Super Human

by Dave Asprey

  A few years later I met a biochemist and pharmaceutical designer named Ian Mitchell. He explained that I was getting my carbon 60 in oxidized olive oil, which was causing the inflammation. Carbon 60 is not patentable, so pharmaceutical companies can’t make a huge profit on it and let it languish for decades. The result is that it’s difficult to find a reliable source for this powerful compound. Ian’s company, C360 Health, manufactures a carbon 60 product for pets, so I tried it on my thirteen-year-old dachshund, Merlin. His energy definitely perked up to the extent that I started taking the pet version myself until Ian came out with Carbon60 Plus, which is designed for humans. I noticed great improvements in energy.

  I continue to take the recommended dose of about 2 teaspoons of Carbon60 Plus, which at the time of this writing costs about $25 for a six-week supply. I’ll be quite happy if it provides me with even a fraction of what carbon 60 did for those rats! (Full disclosure: After interviewing Ian and extensive investigation, I became an advisor and investor in his company.)

  * * *

  Bottom Line

  Want to heal like a deity? Do these things right now:

  •Try a bioregulator peptide that will help you reduce your risk of one of the Four Killers.

  •If you are suffering from an autoimmune disease or cancer, talk to your doctor about low-dose Naltrexone. This drug is available only with a prescription and it is currently prescribed to treat alcohol and opiate drug abuse. Talk to your doctor about off-label use.

  •Try Carbon60 Plus, a novel and noticeable anti-aging compound.

  * * *

  AFTERWORD

  Did you think you were going to be able to finish this book without another mythology lesson? Well, think again. It’s amazing how much the ancient Greeks thought and wrote about their own quest for immortality and how similar their desires were to our own.

  With that in mind, perhaps you recall the story of Tithonus, a human who was beloved by Eos, the goddess of dawn. Eos loved Tithonus so much that she begged Zeus to grant him immortality, but she was so caught up that she forgot to ask for eternal youthfulness. Zeus indeed made Tithonus immortal, but he degenerated as he aged, his hair turned white, and he lost the use of his limbs. At that point, Eos shut Tithonus up in his bedchamber, where he withered and “babbled endlessly” for eternity.

  This is depressingly similar to the way humans now age, even all these centuries later. Those who manage to live for a long time usually wither and lose their faculties. And if you don’t do something now to stop it, the chances are pretty high that this is exactly what’s going to happen to you. By now it is clear to you that this doesn’t have to be your fate. It is possible to gain energy as you age, instead of losing it. And even if you think you’re too young to be concerned about aging right now, the interventions you start today will benefit your performance immediately while preventing you from aging like Tithonus in the future.

  So decide right now which ones you’re going to try first, and know that the rest of the technologies in this book are available to you and improving every day if and when you need them. If they’re too expensive, help ramp up demand so the technologies that cost thousands of dollars today are available for pennies when you’re old. If anti-aging is still a rich person’s game by the time I’m a hundred and eighty, then we have failed as a species. Join me in preventing this from happening.

  As I was writing this book, I celebrated my forty-sixth birthday, a number that would strike many people as depressing because in their dark vision of the future, it marks the beginning of decline. At forty-six, my best years are behind me, right?

  Screw that. I know it is possible that I can make it to a hundred and eighty with my biology and my faculties still intact. And with that in mind, I blew out the candles on my (Bulletproof, of course) birthday cake thinking about the fact that I was celebrating my 25 percent birthday. I’m not middle-aged at all, and I’m so excited to accumulate and share more wisdom over the next 75 percent of my life.

  Thanks to all of the information in this book, I’m not planning on plateauing or heading downhill any time soon. The dawn is not setting on my ability to make an impact. (Hear that, Eos?) In fact, I’m just getting started. And so are you.

  The anti-aging technologies in this book are evolving at a very fast rate. I would be more than happy to share occasional short updates with you about how my regimen changes and how you can stay Super Human. Sign up at daveasprey.com/superhuman.

  NOTES

  CHAPTER 1: THE FOUR KILLERS

  1.Edward Giovannucci et al., “Diabetes and Cancer: A Consensus Report.” Diabetes Care 33, no. 7 (2010): 1674–85, https://doi.org/10.2337/dc10–0666.

  2.Christian Hölscher, “Diabetes as a Risk Factor for Alzheimer’s Disease: Insulin Signalling Impairment in the Brain as an Alternative Model of Alzheimer’s Disease,” Biochemical Society Transactions 39, no. 4 (August 2011): 891–97, https://doi.org/10.1042/BST0390891.

