An eclectic and
diverse number of supposed cutting edge medical technology treatments have grown
in popularity in recent years. These radical and innovative therapies are
commonly known as “biohacks” and promise potential cures to persistent ailments
that conventional medicine has been unable to completely heal. Does science
back up these treatments or are any perceived cures merely placebo? Is the
wallop to one’s bank account worth it or are these merely more ruses from
modern-day snake-oil peddlers? Examined below are eight of the more popular and
ambitious biohacks.
Smart Drugs
Science
fiction films and novels have long speculated on people taking “smart” drugs to
enhance creativity, improve memory and focus, and generally raise IQ levels. A
wide variety of such drugs are currently available with wild claims and varying
evidence.
“The brain
is complicated. In trying to upgrade it, you risk upsetting its intricate
balance. ‘It’s not just about more, it’s about having to be exquisitely and
exactly right. And that’s very hard to do,” says Amy Arnsten (Professor of
Neurobiology at Yale Medical School). ‘What’s good for one system may be bad
for another system,’ adds Trevor Robbins, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience
at the University of Cambridge. ‘It’s clear from the experimental literature
that you can affect memory with pharmacological agents, but the problem is
keeping them safe.’
“Drugs and
catastrophe are seemingly never far apart, whether in laboratories, real life
or Limitless (the movie). Downsides are all but unavoidable: if a drug enhances
one particular cognitive function, the price may be paid by other functions. To
enhance one dimension of cognition, you’ll need to appropriate resources that
would otherwise be available for others……..
“Despite
decades of study, a full picture has yet to emerge of the cognitive effects of the
classic psychostimulants and modafinil. Part of the problem is that getting
rats, or indeed students, to do puzzles in laboratories may not be a reliable
guide to the drugs’ effects in the wider world. Drugs have complicated effects
on individuals living complicated lives. Determining that methylphenidate
enhances cognition in rats by acting on their prefrontal cortex doesn’t tell
you the potential impact that its effects on mood or motivation may have on
human cognition.”
Microdosing
Gaining
momentum in the tech world, ingesting tiny amounts of psychedelic drugs is
supposed to be safe, enhance creativity and alleviate depression.
“Here’s the
thing about taking drugs at work: You think no one does it, but they do. In
Silicon Valley, at least. ‘People are microdosing all sorts of things in
Silicon Valley,’ says Molly Maloof, a bubbly M.D. with a personalized medicine
practice in San Francisco that specializes in helping biohackers try their
tactics safely. ‘People microdose mushrooms, they microdose LSD, they microdose
research chemicals. It’s a weird world.’
“Proponents claim that minuscule doses of psychedelics enhance
creativity and productivity while reducing depression, anxiety, and cravings
for cigarettes and alcohol. But no one’s really studied it. ‘The most important
thing to emphasize is we really don’t know,’ says Matthew Johnson, an associate
professor at Johns Hopkins University who studies potential therapeutic effects
of larger doses of psilocybin. Still, the questions being asked are smart, he
says. ‘There’s every reason to think that tinkering with that receptor system
could have antidepressant effects, and it’s never been systematically
manipulated in that way.’”
Cryotherapy
The entire body is cooled in a sleek-looking tub of nitrogen. For $90
per session inflammation is claimed to be reduced, among other health benefits.
“Yet the
science behind these devices is decidedly lackluster. In July the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration issued a warning stating that there is no evidence these
technologies help to ease muscle aches, insomnia or anxiety or provide any
other medical benefit. Instead, it said, they may cause frostbite, burns, eye
damage or even asphyxiation. In a statement to Scientific
American the agency added, ‘The FDA has not approved or cleared any
whole-body cryotherapy devices, and we do not have the necessary evidence to
substantiate any medical claims being made for these devices.’ The agency based
its warning on its own informal review of published literature and generally
recognized hazards associated with exposure to the gas that creates the cold
conditions in the treatment chamber…..
“As for the
effects of whole-body cryotherapy on all the other ailments it can purportedly
address beyond athletic injuries, the science is virtually nonexistent. The
claims have not been subjected to the rigors of a randomized trial. Nor do
researchers have definitive answers about whether exposure to gasified liquid
nitrogen produces beneficial effects on heart rate, blood pressure or
metabolism—effects that, if they occurred, might help ease anxiety, treat
migraines or fuel weight loss, among other aims.
