcomes are often worse for older people[4], (who typically have aged immune systems), and for those with some pre-existing illnesses that cause systemic inflammation (like diabetes, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease)[5].

So, the question then becomes – what are some simple things we do ourselves to reduce the chronic inflammation in our bodies, and to rejuvenate our immune systems?

The best Covid-19 diets: Plant-based and clean keto

An unhealthy diet could increase your risk factors for a severe COVID-19 infection[6]. Over the past year, there have been a few very large research studies that have demonstrated quite clearly that what you eat can affect how your body reacts to COVID-19.

One of the most important was a study conducted amongst almost 3,000 front-line health care workers (doctors and nurses) across 6 countries, which showed that those who followed a largely plant-based diet (mostly vegetables and plant proteins, and less red and processed meats and sweetened beverages and alcohol), had a 73 percent lower likelihood of developing moderate-to-severe COVID-19 infections[7]! This is possibly because a plant-based diet often has more micronutrients that are essential for the proper functioning of the body’s immune system, such as polyphenols, carotenoids, dietary fibre, vitamins A, C, E, and folate, and minerals like iron, potassium, and magnesium. Or because the virus itself is weakened in a nutrient-dense environment[8]! Also, in this same study, those who ate a plant-based diet together with fish had a 59 percent lower chance of moderate-to-severe COVID-19 infection. In this case, it is thought that the mechanism of action might be a reduction of chronic systemic inflammation. Fish is an important source of vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids, which have anti-inflammatory effects on the body. (Diazepam online)

An even larger study, this time of almost 600,000 people, also showed that those who ate diets characterized by more healthy plant-based foods correlated with a 41 percent lower chance of severe COVID-19 infections[9].

Separately, there has also been a lot of interest in investigating if ketogenic diets could be beneficial in COVID-19 patients. One study conducted in Italy on 102 hospitalized patients showed that those fed with a low-calorie ketogenic diet had a lower admission to the ICU and a lower death rate than those fed on a low-calorie standard (Mediterranean) diet[10]. This could be because a ketogenic diet can better regulate glucose metabolism and reduce systemic inflammation, as the SARS-CoV-2 virus seems to grow more quickly in a high glucose environment[11] and maybe why many diabetics have a severe COVID-19 infection. Additionally, the ketone bodies generated when a body is in ketosis appear to not only serve as fuel but also to promote resistance to oxidative and inflammatory stress[12] which can contribute to severe symptoms. Lastly, over time, ketogenic diets can reduce obesity and hypertension, which could also help improve COVID-19 outcomes.

So what are the key takeaways from this section? To increase your chances of a good outcome in case of infection, try to have a mostly plant-based diet or a “clean” ketogenic diet – that is to say, one that uses mostly plant fats, and fewer animal fats which of course can themselves be very inflammatory.

Biohacking: Your micronutrient heroes

Dietary insufficiency of vitamins and minerals has been observed in high-risk COVID-19 patients, which may account for the increased risk of severe infections. It is also noted that much of the evidence surrounding supportive micronutrient use in COVID-19 utilize doses too high to come just from diet. This is why, given the simplicity, relatively low cost and low risk, supplementation during this period might make sense for many people. The doctors at LifeClinic usually make customized supplement recommendations based on the results of some specialized blood tests and track your micronutrient levels over time. This is because everyone’s biology and needs are different. However, since not everybody will have the opportunity to have this done, I am sharing with you what many functional doctors recommend, and what I take myself! By the way – several of these supplements can also increase sex drive and the ability to achieve orgasm, so think of this as an additional benefit if you are in quarantine with your significant other[13][14].

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, that is both ingested via foods, as well as made by our bodies in the presence of sunlight – another reason my family loves to go hiking! Vitamin D insufficiency could affect almost 50% of the population worldwide[15]. Essential for a healthy lining in our throats to protect against the initial viral entry into our bodies[16], vitamin D is also critical for a healthy immune system. The primary effects of vitamin D in COVID-19 infections are to reduce the viability of the virus and the excessive inflammatory response[17]. In a study conducted on 212 COVID-19 cases, the probability of having a mild disease was correlated to high levels of vitamin D, and, as the vitamin D levels decreased, the risk of severe disease increased. In fact, in COVID-19 hospitalizations with vitamin D deficiencies, treatment with vitamin D shortened the hospital stays and decreased the death rate by more than twice[18]! Yulia and I take 5,000 IU of D3, and we give our son a few drops of D3 liquid every day. You might need more if your levels are low[19].

