The Livelong Newsletter

Hi Everyone,

In a rock 50 feet beneath the South African landscape, researchers discovered the oldest living microbes on planet earth.

The microbes have existed for an estimated two billion years—they have existed longer than most life on planet Earth, period.

👽 Researchers hope these lifeforms can provide insights into evolutionary life on Mars, whose low gravity could possibly extend our own lifespans, as some speculate.

In today’s issue:

• What do you want to ask Andrew Huberman?

• How are hemorrhoids linked to varicose veins?

• Why this CO county has decades longer lifespan.

• … 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

Ask Andrew Huberman

Get his answers on any topic in wellness, longevity, and optimization. 

🪡 Finding a recommendation or protocol that was mentioned in an Andrew Huberman podcast is like trying to find the needle in a haystack.

Until now.

Andrew Huberman has partnered with Dexa.AI to create a platform that allows people to quickly access his entire content catalog.

Potentials: The platform will further democratize his health and wellness protocols.

• The library of information is given in the form of lists, links to podcasts, protocols, articles, and scientific papers.

• Advice is relatively personalized. It can account for age, demographic, sex, dietary or physical restrictions, specific health goals, and more.

Drawbacks: Huberman’s science has been known to lack merit and credibility (similarly, so has his relationship history and personality) and advice can be limited, generalized, and sometimes understudied.

Big picture: For those who want a foundational well-being blueprint (or content that is related to specific podcast episodes), it’s a good place to start.

All you have to do is to ask → Click here.

➕ LIVE MORE

These stories caught our attention.

• 👂 Hearing a diagnosis. AI models can use sound patterns to diagnose mental health conditions.

• 🎣 AI ‘lifeline’. With the help of AI, stroke patients are getting faster treatment and avoiding severe consequences.

• 🌅 Eyes on the horizon. Looking at the horizon relieves eye strain, fatigue, and may help preserve vision, Huberman says.

WELLNESS WATCH

Varicose veins may start on the toilet

Strained bowel movements can create superficial, bulging knots.

Varicose veins can be caused by pregnancy, chronic sitting, and apparently strained pooping, according to gastroenterologist Trisha Pasricha, MD, in The Washington Post.

• As Pasricha illustrates, varicose veins are “engorged, serpentine veins that look like knots and appear most often in our legs 🐍.”  

Varicose veins form under pressure. Straining during bowel movements requires excess intra-abdominal pressure, she explains.

• The pressure eventually damages valves found in superficial veins in the lower extremities; this prevents blood from flowing to the heart, and it creates excess pressure and inflammation.

What to do? Move more and eat fiber. 

• Fiber promotes good bowel movements and prevents hemorrhoids (linked to varicose veins).

• Movement promotes blood flow from the legs to the heart, preventing blood from pooling in the legs.

🍎 Read next ⇉ Eat these 31 high-fiber foods.

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📰 IN OTHER NEWS

ChatGPT can effectively diagnose brain tumors

ChatGPT can accurately diagnose brain tumors, according to research conducted by a team at Osaka Metropolitan University’s Graduate School of Medicine in Japan.

GPT vs. the radiologists: ChatGPT, neuroradiologists, and general radiologists were each asked to diagnose a brain tumor based on MRI reports before the tumor was biopsied.

How accurate was ChatGPT? ChatGPT diagnosed brain tumors with 73% accuracy. Neuroradiologists had a 72% average accuracy, and general radiologists were at 68%.

Quick reads

• Sourdough. A new tool may naturally create new flavors and textures of sourdough bread.

• Ink-credible. Squids inspire new types of temperature-controlled clothing, helping you to stay active and outdoors for longer.

• Cell yeah. Australian researchers discover a new type of cell to improve tissue regeneration.

LONG-LEVITY

Being happy can prevent heart attacks

According to a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, people who feel happy about their lives are at significantly lower risk of heart attack.

General happiness and life satisfaction (well-being) surrounding family, friends, health, and finances can reduce the risk of developing four types of heart disease. 

• People with the highest life satisfaction are at 56% lower risk of having a heart attack compared to people with low satisfaction.

Doctor’s order. Senior study author Wen Sun (University of Science and Technology of China) says improving life satisfaction and happiness could literally become “part of routine care.” 

INNOVATION HUB

The $36k longevity trend that is like cleaning a fishbowl

Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE; ‘blood cleansing’) is the million-dollar investment taking over longevity, according to an article in The San Francisco Standard.

How does it work? Blood is removed and rapidly whizzed around to separate plasma from the red/white blood cells and platelets.

• The red/white cells are mixed into a solution of saline and albumin — the optimized blood goes back into your body. 

It’s like cleaning a fish bowl. 

“If you have an aquarium and you don’t change the water, your fish will die,” says longevity specialist Dobri Kiprov, who conducts research on TPE. 🐟

“If you keep it clean and give them food, they’ll thrive.” 

⚠️ Danger. Not all researchers support TPE for anti-aging (TPE for anti-aging is an off-label use).

• Irina Conboy, a professor at Berkeley bioengineering, calls some of Kiprov’s research “very scary” and warns that TPE can have serious side effects…think kidney and liver damage, toxicity, and more.

Given the controversy, cost, and unreliable benefits, we wonder if there are bigger fish to fry first?

Let us know what podcasts you are watching at [email protected].

📕 Discover the best longevity books

Books are the foundation for understanding key longevity concepts.

 ☝️ Find your next favorite read here and transform your health.

🔛 What’s next?

• 📥 Subscribe to the community — If you haven’t subscribed, please do so. You’re joining a great community of life.

• ➡️ Share this newsletter — Share with a friend so they can get fresh, actionable, and evidence-based information to support their health journey, too.

• 🗨️ We love to hear from you! — Please share your feedback, stories, questions, testimonials, ideas, and more with us.

• 🔔 Catch up on our previous newsletters — Discover interesting, impactful content to support your longevity journey.

• 🌍  In our most recent newsletter — we explore longevity practices from around the world.

Read it here >

🦉 WISDOM FOR LIFE

About Livelong

Be your own expert. Optimize your health. Look beyond the conventional.

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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.