“Mark
Murdock, managing partner at CryoUSA, does not dispute that whole-body
cryotherapy lacks evidence for many of the uses claimed for it. The company
promotes the devices for reducing pain and inflammation and increasing energy,
but in his view, that use provides ‘comfort,’ not medical assistance. He adds
that medical claims, such as that the devices can drive weight loss, are ‘crazy.’
He also says he supports the FDA’s decision to release the warning it issued in
July and thinks the agency should ultimately step in to regulate the industry
and curb such assertions.
“Not only
are the supposed benefits of cryotherapy chambers unproved but scientists also
lack a clear understanding of any risks they might pose. No studies have
focused on adverse effects. And not all whole-body cryotherapy is created
equal: treatments vary in duration, temperature and which body parts are spared
contact with the subzero vapors. How long a person is exposed, at what
temperature and under what conditions matter for safety, says Naresh Rao, the
USA Water Polo Olympic team’s physician.”
Float Tanks
Mind and body
sensory deprivation in an enclosed pool of water. For $50 to $125 stress is
likely to be reduced and a better night’s sleep enjoyed that night, provided
you effectively discipline your mind and relax while in the tank.
“Floatation-REST
(Reduced Environmental Stimulation Therapy) reduces sensory input to the
nervous system through the act of floating supine in a pool of water saturated
with Epsom salt. The float experience is calibrated so that sensory signals
from visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, thermal, tactile, vestibular,
gravitational and proprioceptive channels are minimized, as is most movement
and speech. This open-label study aimed to examine whether Floatation-REST
would attenuate symptoms of anxiety, stress, and depression in a clinical
sample. Fifty participants were recruited across a spectrum of anxiety and
stress-related disorders (posttraumatic stress, generalized anxiety, panic,
agoraphobia, and social anxiety), most with comorbid unipolar depression.
Measures of self-reported affect were collected immediately before and after a
1-hour float session, with the primary outcome measure being the pre- to
post-float change score on the Spielberger State Anxiety Inventory.
“Irrespective
of diagnosis, Floatation-REST substantially reduced state anxiety. Moreover,
participants reported significant reductions in stress, muscle tension, pain,
depression and negative affect, accompanied by a significant improvement in
mood characterized by increases in serenity, relaxation, happiness and overall
well-being. In reference to a group of 30 non-anxious participants, the effects
were found to be more robust in the anxious sample and approaching non-anxious
levels during the post-float period. Further analysis revealed that the most
severely anxious participants reported the largest effects. Overall, the
procedure was well-tolerated, with no major safety concerns stemming from this
single session. The findings from this initial study need to be replicated in
larger controlled trials, but suggest that Floatation-REST may be a promising
technique for transiently reducing the suffering in those with anxiety and
depression.”
Specialized Nutrition Via Genetic
Testing
Can a doctor
create an effective personalized diet and exercise program with the help of genetic
testing?
“While there's support for considering genetics in making prudent
decisions about diet and exercise, the ability of genetic testing that aims to
personalize dietary and fitness approaches to improve your health long-term
remains to be seen. ‘While some of the info provided can be a game-changer for some
people in terms of their compliance to better habits, the directness of the
advice and claims appears to be largely over-hyped,’ says Paul Kriegler, a
Chanhassen, Minnesota-based registered dietitian and program manager for
nutritional products at Life Time.
“For example, the jump from say, having a gene variant linked to lactose
sensitivity to believing you should avoid dairy is a big one that ignores all
of the other many, still not well understood, factors that influence how you
tolerate milkshakes and yogurt. ‘How you live your life, the kind of diet you
have, do you have any infections, do you have high stress, do you live in a
polluted environment – that sort of thing is significant,’ says Robin Foroutan,
a New York City-based integrative medicine dietitian and spokesperson for the
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
“It's also
important to recognize that personalized genetics companies differ in their
testing methods, the scientific basis for those tests and how they translate
results into advice for readers……..
“‘They all
have slightly different methods for sequencing genes [and] the scientific
understanding of gene expression is still in its infancy, so there’s a lot of
conclusions left up to interpretation,’ says Kriegler, who received some conflicting
recommendations after using Pathway Fit, Nutrigenomix, 23andMe and Simplified
Genetics. Most such companies that provide genetic testing kits for fitness and
nutrition purposes make it clear that genetics are only one part of a
complicated health picture, and allow consumers to connect with professionals
like registered dietitians to help make sense of the data.”
Home Microbiome Tests
One of the
more popular health trends is the study of multiple types of bacteria in the
human gut and how it affects everyday health. Home kits and analysis can cost
up to $400.