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that cannot be made by humans, which means that it is not well stored in our bodies and must be taken regularly through food or supplements. In addition to being necessary for the body’s outer protective layers (skin and mucosa) and being a powerful antioxidant, it also has critical roles in immunity, including proper white cell movement and antibody production. While most conventional family doctors believe that just 90-120 mg daily[20] of vitamin C is sufficient, I would recommend higher doses to potentially help improve infection recovery times[21], as has been seen with the common cold and even pneumonia[22]. There is even documentation of more than 10,000 mg a day of vitamin C given intravenously (IV) as part of a successful COVID-19 hospital treatment programme[23]. Given that, at home, we can only use oral Vitamin C, Yulia and I take about 1,000 to 2,000 mg a day, and we give our son about 200 mg.

Zinc

Zinc is a key trace mineral that has many potential health benefits against COVID-19 infections, via improving the immune response, minimizing the inflammation, preventing lung injury, and inhibiting viral growth through the interference of the viral genome transcription, protein translation, and attachment[24][25]. It has been shown that zinc supplementation can increase the number of T cells and NK (natural killer) cells in your body – important parts of the immune system, and conversely zinc deficiency can lower the number of white blood cells that fight infections[26]. Several studies are currently ongoing to further investigate the effects of zinc on COVID-19 symptoms and outcomes[27]. We take between 30-50mg of zinc a day.

Quercetin

Quercetin is a natural substance known as a polyphenol. Its main natural sources in food are vegetables like onions and broccoli; fruits like apples, berry crops, and grapes; and some herbs; tea; and wine. It is an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, can affect human immune functions, and also has antiviral properties. In a recent randomized study with 152 COVID-19 patients, it was found that in those who received quercetin 500 mg twice a day as supportive therapy, there were statistically significant improvements in all the clinical outcomes measured (the length of hospitalization, the need for oxygen therapy, progression to intensive care units, and death). The results also confirmed the very high safety profile of quercetin and its possible anti-fatigue and pro-appetite properties[28]. Yulia and I are currently following this protocol – 500 mg twice a day.

Omega-3 Fish Oil

Omega-3 fish oils are polyunsaturated fatty acids and include both eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) fatty acids, and are known to have immunity and anti-inflammatory, and antiviral properties, and may even improve oxygenation in COVID-19 patients[29]. In a double-blind, randomized clinical trial conducted on 128 critically ill COVID-19 patients, omega-3 supplementation improved the levels of several parameters of respiratory and renal function[30]. However, on the negative side, there is also a possibility that they can make cell membranes more susceptible to non-enzymatic oxidation, so it is best to not overdo it. Yulia and I take 1,000 mg a day.

Probiotics

Maintaining good gut health is critical for a strong immune system. Our gastrointestinal system has trillions of microorganisms that live in harmony with us (this is known as your “gut biome”). They not only protect against harmful pathogens like the virus causing COVID-19 but also are a major “training ground” for our immune system. With modern living characterized by too much stress, refined carbohydrates, pollutants, medications and antibiotics, this protective lining can be severely weakened. Probiotics strengthen this barrier and can activate various protective immune factors such as IgA antibodies, cytotoxic T-cells and antimicrobial proteins. Recently a research study done right here in Hong Kong showed that there was a distinct correlation between the amount of certain healthy gut bacteria and the level of COVID-19 antibodies that developed after vaccinations[31]. I would recommend including a decent probiotic in your supplementation regime.

Of course, if you suspect your micronutrient levels are very low and you want a quick boost to your immunity, it might not be a bad time to get a consult with a functional medicine doctor or practitioner to evaluate if you might benefit from IV micronutrient therapy. However, if you’ve already been vaccinated and don’t have any major chronic illnesses, the above diet and supplements, in combination with some physical activity, would probably be enough to sufficiently improve your and your family’s chances of having just mild or no symptoms if you were to get COVID-19 infection – which for most of us will inevitably happen at some point! There are a few other micronutrients that you could consider adding, for example, selenium, magnesium and liposomal glutathione, but they’re not as easy to obtain locally. In any case, the very fact that you’ve actually read through this article means that you’re probably already doing all the right things. The very best wishes from our family to yours during this challenging time in Hong Kong!

