Boosting the Immune System with IV Therapy - Does It Help?
Amidst a Global COVID-19 Crisis, Immunity is on Our Mind
In this post I’ll cover:
The basics of IV therapy
An experiment I ran with an immune boosting IV therapy
White blood cell blood tests
Review of the data I collected
Making the best conclusion we can on the value of IV therapy based on the data collected
It just so happens, I recently ran an experiment with immune IV therapy to answer - is an immune boosting IV treatment worth it?
A quick video sharing the experience of getting an IV therapy at NextHealth in West Hollywood
Most of us have had an IV in our lifetime. They are exceptionally helpful for delivering hydration and electrolytes to patients in-hospital. IV stands for ‘intravenous’, as they function via the insertion of a sterile catheter into the vein (most commonly in the arm or wrist). Sometimes, in addition to hydration, they are used as a method of ‘infusion therapy’ where, for example, medication is delivered intravenously.
Traditionally, IVs were only delivered in hospitals, but then after a time, shifted to outpatient clinics, and now are populating health & wellness centres around the world. Chances are, if you Google for an “IV clinic" in the US, Australia or Europe - you’ll find one near you! In each instance, a trained nurse is the most likely the person who will insert the catheter and set-up the infusion treatment.
IV Therapy at NextHealth - Super Immune
I recently undertook my first ever IV therapy (outside of a hospital) at NextHealth in West Hollywood, Los Angeles. After undergoing a micronutrient test to inform my selection of treatment, I settled on trying out the Super Immune IV therapy. My motivation for this was that on my previous long-haul roundtrip from Sydney to Los Angeles, I became quite ill upon return. So this IV therapy caught my interest during a following roundtrip Sydney-LA about 2 months later.
Super Immune IV - the Claim
The Super Immune IV claims to ‘supercharge’ the immune system with Vitamin C, Magnesium and Vitamin B5 plus Selenium, Taurine, and L-lysine. I took a photo of the information NextHealth provided to me on the contents & benefits of the treatment.
Forming a Hypothesis: Immune IV Therapy - Does it work?
Now, being the biohacker enthusiast I am, I naturally decided to undertake an experiment in order to try to measure the impact the Super Immune IV therapy had on my immune system. With any good experiment, we must form a hypothesis, design a framework for testing it, collect relevant data, analyse these data and form a conclusion. So let’s start with - what was the hypothesis?
Hypothesis: the Super Immune IV will measurably boost my immune system and keep me from getting sick during my international travel
The Experiment: Two Long Haul Roundtrip Flights from Sydney to Los Angeles
As I mentioned above, I completed two long-haul, roundtrip flights from Sydney to LA. Both lasting 7-8 days. The first was in November 2019 (Trip #1) and the second was in January 2020 (Trip #2). During both trips, within 4 days of the first flight, I completed a comprehensive panel of blood tests (one at NextHealth, one at the Health Nucleus). Trip #1 had no Immune IV. Trip #2 had an Immune IV therapy on Day 2 of the trip (3 days prior to the trip’s blood test).
There are many factors that could influence the results of this experiment, but as with nearly every biohacker experiment this is always the case. In fact, it is a fundamental limitation of running self-experiments that they cannot be perfectly controlled due to the sheer complexity of our biology and its interaction with our environment. This doesn’t mean one should not do their best to provide a controlled environment! It just means we need to mindfully interpret the results of the experiment.
However, I took a number of measures to provide the best control possible. Diet was unchanged. Sleep was very similar on both trips, with ~7 hours of relatively poor sleep on the flight over (according to sleep tracking data). I also employed the same jet lag adjustment strategy that I have developed on both trips. Neither had more than 1 glass of alcohol (wine) intake within 2 days of the blood tests. Both had moderate levels of exercise (plenty of walking, some light running).
Caption: Step 1: Chill in sweet chairs. Step 2: Get your arm warmed up. Step 3: Get skilfully stuck. Step 4: Pump in the goodness! Step 5: Relax! (It takes about 30 minutes)
Understanding the Data Points
For the layperson, there is a need for us to first dive into what the data I plan to share represents. The same data was collected for both Trip #1 and Trip #2.