“Startups
are offering new services to analyze the complex community of microörganisms
that live in the digestive tract—called the microbiome. Customers receive test
tubes in the mail and send them back with fecal swabs to be analyzed in a lab.
The companies say they can do things like make diet recommendations and predict
risk for certain diseases based on a person’s unique microbial
makeup. While these tests could probably tell if you have a serious
bacterial infection, scientists say they can’t yet diagnose patients with
diseases and they are doubtful the tests can reliably provide the kind of
personalized information their makers claim they will.
“‘The
enthusiasm of their manufacturers simply goes well beyond where the science is
right now,’ says Rob Knight, a leading microbiome researcher and professor at
the University of California, San Diego. Knight is the cofounder of the
American Gut project, a crowdfunded study to map the human gut……..
“Knight says
what people can realistically expect to learn from these new commercial tests
is more along the lines of a snapshot of how a participant’s microbiome
compares to others with different diets, ages, and lifestyles, or in different
places around the world. The American Gut project gives this kind of analysis
without making disease risk predictions or doling out health advice.”
https://www.technologyreview.com/s/603900/gut-check-scientists-are-wary-of-at-home-microbiome-tests/
Cranial
Electrotherapy Stimulation,
CES
Brief, low-level electric currents are sent by electrodes on the scalp
with the intent of stimulating the brain and providing health benefits.
“CES is
similar to Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)
but stimulates the brain with electric current rather than magnetic pulses. CES
has attracted attention due to aggressive marketing by Fisher Wallace
Laboratories of the Fisher Wallace Stimulator, which has received positive
coverage from CBS, Fox News, Huffington Post and other outlets. The firm’s main
marketing strategy is claiming that its CES device, which costs $699 and can be
used at home, is cheaper and safer than other electro-cures. The company claims
that ‘more than 20 published studies prove the safety and effectiveness of the
Fisher Wallace Stimulator’ for treating depression and anxiety. Cochrane
carried out a review in 2014 and found ‘no high quality clinical trials
comparing CES with sham CES in people with acute depression. Currently, there
is insufficient evidence to support the use of CES in treatment of acute
depression.’”
“Twenty-eight
articles from 26 randomized trials met eligibility criteria. The 2 trials that
compared CES with usual care were small, and neither reported a statistically
significant benefit in pain or anxiety outcomes for patients with fibromyalgia
or anxiety, respectively. Fourteen trials with sham or placebo controls
involving patients with painful conditions, such as headache, neuromuscular
pain, or musculoskeletal pain, had conflicting results. Four trials done more
than 40 years ago and 1 from 2014 provided low-strength evidence of a possible
modest benefit compared with sham treatments in patients with anxiety and
depression.”
Biohacking Sleep
Best-selling
author and eccentric biohack guru Tim Ferriss comes up with outlandish health
hacks that are perplexing not only to the medical community but to anyone with
basic common sense. Just one example is his claim that anyone can function on
just 2 hours of sleep per day.
“How? It involves taking six 20-minute
naps, spaced evenly over a 24-hour period. Ferriss admits he reserves this
method, a version of what's known as ‘polyphasic sleep,’ only for meeting
emergency deadlines. So Dustin Curtis, credited simply as an ‘experienced
polyphasic sleeper,’ served as Ferriss' go-to source on the approach. Most
people sleep eight hours a night, Curtis says, but spend only about two hours
in so-called rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Because non-REM sleep is just ‘unnecessary
unconsciousness,’ says Curtis, polyphasic sleepers ‘train’ their brain to go
right into REM sleep during each nap. Over 24 hours, he claims they amass two
hours' worth of REM, about the same amount a normal sleeper gets during a full
night's rest.
"Experts say: So can you
really function just as well on two hours of sleep? ‘The short answer is, if I
may speak in medical terms, hell no,’ says Matt Bianchi, a neurologist and
sleep physician at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. To say non-REM
sleep is unnecessary is ‘foundationless,’ says Bianchi. ‘I would challenge
anyone to come up with a sliver of data to support that.’ Consistently
depriving yourself of sleep will hurt your body in some way, be it through
heart or brain problems, he says.”
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Photo: http://collapse.news/2016-09-12-government-and-corporations-will-soon-be-able-to-hack-your-brainwaves-thoughts.html
Jerry De Luca is a Christian freelance writer who loves perusing dozens of interesting and informative publications. When he finds any useful info he summarizes it, taking the main points, and creates a (hopefully) helpful blog post.
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