[1] Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health, last updated as of 6 March 2022.
[2] Please note that you should not start any type of supplement regime without first consulting a suitably trained professional.
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[4] Wu, J.T., Leung, K., Bushman, M. et al. Estimating clinical severity of COVID-19 from the transmission dynamics in Wuhan, China. Nat Med 26, 506–510 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-020-0822-7
[5] Bae S, Kim SR, Kim M, et al. Impact of cardiovascular disease and risk factors on fatal outcomes in patients with COVID-19 according to age: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Heart 2021;107:373-380.
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[7] Kim H, Rebholz CM, Hegde S, et al Plant-based diets, pescatarian diets and COVID-19 severity: a population-based case–control study in six countries BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health 2021;4:doi: 10.1136/bmjnph-2021-000272.
[8] Beck MA. Antioxidants and viral infections: host immune response and viral pathogenicity. J Am Coll Nutr. 2001 Oct;20(5 Suppl):384S-388S; discussion 396S-397S. doi: 10.1080/07315724.2001.10719172. PMID: 11603647.
[9] Merino J, Joshi AD, Nguyen LH, Leeming ER, Mazidi M, Drew DA, Gibson R, Graham MS, Lo CH, Capdevila J, Murray B, Hu C, Selvachandran S, Hammers A, Bhupathiraju SN, Sharma SV, Sudre C, Astley CM, Chavarro JE, Kwon S, Ma W, Menni C, Willett WC, Ourselin S, Steves CJ, Wolf J, Franks PW, Spector TD, Berry S, Chan AT. Diet quality and risk and severity of COVID-19: a prospective cohort study. Gut. 2021 Nov;70(11):2096-2104. doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2021-325353. Epub 2021 Sep 6. PMID: 34489306; PMCID: PMC8500931.
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[11] Codo AC, Davanzo GG, Monteiro LB, de Souza GF, Muraro SP, Virgilio-da-Silva JV, Prodonoff JS, Carregari VC, de Biagi Junior CAO, Crunfli F, Jimenez Restrepo JL, Vendramini PH, Reis-de-Oliveira G, Bispo Dos Santos K, Toledo-Teixeira DA, Parise PL, Martini MC, Marques RE, Carmo HR, Borin A, Coimbra LD, Boldrini VO, Brunetti NS, Vieira AS, Mansour E, Ulaf RG, Bernardes AF, Nunes TA, Ribeiro LC, Palma AC, Agrela MV, Moretti ML, Sposito AC, Pereira FB, Velloso LA, Vinolo MAR, Damasio A, Proença-Módena JL, Carvalho RF, Mori MA, Martins-de-Souza D, Nakaya HI, Farias AS, Moraes-Vieira PM. Elevated Glucose Levels Favor SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Monocyte Response through a HIF-1α/Glycolysis-Dependent Axis. Cell Metab. 2020 Sep 1;32(3):437-446.e5. doi: 10.1016/j.cmet.2020.07.007. Epub 2020 Jul 17. Erratum in: Cell Metab. 2020 Sep 1;32(3):498-499. PMID: 32697943; PMCID: PMC7367032.
[12] Kolb, H., Kempf, K., Röhling, M. et al. Ketone bodies: from enemy to friend and guardian angel. BMC Med 19, 313 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-021-02185-0
[13] Krysiak R, Szwajkosz A, Marek B, Okopień B. The effect of vitamin D supplementation on sexual functioning and depressive symptoms in young women with low vitamin D status. Endokrynol Pol. 2018;69(2):168-174. doi: 10.5603/EP.a2018.0013. Epub 2018 Feb 14. PMID: 29442353.
[14] Tirabassi G, Sudano M, Salvio G, Cutini M, Muscogiuri G, Corona G, Balercia G. Vitamin D and Male Sexual Function: A Transversal and Longitudinal Study. Int J Endocrinol. 2018 Jan 8;2018:3720813. doi: 10.1155/2018/3720813. PMID: 29531528; PMCID: PMC5817208.
[15] Nair R, Maseeh A. Vitamin D: The “sunshine” vitamin. J Pharmacol Pharmacother. 2012 Apr;3(2):118-26. doi: 10.4103/0976-500X.95506. PMID: 22629085; PMCID: PMC3356951.
[16] Gorman S, Buckley AG, Ling KM, et al. Vitamin D supplementation of initially vitamin D-deficient mice diminishes lung inflammation with limited effects on pulmonary epithelial integrity. Physiol Rep. 2017;5(15):e13371. doi:10.14814/phy2.13371
[17] Chiodini I, Gatti D, Soranna D, Merlotti D, Mingiano C, Fassio A, Adami G, Falchetti A, Eller-Vainicher C, Rossini M, Persani L, Zambon A, Gennari L. Vitamin D Status and SARS-CoV-2 Infection and COVID-19 Clinical Outcomes. Front Public Health. 2021 Dec 22;9:736665. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.736665. PMID: 35004568; PMCID: PMC8727532.