White Blood Cell Count (WBC)
White blood cell count (WBC) represents the total number of leukocytes in a volume of blood. Leukocyte is just fancier way of saying white blood cell, which are the cells of the immune system that protect us from infectious disease and foreign material (e.g. toxins, allergens).
If WBC count falls below the standard reference range of 4k/uL, this signals that the supply of white blood cells has been depleted. This is most commonly caused by an infection, but can also be the result of chemotherapy or radiation treatment (hence why many cancer patients have compromised immunity). If you are noticeably fighting a viral or bacterial infection, it is likely your WBC will fall below this value, before rebounding as your immune system ramps up.
A selection of white blood cell types. Source: unknown
White Blood Cell Differential
Whereas the WBC represents the total number of white blood cells present per unit of blood, the differential blood count provides a breakdown of each type of white blood cell. This is most commonly used in medicine to search for any abnormalities in the overall populations. Differentials can be useful in the diagnosis of infectious disease, allergic reactions and during monitoring for adverse impacts from certain drugs (e.g. cytotoxic ones used in the treatment of cancer).
There are many excellent sources of information on the ‘basics’, and in my background research I found Medscape to be a particularly useful source.
Neutrophils - the most common type. Neutrophils function by travelling to the site of an infection to release enzymes to ward off viruses or bacteria which are invading the body
Lymphocytes. These search and destroy machines breakdown into two types:
B-cells fight exogenous (those coming from outside the body) bacteria, viruses or toxins.
T-cells target the body’s native cells in the case that they become infected by a virus or those that become cancerous.
Monocytes remove foreign material, remove dead cells, and boost the body's immune response.
Eosinophils fight infection, inflammation, and allergic reactions. They also defend the body against parasites and bacteria.
Basophils release enzymes to help control allergic reactions and asthma attacks.
This is a heap of new information for most us, so here are few key take-aways for understanding the upcoming results and discussion:
A fall in WBC below the reference range of 4k/uL is:
indicative of an infection (in my case on Trip #1, a respiratory virus)
most often due to depletion of the neutrophils who are ravelling to the site of an infection as first responders
The standard reference range expects neutrophil count to be greater than 1.5x10E6/uL; for me, a value of ~2.4x10E6/uL is baseline.
Interpreting the Results
In addition to the two WBC and differentials tests I had performed in November 2019 (Trip #1) and January 2020 (Trip #2), I have also included data from May and August 2018, to provide baseline measurements. During both of these baseline measurements I was healthy and without an immune system compromise.
White Blood Cell Count (left-hand axis) and White Blood Cell Differential (right-hand-axis) over four blood tests. Trip #1 data is “Nov-19”, where I became unwell. Trip #2 data is “Jan-20” where I received the Super Immune IV therapy at NextHealth.
From the provided chart, a few observations can be drawn
Baseline values for WBC and differentials are steady (May-18, August-18), evidence of a good set of control data
There is a clear drop in WBC, Neutrophil and Monocytes in Nov-19 (Trip #1)
Trip #1 WBC values fall below the reference range values, indicative of the viral infection
Trip #2 Neutrophil values are about 15% below baseline
Trip #2 WBC, Lymphocyte, Basophil values are in-line with the baseline values
Trip #2 Eosinophils are 3.5-4x baseline value
Interpreting these results is complex, but given my unique perspective as the experimenter, I offer the following supplementary information and observations.
WBC which is indicative of the overall immune system’s robustness are higher during Trip #2 than in Trip #1
Neutrophil count during Trip #2 is not in-line with baseline, suggesting it is possible that my immune system was being challenged, but not overcome (as is expected during international travel)
The increase in Eosinophil (Eos) count in Trip #2 is probably best explained by my legs being covered in angry red scrapes from a trail run where I got lost and had to scramble through bracken fern two days prior to my drip (ouch!). Recall from the above these white blood cells fight inflammation and allergens (those angry red scrapes!).