  3.Krishnan Bhaskaran et al., “Body-Mass Index and Risk of 22 Specific Cancers: A Population-Based Cohort Study of 5·24 Million UK Adults,” The Lancet 384, no. 9945 (August 30, 2014): 755–65; Katrina F. Brown et al., “The Fraction of Cancer Attributable to Modifiable Risk Factors in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and the United Kingdom in 2015,” British Journal of Cancer 118, no. 8 (April 2018): 1130–41.

  4.Christopher J. L. Murray, Marie Ng, and Ali Mokdad, “The Vast Majority of American Adults Are Overweight or Obese, and Weight Is a Growing Problem Among US Children,” Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), May 28, 2014, http://www.healthdata.org/news-release/vast-majority-american-adults-are-overweight-or-obese-and-weight-growing-problem-among.

  5.“Inflammatory Hypothesis Confirmed: Reducing Inflammation Without Lowering Cholesterol Cuts Risk of Cardiovascular Events,” Health Canal, August 27, 2017, https://www.healthcanal.com/blood-heart-circulation/heart-disease/240113-inflammatory-hypothesis-confirmed-reducing-inflammation-without-lowering-cholesterol-cuts-risk-cardiovascular-events.html.

  6.University of Colorado at Boulder, “Fountain of Youth for Heart Health May Lie in the Gut: Age-Related Changes to Microbiome Fuel Vascular Decline, New Study Shows,” ScienceDaily, March 19, 2019, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/03/190319163527.htm.

  7.Reza Nemati et al., “Deposition and Hydrolysis of Serine Dipeptide Lipids of Bacteroidetes Bacteria in Human Arteries: Relationship to Atherosclerosis,” Journal of Lipid Research 58 (October 2017): 1999–2007, https://doi.org/10.1194/jlr.M077792.

  8.Thomas Meyer et al., “Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder Is Associated with Reduced Blood Pressure and Serum Vitamin D Levels: Results from the Nationwide German Health Interview and Examination Study for Children and Adolescents,” European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry 26, no. 2 (February 2017): 165–75, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-016-0852-3.

  9.Kevin McKeever, “Asperger Syndrome Tied to Low Cortisol Levels,” HealthDay, April 2, 2009, https://consumer.healthday.com/cognitive-health-information-26/autism-news-51/asperger-syndrome-tied-to-low-cortisol-levels-625706.html.

  10.Marc Yves Donath and Steven E. Shoelson, “Type 2 Diabetes as an Inflammatory Disease,” Nature Reviews Immunology 11, no. 2 (February 2011): 98–107, https://doi.org/10.1038/nri2925.

  11.University of California–San Diego, “Type 2 Diabetes: Inflammation, Not Obesity, Cause of Insulin Resistance,” ScienceDaily, November 7, 2007, https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071106133106.htm.

  12.Yuehan Wang et al., “Association of Muscular Strength and Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes,” Mayo Clinic Proceedings 94, no. 4 (April 2019): 643–51, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2018.08.037.

  13.Sandra Weimer et al., “D-Glucosamine Supplementation Extends Life Span of Nematodes and of Ageing Mice,” Nature Communications 5 (April 8, 2014): 3563, https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms4563.

  14.Richard Weindruch and Rajindar S. Sohal, “Seminars in Medicine of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Caloric Intake and Aging,”
New England Journal of Medicine 337, no. 14 (October 2, 1997): 986–94, https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM199710023371407.

  15.“D-Glucosamine as an Example of Calorie Restriction Mimetic Research,” Fight Aging!, April 8, 2014, https://www.fightaging.org/archives/2014/04/d-glucosamine-as-an-example-of-calorie-restriction-mimetic-research/.

  16.Karen W. Della Corte et al., “Effect of Dietary Sugar Intake on Biomarkers of Subclinical Inflammation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Intervention Studies,” Nutrients 10, no. 5 (2018): 606, https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10050606.

  17.Santosh Kumar Singh, “Post-Prandial Hyperglycemia,” Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism 16, no. 8 (December 2012): 245–47, https://doi.org/10.4103/2230-8210.104051.

  18.Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, “Scientists Remove Amyloid Plaques from Brains of Live Animals with Alzheimer’s Disease,” ScienceDaily, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091015091602.htm (accessed July 16, 2019).

  19.“41 Percent of Americans Will Get Cancer,” UPI Health News, May 6, 2010, https://www.upi.com/41-percent-of-Americans-will-get-cancer/75711273192042/.

  20.Lisa M. Coussens and Zena Werb, “Inflammation and Cancer,” Nature 420, no. 6917 (2002): 860–67, https://doi.org/10.1038/nature01322.