[18] Gönen MS, Alaylıoğlu M, Durcan E, Özdemir Y, Şahin S, Konukoğlu D, Nohut OK, Ürkmez S, Küçükece B, Balkan İİ, Kara HV, Börekçi Ş, Özkaya H, Kutlubay Z, Dikmen Y, Keskindemirci Y, Karras SN, Annweiler C, Gezen-Ak D, Dursun E. Rapid and Effective Vitamin D Supplementation May Present Better Clinical Outcomes in COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) Patients by Altering Serum INOS1, IL1B, IFNg, Cathelicidin-LL37, and ICAM1. Nutrients. 2021 Nov 12;13(11):4047. doi: 10.3390/nu13114047. PMID: 34836309; PMCID: PMC8618389.
[19] Grant WB, Lahore H, McDonnell SL, Baggerly CA, French CB, Aliano JL, Bhattoa HP. Evidence that Vitamin D Supplementation Could Reduce Risk of Influenza and COVID-19 Infections and Deaths. Nutrients. 2020 Apr 2;12(4):988. doi: 10.3390/nu12040988. PMID: 32252338; PMCID: PMC7231123.
[20] Vitamin C – Fact Sheet for Health Professionals, National Institutes of of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements.
[21] Hemilä, H. Vitamin C and Infections. Nutrients 2017, 9, 339. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu9040339
[22] Hunt C, Chakravorty NK, Annan G, Habibzadeh N, Schorah CJ. The clinical effects of vitamin C supplementation in elderly hospitalised patients with acute respiratory infections. Int J Vitam Nutr Res. 1994;64(3):212-9. PMID: 7814237.
[23] Waqas Khan HM, Parikh N, Megala SM, Predeteanu GS. Unusual Early Recovery of a Critical COVID-19 Patient After Administration of Intravenous Vitamin C. Am J Case Rep. 2020 Jul 25;21:e925521. doi: 10.12659/AJCR.925521. PMID: 32709838; PMCID: PMC7405920.
[24] Oyagbemi AA, Ajibade TO, Aboua YG, Gbadamosi IT, Adedapo ADA, Aro AO, Adejumobi OA, Thamahane-Katengua E, Omobowale TO, Falayi OO, Oyagbemi TO, Ogunpolu BS, Hassan FO, Ogunmiluyi IO, Ola-Davies OE, Saba AB, Adedapo AA, Nkadimeng SM, McGaw LJ, Kayoka-Kabongo PN, Oguntibeju OO, Yakubu MA. Potential health benefits of zinc supplementation for the management of COVID-19 pandemic. J Food Biochem. 2021 Feb;45(2):e13604. doi: 10.1111/jfbc.13604. Epub 2021 Jan 17. PMID: 33458853; PMCID: PMC7995057.
[25] te Velthuis AJ, van den Worm SH, Sims AC, Baric RS, Snijder EJ, van Hemert MJ. Zn(2+) inhibits coronavirus and arterivirus RNA polymerase activity in vitro and zinc ionophores block the replication of these viruses in cell culture. PLoS Pathog. 2010;6(11):e1001176. Published 2010 Nov 4. doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1001176
[26] Razzaque MS. COVID-19 Pandemic: Can Maintaining Optimal Zinc Balance Enhance Host Resistance? Tohoku J Exp Med. 2020 Jul;251(3):175-181. doi: 10.1620/tjem.251.175. PMID: 32641644.
[27] Chinni V, El-Khoury J, Perera M, et al. Zinc supplementation as an adjunct therapy for COVID-19: Challenges and opportunities. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2021;87(10):3737-3746. doi:10.1111/bcp.14826.
[28] Di Pierro F, Derosa G, Maffioli P, Bertuccioli A, Togni S, Riva A, Allegrini P, Khan A, Khan S, Khan BA, Altaf N, Zahid M, Ujjan ID, Nigar R, Khushk MI, Phulpoto M, Lail A, Devrajani BR, Ahmed S. Possible Therapeutic Effects of Adjuvant Quercetin Supplementation Against Early-Stage COVID-19 Infection: A Prospective, Randomized, Controlled, and Open-Label Study. Int J Gen Med. 2021;14:2359-2366
https://doi.org/10.2147/IJGM.S318720
[29] Rogero MM, Leão MC, Santana TM, Pimentel MVMB, Carlini GCG, da Silveira TFF, Gonçalves RC, Castro IA. Potential benefits and risks of omega-3 fatty acids supplementation to patients with COVID-19. Free Radic Biol Med. 2020 Aug 20;156:190-199. doi: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2020.07.005. Epub 2020 Jul 10. PMID: 32653511; PMCID: PMC7350587.
[30] Doaei S, Gholami S, Rastgoo S, Gholamalizadeh M, Bourbour F, Bagheri SE, Samipoor F, Akbari ME, Shadnoush M, Ghorat F, Mosavi Jarrahi SA, Ashouri Mirsadeghi N, Hajipour A, Joola P, Moslem A, Goodarzi MO. The effect of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on clinical and biochemical parameters of critically ill patients with COVID-19: a randomized clinical trial. J Transl Med. 2021 Mar 29;19(1):128. doi: 10.1186/s12967-021-02795-5. PMID: 33781275; PMCID: PMC8006115.
[31] Ng SC, Peng Y, Zhang L, et al. Gut microbiota composition is associated with SARS-CoV-2 vaccine immunogenicity and adverse events. Gut. Published Online First: 09 February 2022. doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2021-326563.