Point #3 suggest that there would be a downward revision of WBC to approximately 4.7k/uL for the purposes of comparing it to baseline and Trip #1 (adjusting WBC to not have the cofounding signal from the Eos elevation). This still leaves the WBC similar to the baseline values of 4.9 and 4.8 k/uL.
Discussion: Does the data support getting an Immune IV treatment?
So, let us return to the hypothesis - that my intake of an IV immune therapy would measurably improve my immune system during my long-haul flight and international travel and I would not get sick.
We so far have discussed one primary source of data and analysed it in this context. Overall, based on my ranges of 'normal' from my historical blood tests, the results after my NextHealth Immune IV, and Trip #1 where I became ill from the travel, it does appear there was a measurable improvement in my immune function on Trip #2.
While not perfect, I choose to wear a facemask whenever I travel through airports. These are not guaranteed to provide effective protection from contagious disease, and are advised against by some medical experts. It is my personal opinion that they do provide some measure of protection when compared to not wearing one.
However, this it is difficult to make the conclusion that the Immune IV kept me from getting sick with high confidence. I could have simply picked up a particularly nasty virus on the way to/from LA on Trip #1 and not on Trip #2. In this scenario, the Immune IV treatment could arguably have little to do with the outcome or any of the apparently measurable difference between the two.
Instead, I offer that it is more valuable to draw a different category of conclusion on the subject of whether the Super Immune IV is worth it. To do so, we need to return to both (a) the fundamentals of international travel, (b) the outcome I desired (to not get sick) and (c) the value of the outcome versus the cost.
With respect to (a), it is known that getting poor sleep, experiencing timezone changes, and being exposed to numerous pathogens (in the airport, in the airplane) undoubtedly challenges the immune system. It is commonly accepted that one should take action to protect themselves when travelling for these reasons.
Secondly, and in my view, more importantly, (b) - I did not get sick on Trip #2, which is the outcome I desired. Becoming ill on return after Trip #1 was miserable, cost me time at work, and put my family and friends at risk of contracting the pathogen I was carrying.
The Overall Conclusion: Immune IV Therapy is Worth it (For Me)
Given the experiment, data and resulting discussion, I offer the following conclusions:
1) It is completely possible and perhaps probable the Immune IV therapy boosted my immune system and kept me from getting sick on Trip #2
2) Getting an immune IV therapy is an appropriate risk management, strategy for international travel
This latter conclusion is based on the principles of risk management, where one weighs the nastiness of the outcome against the cost of managing the risk. In this context (c), I’d argue the IV treatment to be well worth it at $189USD.
As an outcome from this experiment, my personal choice will be to continue to drop into NextHealth on my long-haul trips to the United States and get that IV goodness dripped into my vein! If you’re a travelling businessperson with similar level of resources (IV treatments are relatively affordable to you) and level of risk (becoming unwell is quite costly), you would likely also benefit from partaking in immune boosting IV therapies.
I’ll be sure to collect additional WBC and differentials data on my next trip to the US and post a follow-up blog to accompany this one. Be sure to subscribe to be notified when I do!
-
RT @rebeccavziegler: The cryonics payoff matrix. Choose wisely my friends. https://t.co/l1rzsmOC2w -
My rate of aging: 0.79 It’s the new street cred What you got? https://t.co/aHzWHAfCnD https://t.co/L3rZC4QFN2
-
It’s official - I’m co-producing and hosting a new #longevity docuseries, and will begin shooting in a few months… https://t.co/wLGqRrBfbp
-
“The #longevity segment opened my eyes to the groundbreaking advances in biotechnology, health, and wellness. The i… https://t.co/F8YB7PAeMW
-
I’m completely mindblown by what AI has done over the past 3-6 months, and it continues to accelerate… https://t.co/hh0JslucRg
-
Longevity legends take on many shapes and sizes https://t.co/X9vGa7gvOe
-
RT @BradStanfieldMD: Avoid These Popular Supplements (shout out to Professor Matt Kaeberlein @mkaeberlein & Professor Brian Kennedy… https://t.co/cy9CXldgUS
-
Who are influential persons in #longevity who are of Asian, African American or other “minority” group in the US?