  CHAPTER 2: THE SEVEN PILLARS OF AGING

  1.Helen Karakelides and K. Sreekumaran Nair, “Sarcopenia of Aging and Its Metabolic Impact,” Current Topics in Developmental Biology 68 (2005): 123–48, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0070-2153(05)68005-2.

  2.Elena Volpi, Reza Nazemi, and Satoshi Fujita, “Muscle Tissue Changes with Aging,” Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care 7, no. 4 (2004): 405–10, https://doi.org/10.1097/01.mco.0000134362.76653.b2.

  3.James Golomb et al., “Hippocampal Atrophy in Normal Aging. An Association with Recent Memory Impairment,” Archives of Neurology 50, no. 9 (September 1993): 967–73, https://doi.org/10.1001/archneur.1993.00540090066012.

  4.Martin Stimpfel, Nina Jancar, and Irma Virant-Klun, “New Challenge: Mitochondrial Epigenetics?,” Stem Cell Reviews and Reports 14, no. 1 (February 2018): 13–26, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12015-017-9771-z.

  5.James L. Kirkland and Tamara Tchkonia, “Cellular Senescence: A Translational Perspective,” EBioMedicine 21 (July 2017): 21–28, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ebiom.2017.04.013.

  6.Viktor I. Korolchuk et al., “Mitochondria in Cell Senescence: Is Mitophagy the Weakest Link?,” EBioMedicine 21 (July 2017): 7–13, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ebiom.2017.03.020.

  7.Okhee Jeon et al., “Senescent Cells and Osteoarthritis: A Painful Connection,” Journal of Clinical Investigation 128, no. 4 (April 2, 2018): 1229–37, https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI95147.

  8.Derek M. Huffman, Marissa J. Schafer, and Nathan K. LeBrasseur, “Energetic Interventions for Healthspan and Resiliency with Aging,” Experimental Gerontology 86 (December 15, 2016): 73–83, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exger.2016.05.012.

  9.Christian A. Bannister et al., “Can People with Type 2 Diabetes Live Longer Than Those Without? A Comparison of Mortality in People Initiated with Metformin or Sulphonylurea Monotherapy and Matched, Non-Diabetic Controls,” Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism 16, no. 11 (November 2014): 1165–73, https://doi.org/10.1111/dom.12354.

  10.Agnieszka Śmieszek et al., “Antioxidant and Anti-Senescence Effect of Metformin on Mouse Olfactory Ensheathing Cells (mOECs) May Be Associated with Increased Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Levels—An Ex Vivo Study,” International Journal of Molecular Sciences 18, no. 4 (2017): 872, https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms18040872.

  11.Rong Wang et al., “Rapamycin Inhibits the Secretory Phenotype of Senescent Cells by a Nrf2-Independent Mechanism,” Aging Cell 16, no. 3 (June 2017): 564–74, https://doi.org/10.1111/acel.12587.

  12.“Animal Data Shows Fisetin to Be a Surprisingly Effective Senolytic,” Fight Aging!, October 3, 2018, https://www.fightaging.org/archives/2018/10/animal-data-shows-fisetin-to-be-a-surprisingly-effective-senolytic/.

  13.Pamela Maher, “How Fisetin Reduces the Impact of Age and Disease on CNS Function,” Frontiers in Bioscience (Scholar Edition) 7 (June 1, 2015): 58–82, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25961687.

  14.Kashmira Gander, “Secret of Longevity Could Be Found in Traditional Japanese Plant that Appears to Slow Aging,” Newsweek, February 20, 2019, https://www.newsweek.com/anti-aging-longevity-japanese-plant-1336734.

  15.“Uncovering the Senolytic Mechanism of Piperlongumine,” Fight Aging!, May 21, 2018, https://www.fightaging.org/archives/2018/05/uncovering-the-senolytic-mechanism-of-piperlongumine/.

  16.Yin-Ju Chen et al., “Piperlongumine Inhibits Cancer Stem Cell Properties and Regulates Multiple Malignant Phenotypes in Oral Cancer,” Oncology Letters 15, no. 2 (February 2018): 1789–98, https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2017.7486.

  17.Fernanda de Lima Moreira et al., “Metabolic Profile and Safety of Piperlongumine,” Nature Scientific Reports 6 (September 29, 2016): article no. 33646, https://www.nature.com/articles/srep33646.

  18.Alan R. Gaby, “Adverse Effects of Dietary Fructose,” Alternative Medicine Review 10, no. 4 (December 2005): 294–306, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16366738.

  19.Matthew Streeter et al., “Identification of Glucosepane Cross-Link Breaking Enzymes,” Diabetes 67, no. S1 (July 2018): 1229-P, https://doi.org/10.2337/db18–1229-P.

