The Livelong Newsletter

Happy Friday,

I recently learned that the Greenland shark can live 500 years.🦈

Researchers believe that its lifespan is due to an unfaltering metabolism, based on studies measuring metabolic activity in their muscles, which were collected from tissue samples.

Recognized as the longest-living vertebrate species, studying the Greenland shark may help with the discovery of better anti-aging therapies for non-sharks (i.e., people).

The week is July 15. In today’s issue:

• Why AI is trying to revolutionize access to a “miracle drug.”

• Would you choose a partner based on a health lab?

• What percentage of cancers are preventable?

• And more.

We love to hear from you—our community. Please share your feedback, stories, questions, testimonials, ideas, and more with us at [email protected].

👁️‍🗨️ SPOTLIGHT

New AI health coach to revolutionize access to “miracle drug”

The founder of OpenAI is funding an AI health coach to improve lifespan.

The OpenAI Startup Fund (parent of OpenAI) and Thrive Global are joining forces on Thrive AI Health, a new company focused on developing a customized and hyper-personalized AI-powered health coach.

The goal is to make high-level health coaching accessible to everyone and to “reverse the trend lines on chronic diseases,” write Sam Altman, CEO and co-founder of OpenAI, and Arianna Huffington, the founder and CEO of Thrive Global, in a TIME op-ed.

Changing health requires a “miracle drug,” they write.

But what is this miracle drug?

Why, it isn’t even a drug at all—it’s behavior change. The coach will give data-driven suggestions (not diagnoses) that promote behavior changes in 5 key lifestyle categories: sleep, food, movement, stress management, and socialconnection.

Big picture: AI health coaches and health data tracking are becoming exponentially popular, according to an article in The Verge. Expect to see more affordable, direct-to-consumer AI platforms and technologies.

BIOHACKING

Finding a partner worth living longer with

It was a match made with health labs.

Before biohacker Kayla Barnes agreed to a first date with her soon-to-be husband (NOT a biohacker, but the CRO of a marketing agency), she had a series of—dare I say unconventional—requests to determine if he could be a lifelong partner, according to a story in Fortune.

• 💪What is biohacking? A do-it-yourself biology that pulls methods and practices from genetics, biology, neuroscience, nutrition, and more to improve health and extend longevity.

The principles of biohacking are core to Barnes’ strict lifestyle, so she was looking for a health-conscious person who could support her goals and be willing to grow healthier with her.

The tests:

• Is he willing to perform and share his health labs, including a gut health test, total toxin test, and biomarker testing for inflammation and nutrition, etc?

• Does he buy groceries from the upscale LA grocery store, Erewhon?

• Does he follow a satisfactory amount of health influencers on Instagram?

He passed (although she says he could use gut health optimization).

A breath of fresh air: On their first date, the duo went into the biohacker’s hyperbaric oxygen chamber, which is used to treat carbon monoxide poisoning, fight decompression sickness, and heal serious infection. Mounting research suggests it combats aging.

Big picture: The growing interest in biohacking and healthy longevity may shape an unconventional new dating landscape, where health and personal information are… well, not as personal.

The pursuit of health and optimization may outweigh other factors that were more valued in traditional relationships.

📊POLL

📰 IN OTHER NEWS

Expect the heat to interrupt your sleep

Higher nighttime temperatures are impacting quality sleep, according to a the Climate Central report Sleepless Nights. 

A temperature difference of a few degrees can significantly impact sleep quality and contribute to physical and mental health outcomes, and mortality.

• There is a 50% increased risk of relatively mortality on hot days and hot nights compared with hot days and non-hot nights, according to a study highlighted in the report.

Big picture: It may be worth investing more money and research into adapting longevity strategies in the wake of a changing climate.

Other stories

• 40% of cancer cases are preventable via modifiable lifestyle factors, according to a new study by the American Cancer Society. Read more.

• Scientists can edit the genes of gut bacteria in mice, according to a recent paper in Nature. The gene-editing technology could lead to the development of tools that modify gut bacteria to improve health, one expert says. Read more.

• Why do anti-obesity drugs cause nausea? The drug may target a brain circuit which triggers food aversion.Read more.

• Nearly 50% of U.S. counties do not have a regional cardiologist. For people living in these regions, the average round-trip drive to the cardiologist is nearly 87 miles. Read more.

PROTOCOL

A breakdown of a biohacker’s protocol

Earlier, we discussed the myriad of health-centered requests that biohacker Kayla Barnes asked of her future partner.

I find it fascinating to read through lengthy protocols from different biohackers, namely because elements of them are actually relatively attainable (i.e., eating organic). Then again, most protocols contain many ‘not-so-easy’ lifestyle habits, and even the easy ones can be difficult to do consistently.

The treatments, therapies, and supplements which biohackers use also do not have years of clinical evidence, or FDA support; Barnes accepts this, she says in the article, and follows a protocol that she personally believes will optimize longevity.

Here are some of Barnes’ personal action items:

• 8:30 p.m. bedtime.

• Purely organic foods and strict mealtimes.

• No alcohol.

• Daily AM strength sessions.

• Weekly body composition measurements.

• Cold therapy.

• Red light therapy.

• Sleep tracking.

• Quarterly stem cell therapies.

• Grip strength tests.

• Taking meetings while walking.

• Blood tests.

• Toxin tests.

• Stem cell therapies.

• And more…

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🔔Catch up on the last newsletter

Check out last week’s feature to learn the truth about reversing aging with sunscreen.

About Livelong

Our goal is to provide you with credible and actionable information about health and longevity, helping you to live a longer and healthier life. We aim to guide you toward making insightful decisions that support you throughout your health and longevity journey. 

Have feedback for us? Email us at [email protected]. We’d love to hear from you!

Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health care professional before starting any exercise, wellness, or health program. Nothing in our content, products or services should be considered, or used as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Livelong is a media company and not a medical provider. We try to give the most accurate possible, but sometimes information is subject to change.