-
The AI powered future is here 🦾 Contrary to the narrative, you’re not going to be replaced in the workplace by AI… https://t.co/BojTzyfDzA
-
I built and exited my first company today A big moment in my entrepreneur journey What’s next? All in on… https://t.co/5oTo3IjSyN
Assessing the Aesthetic Age with Advanced Facial Scanning Technology
How old you ‘look’ is about far more than vanity
In my last post, I shared three online tools for assessing your biological age. In this follow-up post, I want to discuss another segment of technologies, related to assessing one’s apparent youthfulness. This refers to how old one ‘looks’. In my last post on this topic, I coined the term aesthetic age, so let’s roll with it.
How old you look has MUCH more to it than simple vanity. I know from personal experience that many people who utilise available technologies to look younger often will keep their efforts to do so relatively secretive, in order to avoid the negative stigma that has become attached to it. “Oh, she’s definitely had work done”, is a typical example that highlights the stigma I refer to.
But your apparent youthfulness is an professional asset, and does wonders for your subjective experience through boosted confidence and increased self-image. You need do nothing more than ask someone in your life who bears the marks of old age in their face to describe their experience venturing out into the world on a day to day basis. Many of them will tell you they ‘feel invisible’, receive poorer levels of service in the retail and restaurant industry, and miss the days of being attractive to members of the opposite (or same!) sex.
beauty that is skin deep
There are many factors that regulate of one’s aesthetic age, and it can be difficult to find an objective measure of how old one looks. I previously shared how I like to turn the question ‘how old are you’ into a game of ‘well, how old do I look?’, getting a median guess of ~27 years old. This is one useful way of forming a statistical approach to the question, as in my experience the results form a relatively neat gaussian distribution.
But as a scientist, I crave something more data driven - and that’s what inspired my latest visit to NextHealth in West Hollywood. Last November during my first visit to NextHealth I learned about an incredible piece of technology for assessing your aesthetic age - the Visia. This unit utilises multispectral (including UV spectrum) imagery to look deep into the skin of your face for clues about its health. To complete the scan, you place your chin and forehead into the unit, and hold still while a series of 3 flash photography images are taken, and submitted to the Skin Analysis System’s algorithms. But let’s let the expert (Matthew at NextHealth) explain it…
The scan took only a few seconds, here is what it looked like
How Old is My Face?
Visia scan results through eight different actionable categories
The results came quickly, and thankfully, pegged me a bit under my actual age (34) with an aesthetic age of 31. This is much older than my biological age of 22 years old, so while it is a relatively youthful result - I’d like to know how I can do better! (If you’re interested, you can listen to Matthew describe my results here)
This is one of the things I LOVE about NextHealth. They, like me, are obsessed with optimising human performance. In the 30 minutes following my scan, Matthew diligently and patiently answered my many questions about how I can work to improve the apparent youthfulness of my skin.
Here are two areas of action I will be experimenting with improve my aesthetic age before my next Visia scan.
UV Damage
I live in Australia, where the sun’s ultraviolet rays are known to be extra intense (thanks Ozone hole!), and the relative rates of skin cancer are roughly double most other areas of the world. In fact, roughly 2 in 3 people will get some form of skin cancer by the age 70. I’d very much like to be in the 1/3 that doesn’t!
The Visia scanner was able to highlight the need for me to take much more care with my facial sunscreen routine, and search out proactive solutions for reducing my UV spots. One great option is the Broadband Light (BBL) lasering, which focuses an intense beam of light energy into the skin of the face can destroy these spots and quite literally reverse the age of your skin.
I’m definitely going to be trying this out in the near future! And of course, I’ll share the experience with you :)
Wrinkles
Wrinkles in the skin can be addressed in several ways, but I’m relatively uninterested in the ones that cannot lead to a lasting difference (e.g. creams that plump your skin or wrinkle-fillers or makeup, etc). So far, there are two options that I am experimenting with:
1) Retinol
Before (Left) and After (+ 6 weeks at 2% retinol daily)
Prior to the Visia scan, I had actually run a 6 week retinol experiment on the skin surrounding my eyes. Maybe that has already led to me appearing younger than my 34 years, given I look 31!