  20.Xu Wang et al., “Insulin Deficiency Exacerbates Cerebral Amyloidosis and Behavioral Deficits in an Alzheimer Transgenic Mouse Model,” Molecular Neurodegeneration 5 (2010): 46, https://doi.org/10.1186/1750-1326-5-46.

  21.Jordan Lite, “Vitamin D Deficiency Soars in the U.S., Study Says,” Scientific American, March 23, 2009, https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/vitamin-d-deficiency-united-states/.

  22.Society for Neuroscience, “Staving Off Alzheimer’s Disease with the Right Diet, Prescriptions,” ScienceDaily, November 13, 2007, https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071107211036.htm.

  23.Gabriella Notarachille et al., “Heavy Metals Toxicity: Effect of Cadmium Ions on Amyloid Beta Protein 1-42. Possible Implications for Alzheimer’s Disease,” Biometals 27, no. 2 (April 2014): 371–88, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10534-014-9719-6.

  24.Paul B. Tchounwou et al., “Heavy Metal Toxicity and the Environment,” in Molecular, Clinical and Environmental Toxicology, Experientia Supplementum, vol. 101, ed. Andrea Luch (Basel, CH: Springer, 2012): 133–64.

  25.Elena A. Belyaeva et al., “Mitochondria as an Important Target in Heavy Metal Toxicity in Rat Hepatoma AS-30D Cells,” Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology 231, no. 1 (August 15, 2008): 34–42, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.taap.2008.03.017.

  26.Varun Parkash Singh et al., “Advanced Glycation End Products and Diabetic Complications,” The Korean Journal of Physiology & Pharmacology 18, no. 1 (2014): 1–14, https://doi.org/10.4196/kjpp.2014.18.1.1.

  27.David P. Turner, “Advanced Glycation End-Products: A Biological Consequence of Lifestyle Contributing to Cancer Disparity” Cancer Research 75, no. 10 (May 2015): 1925–29, https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-15-0169.

  28.Melpomeni Peppa and Sotirios A. Raptis, “Advanced Glycation End Products and Cardiovascular Disease,” Current Diabetes Reviews 4, no. 2 (May 2008): 92–100, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18473756.

  29.Nobuyuki Sasaki et al., “Advanced Glycation End Products in Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Neurodegenerative Diseases,” American Journal of Pathology 153, no. 4 (October 1998): 1149–55, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0002-9440(10)65659-3.

  30. The BMJ, “Fried Food Linked to Heightened Risk of Early Death Among Older US Women: Fried Chicken and Fried Fish in Particular Seem to Be Associated with Higher Risk of Death,” ScienceDaily, January 23, 2019, https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/01/190123191637.htm.

  31.“Hayflick Limit,” ScienceDirect, https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/hayflick-limit.

  32.Pim van der Harst et al., “Telomere Length of Circulating Leukocytes Is Decreased in Patients with Chronic Heart Failure,�
� Journal of the American College of Cardiology 49, no. 13 (April 3, 2007): 1459–64, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2007.01.027; Annette L. Fitzpatrick et al., “Leukocyte Telomere Length and Cardiovascular Disease in the Cardiovascular Health Study,” American Journal of Epidemiology 165, no. 1 (January 1, 2007): 14–21, https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwj346; Robert Y. L. Zee et al., “Association of Shorter Mean Telomere Length with Risk of Incident Myocardial Infarction: A Prospective, Nested Case-Control Approach,” Clinica Chemica Acta 403, no. 1–2, (May 2009): 139–41, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cca.2009.02.004.

  33.Monica McGrath et al., “Telomere Length, Cigarette Smoking, and Bladder Cancer Risk in Men and Women,” Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention 16, no. 4 (April 2007): 815–19, https://doi.org/10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-06-0961.

  34.Mike J. Sampson et al., “Monocyte Telomere Shortening and Oxidative DNA Damage in Type 2 Diabetes,” Diabetes Care 29, no. 2 (February 2006): 283–89, https://doi.org/10.2337/diacare.29.02.06.dc05-1715.

  35.Ana M. Valdes et al., “Telomere Length in Leukocytes Correlates with Bone Mineral Density and Is Shorter in Women with Osteoporosis,” Osteoporosis International 18, no. 9 (September 2007): 1203–10, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-007-0357-5.

  36.Masood A. Shammas, “Telomeres, Lifestyle, Cancer, and Aging,” Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care 14, no.1 (January 2011): 28–34, https://doi.org/10.1097/MCO.0b013e32834121b1.

  37.Richard M. Cawthon et al., “Association Between Telomere Length in Blood and Mortality in People Aged 60 Years or Older,” The Lancet 361, no. 9355 (February 1, 2003): 393–95, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(03)12384-7.