How the rich and famous are biohacking their homes

A pool and gym just don’t cut it any more. How about your very own cryotherapy chamber or red-light therapy bed? Helen Kirwan-Taylor investigates the new ‘biohacking’ home technology promising to supercharge your health

By Helen Kirwan-Taylor
16 May 2022

This article is a repost which originally appeared on TATLER

Edited for content. The opinions expressed in this article may not reflect the opinions of this site’s editors, staff or members.

Our Takeaways:

· The use of infra-red light treatment and hyperbaric oxygen therapy are considered stables of biohacking.

· While not absolutely necessary, some biohacking tools and practices can be very expensive.

· While expensive treatments are available, they do not replace foundational aspects of nutrition and natural living.

If you don’t sleep in a hyperbaric oxygen pod, like Justin Bieber, or at the very least on an infrared mattress, then what’s wrong with you? Do you have self-esteem issues? These days, you need to get with the biohacking programme. Just look around wealthy London: the diggers are in, basements are being excavated, and oxygen chambers and flotation tanks are being speedily installed. Behold the new temples to the pursuit of youth.

Biohacking, if you didn’t know, is the practice of interfering with your own biology in an attempt to improve it. Staples include infra-red light treatment and hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), which delivers pure, pressurised oxygen to the body. Amazing claims are made for both. But what’s really astounding is the size of this elite, luxury market: the consultancy firm McKinsey predicts that over the next decade biohacking could become a trillion-dollar industry.

Already almost every aspect of it has been nano-hacked. For example, there’s no longer any need to fast now that you can have ProLon meals (which trick the body into autophagy, or cell-cleansing) delivered to your door. Or you could just pop two longevity spermidine supplement pills (a favourite of the Vivamayr clinic) and achieve the same effect. Similarly, if ice baths sound like too much hard work, you can always clamber into your own thermal shock chamber (try it out first at Ice Health Cryotherapy in Kensington – unlike most cryotherapy chambers, it doesn’t require full immersion and can therefore be used while you listen to music). And rather than follow a restrictive keto diet to burn fat and increase mental clarity, you can simply knock back some deltaG – at £59.99 for a 59ml mouthful, the most expensive keto drink on earth. Created by Oxford professor Kieran Clarke and available to buy from Wellgevity, it’s like drinking a high-octane body fuel and a sip or two will allow you to glide through the most difficult presentation.

But no doubt your wellness consultant will tell you that. Enter Julie Cichocki. The founder of the ‘wellness curator’ Kloodos, Cichocki is a one-woman hacking machine who can provide you with what is currently only available to celebrities or athletes. I happen to ring her as she is on her way to Southampton to create a complete biohack unit in the house of a self- made tycoon and, for a taster, she sends me to Repose on High Street Kensington to try out the number- one contraption on the market: the £60,000 Mitogen photobiomodulation (red-light therapy) bed. Its light goes so deep, says Cichocki, that it triggers the production of the magical, all-singing, all-dancing source of youth – a cell-energising molecule called adenosine triphosphate (ATP).

For ultimate relaxation, Cichocki continues, ‘the bed allows you to surrender and move into critical beta mode’ – and it is often the first piece of kit she will put into the houses of her high-net-worth clients. Most likely, this will be followed by a whole-body cryo-chamber (£125,000), a hyperbaric oxygen chamber (£75,000), a dry float tank (£27,000) and an infra- red sauna (£6,000), plus an ice bath and plunge pool.

‘It’s not unusual for clients to spend upwards of £150,000,’ says Cichocki. And why not? Biohacking promises great things, from cell renewal to disease prevention; it’s no wonder every Hollywood star, Silicon Valley magnate and premier athlete is kit-ting out their home gyms with the latest that technology can provide.

The ‘gateway’ hack is infrared light – supplied in panel form by Bryan Gohl of Red Light Rising, whose ‘Armoury’ model costs around £12,000 and is about the same size as a door. (The actor Tom Hopper swears by it and has bought two for his personal use, in ‘The Advantage XL’ size.) Its applications go way beyond enhancing performance and energy. ‘Some people claim it helps their eye- sight,’ says Gohl. ‘Others, that it eases their menopause symptoms. And we know it really helps with muscle pain and joint stiffness.’ Other pluses? It acts like a giant seasonal affective disorder (SAD) corrective light; it doesn’t stop you from being able to scroll through Instagram while you use it, as the infrared beds do; and many, myself included, have found it useful in combatting long-Covid symptoms.

Then there’s hyperbaric oxygen therapy, a fashionable hack at the moment because, apart from helping to speed up recovery from operations or illnesses, it can also help brush away the mental cobwebs. City types in particular are addicted to its ‘natural high’ nd can be found in droves at The Wellness Lab in Knightsbridge after the markets close. (A bonus of the spaceship-like chambers is that they double as divans.) And don’t forget intravenous infusions such as nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) – the ultimate anti-ageing chemical, endorsed by celebrities including the actress Davinia Taylor – which is available at Hum2n in Chelsea.

 

Can Specific Foods or Diets Boost Your Testosterone Levels?

Can Specific Foods or Diets Boost Your Testosterone Levels?

What you eat or drink may affect levels of the male sex hormone, but whether a diet can increase libido or energy depends on many things.

By Randi Hutter Epstein, M.D.

Published Nov. 2, 2021Updated Nov. 3, 2021

This article is a repost which originally appeared on The New York Times

Edited for content.

Can I increase my testosterone levels through the foods I eat? And if so, which foods or diets work best?

Many men, particularly as they age, are concerned about their levels of testosterone, the male sex hormone touted to build muscle, sex drive and vigor. But individual foods are unlikely to have an impact on testosterone levels — though drinking excessive amounts of alcohol might. If you are overweight, altering your diet to lose weight may help, since carrying excess pounds is a common cause of low testosterone. But in terms of specific foods or diets, any uptick you achieve may not have a noticeable impact on libido, energy or muscle mass.

“If someone was not overweight, I wouldn’t put them on a specific diet to raise testosterone based on the data we have now,” said Alexander Pastuszak, an assistant professor of urology and surgery at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, who co-authored a review on alternatives to testosterone therapy.

In men, normal testosterone levels range from 300 to 1,000 nanograms per deciliter of blood. Ups and downs within that normal range are unlikely to have any impact on sex drive or vitality. Only when levels consistently drop below 300 points — as confirmed in two blood tests by an accredited laboratory — are symptoms like low libido, erectile dysfunction, fatigue, low mood or loss of muscle mass likely to appear, a medical condition known as hypogonadism.

Starting at around age 40, men’s testosterone levels start to decline by about 1 percent per year. But the drop can vary tremendously, with some older men maintaining levels similar to healthy young men. The trajectory of falling testosterone is steeper among men who gain a lot of weight, said Dr. Shalender Bhasin, professor of medicine at Harvard and the director of the Research Program in Men’s Health: Aging and Metabolism at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Studies on foods or diets and testosterone levels have generally been small and the findings far from conclusive. A recent British review that pooled data from 206 volunteers, for example, found that men on high-fat diets had testosterone levels that were about 60 points higher, on average, than men on low-fat diets. Men who followed a vegetarian diet tended to have the lowest levels of testosterone, about 150 points lower, on average, than those following a high-fat, meat-based diet. Still, Joseph Whittaker, the lead investigator and a nutritionist at the University of Worcester in Britain, said he would not recommend a man increase the fats in his diet unless he had low testosterone levels and symptoms of low T and was already restricting fats.

Another study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research tested two styles of diets in 25 fit men between the ages of 18 and 30. Calories consumed were the same, but one group ate a high-fat, very-low-carb, ketogenic-style diet, consisting of 75 percent of calories from fats, 5 percent from carbohydrates and 20 percent from protein. Men in the other group ate a more traditional Western style, low-fat diet, containing 25 percent of calories from fats, 55 percent from carbohydrates and 20 percent from protein. After 10 weeks of eating the high-fat diet, testosterone increased by 118 points, on average, while after the low-fat diet, levels declined by about 36 points.

Similarly, a study of 3,000 men found that those who reported eating a low-fat diet had slightly lower testosterone levels — about 30 points lower — than men who ate higher-fat diets. But none of the men had low testosterone.

“The moral is that healthy men who are of normal weight with no significant comorbidities are unlikely to benefit from restrictive diets,” said Dr. Richard J. Fantus, one of the study’s authors and a urologist at NorthShore University HealthSystem in Evanston, Ill.

Diet studies are complicated, because changing one component of the diet, such as fat intake, alters so many other things, such as the amount of carbohydrates, protein and micronutrients consumed. It’s unclear which component of the diet may have prompted the hormonal changes, Dr. Bhasin said. Furthermore, testosterone levels may also be shaped by how much a person sleeps, or whether they are jet-lagged, or if they are eating most of their calories at night or in small meals throughout the day.

Dr. Faysal Yafi, chief of the division of Men’s Health and Reconstructive Urology at the University of California, Irvine, says his patients who opt to follow specific diets tend to start exercising more and drinking less alcohol, all of which can raise testosterone levels. He suspects any links between diet and testosterone may be the result of an overall healthier lifestyle.

Some men worry that eating lots of soy foods may cause their testosterone levels to fall, because soy is rich in isoflavones, which mimic the structure of estrogen. But the evidence doesn’t support their concerns, even if men eat foods like miso, tofu or soy milk at every meal. (Doctors did report one anecdotal case in which a 19-year-old man with Type 1 diabetes who followed a vegan diet containing 360 milligrams of soy isoflavones daily — nine times higher than a typical Japanese diet, and 100 times higher than the typical American diet — developed low testosterone levels along with low libido and fatigue. His symptoms improved when he stopped eating the soy-heavy, vegan diet.)

Long-term alcohol abuse lowers testosterone by damaging cells in both the testes, which make testosterone, and the liver, which alters testosterone metabolism. But binge drinking every now and then does not appear to have much of an impact — it lowers testosterone for only about 30 minutes, according to one study, after which levels bounce back to baseline.

Obese men who have low levels of testosterone can increase levels by cutting calories and losing weight — the type of diet does not matter, studies suggest. On the opposite extreme, Dr. Bhasin said he is seeing an increasing number of men at his clinic who have body dysmorphic issues and are suffering from low libido and fatigue. Strict calorie restriction, exercising intensely and being chronically stressed can all cause testosterone levels to plummet and are likely to blame, he said.

The bottom line is that for otherwise healthy men who are following a reasonably healthy lifestyle, fiddling with specific foods or the composition of the diet is not likely to make much of a difference on the testosterone score card. As Dr. Fantus of NorthShore University put it: “I don’t think there is a way to game the system to get really large increases by changing the diet.”

Correction: 

An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that men who ate low-fat diets tended to have higher testosterone levels. Men who ate high-fat diets tended to have the higher T levels.

The article also referred to a 19-year-old man with low testosterone levels who was eating a diet containing 360 milligrams of soy daily; his diet actually contained 360 milligrams of soy isoflavones.

 

The ketogenic diet corrects metabolic hypogonadism and preserves pancreatic ß-cell function in overweight/obese men: a single-arm uncontrolled study

The ketogenic diet corrects metabolic hypogonadism and preserves pancreatic ß-cell function in overweight/obese men: a single-arm uncontrolled study

This article is a repost which originally appeared on PUBMED

Edited for content.

Endocrine. 2021 May;72(2):392-399. doi: 10.1007/s12020-020-02518-8. Epub 2020 Oct 15.

Sandro La Vignera, Rossella Cannarella, Fabio Galvano, Agata Grillo, Antonio Aversa, Laura Cimino, Cristina M Magagnini, Laura M Mongioì, Rosita A Condorelli, Aldo E Calogero

PMID: 33063272 PMCID: PMC8128723 DOI: 10.1007/s12020-020-02518-8

Abstract

Background: Overweight and obesity are increasingly spread in our society. Low testosterone levels are often present in these patients, the so-called metabolic hypogonadism, that further alters the metabolic balance in a sort of vicious cycle. Very low-calorie ketogenic diet (VLCKD) has been reported to efficiently reduce body weight, glycaemia, and the serum levels of insulin, glycated hemoglobin, but its effects on β-cell function and total testosterone (TT) levels are less clear.

Aim: To evaluate the effects of VLCKD on markers suggested to be predictive of β-cell dysfunction development, such as proinsulin or proinsulin/insulin ratio, and on TT values in a cohort of overweight or obese nondiabetic male patients with metabolic hypogonadism.

Methods: Patients with overweight or obesity and metabolic hypogonadism underwent to VLCKD for 12 weeks. Anthropometric parameters, blood testing for the measurement of glycaemia, insulin, C-peptide, proinsulin, TT, calculation of body-mass index (BMI), and HOMA index were performed before VLCKD and after 12 weeks.

Results: Twenty patients (mean age 49.3 ± 5.2 years) were enrolled. At enrollement all patients presented increased insulin, HOMA index, C-peptide, and proinsulin levels, whereas the proinsulin/insulin ratio was within the normal values. After VLCKD treatment, body weight and BMI significantly decreased, and 14.9 ± 3.9% loss of the initial body weight was achieved. Glycaemia, insulin, HOMA index, C-peptide, and proinsulin significantly decreased compared to pre-VLCKD levels. Serum glycaemia, insulin, C-peptide, and proinsulin levels returned within the normal range in all patients. No difference in the proinsulin/insulin ratio was observed after VLCKD treatment. A mean increase of 218.1 ± 53.9% in serum TT levels was achieved and none of the patients showed TT values falling in the hypogonadal range at the end of the VLCKD treatment.

Conclusions: This is the first study that evaluated the effects of VLCKD on proinsulin, proinsulin/insulin ratio, and TT levels. VLCKD could be safely used to improve β-cell secretory function and insulin-sensitivity, and to rescue overweight and obese patients from β-cell failure and metabolic hypogonadism.

Keywords: Insulin; Metabolic hypogonadism; Proinsulin; Testosterone; VLCKD; β-cell dysfunction.

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest that could be perceived as prejudicing the impartiality of the research reported.

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Keto diet found to boost sperm count and quality in obese men – Insider

The keto weight loss diet could help boost sperm count and quality, according to 2 case reports

Gabby Landsverk
Sep 10, 2020, 6:00 PM

This article is a repost which originally appeared on Insider

Edited for content

  • Two new case reports suggest a keto weight loss diet could benefit sperm count and quality in obese men.
  • Two patients who lost 20 to 60 pounds on the diet saw dramatic improvements in their sperm samples.
  • This is backed by evidence that keto can boost sexual health, but other healthy eating plans like a Mediterranean or DASH diet are also linked to improvements.

There’s new evidence that the high-fat, low carb keto diet might have benefits for reproductive health.

In new case reports, two men with obesity who lost weight on a very low calorie keto diet saw significant improvements in both sperm count and quality, according to research from the Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil, presented at the 2020 European and International Obesity Congress,

In the first case, the patient lost nearly 60 pounds in the three-month dieting period, dropping his body fat percentage from 42% to 34%. Subsequently, his sperm quality improved by nearly 100%, based on the percentage of motile sperm in a test sample. His testosterone levels also more than doubled.

The second case report was of a patient who lost less weight, 20 pounds in three months, dropping from 26% to 21% body fat. His sperm quality also improved, but he saw even more significant benefits to sperm count, with over 100 million more sperm tested in the final sample, an increase of nearly 30%. Interestingly, his testosterone levels decreased slightly.

These results were based on the dieting plan called Pronokal, a highly-studied commercial weight loss method launched in Spain in 2004, which differs from traditional keto in that it’s both low-carb (fewer than 50 grams a day) but also limited to 800 calories a day.

Two patients is hardly a large enough sample size to draw broader conclusions about keto and sperm count. But existing evidence supports the notion that low-carb diets could have benefits for sexual health, as increasing fat consumption appears to support healthy sperm levels.

Previous research has also linked higher levels of dietary fat intake to increased testosterone.

You may not need a strict diet to improve sexual health

One caveat to these findings is that extremely restrictive diets can have side effects, particularly in the long term, and very low calorie diets in particular should only be done with medical supervision.

It’s also not only the keto diet specifically that’s linked to better sperm count, quality, and other measures of fertility. There’s evidence healthy dietary changes of any sort can boost sexual health.

The Mediterranean diet, for instance, has been linked to improvements in erectile dysfunction. In a 2004 study, a healthy diet and exercise program helped improve erectile dysfunction in obese men.

A 2019 study found eating processed foods was linked to poor sperm count, while eating more fish and veggies was linked to better sperm count, which is also related to sex drive and overall sexual function.

The DASH diet, which limits red meat and full-fat dairy in favor of fruits, veggies and whole grains, is also linked to higher sperm count, according to research.

That suggests that the benefits may be less related to any one dietary pattern, such as keto, and more about improvements to overall health that affect every area of the body.