By applying a 2% retinol (which is actually just the active form of Vitamin A), I accelerated the turnover of the cells on the top layer of my skin, bringing a more youthful layer to the surface. I found it difficult to capture the difference meaningfully on my iPhone camera, but I did take some before & after photos. IRL (that’s “In Real Life” for the less hip crowd) the results were quite obvious. My ‘crow’s feet’ had receded, and the skin around my eyes was visibly less wrinkled. I plan to continue my use of retinol, increasing the concentration of the serum to at least 4%.
2) Botox
If you’re like me, you are likely very skeptical of the benefits of botox injections. I was under the impression that they were merely a temporary fix, would leave your face expressionless and that botox will make your wrinkles worse if you stop the injections.
Upon further research and consultation, I found none of these things are actually true. But what is important to note is that there are a variety of factors that go into a successful treatment regimine that will actually have a meaningful impact on your aesthetic age.
First - while botox might help you look more youthful in the short-run, it really should be viewed as a way of ‘maintaining aesthetic age’ rather than turning back the clock. Creases and wrinkles in your face are slowly deepened over time by long-term repetitive use (think of folding a piece of leather over and over and over…). Botox fill reduces this repetitive strain on your skin.
Second - botox injections are more of an ‘art’ than a strict science. Seeking out someone who is experienced, can demonstrate skilled results through testimonials and has an absence of bad reviews to their name is a must.
Third - consistency is key. It takes awhile to work out the right strategy for achieving the results you’re after, and if you’re not willing to put up the budget to keep the practice up for the long-haul, you might be better off not trying this one at all.
I’m currently in the research phase with the botox option on my end, so stay tuned and I’ll be sure to share any self-experimentation I undertake with botox.
How can you access this technology?
My first Visia scan and consultation with NextHeath were complimentary - so if you live in LA or have any travel plans through the area, your first choice is obvious!
However if you’re not in LA, it is very likely that you can find a local aesthetic care facility that has a Visia unit, as they are relatively popular. I am currently writing to you from San Antonio, and a quick internet search revealed at least two options. I even tested the capital cities of Australia and found locations there as well. A simple Google of “Visia scan near me” seems to be a handy approach. The Canfield Science (Visia’s manufacturer) website lists distributors in North America, Central America, South America, Europe, Middle East, Asia, Oceania and even Africa!
-
RT @rebeccavziegler: The cryonics payoff matrix. Choose wisely my friends. https://t.co/l1rzsmOC2w
-
My rate of aging: 0.79 It’s the new street cred What you got? https://t.co/aHzWHAfCnD https://t.co/L3rZC4QFN2
-
It’s official - I’m co-producing and hosting a new #longevity docuseries, and will begin shooting in a few months… https://t.co/wLGqRrBfbp
-
“The #longevity segment opened my eyes to the groundbreaking advances in biotechnology, health, and wellness. The i… https://t.co/F8YB7PAeMW
-
I’m completely mindblown by what AI has done over the past 3-6 months, and it continues to accelerate… https://t.co/hh0JslucRg
-
Longevity legends take on many shapes and sizes https://t.co/X9vGa7gvOe
-
RT @BradStanfieldMD: Avoid These Popular Supplements (shout out to Professor Matt Kaeberlein @mkaeberlein & Professor Brian Kennedy… https://t.co/cy9CXldgUS
-
Who are influential persons in #longevity who are of Asian, African American or other “minority” group in the US?
-
The AI powered future is here 🦾 Contrary to the narrative, you’re not going to be replaced in the workplace by AI… https://t.co/BojTzyfDzA
-
I built and exited my first company today A big moment in my entrepreneur journey What’s next? All in on… https://t.co/5oTo3IjSyN
What's My Age Again? Quantifying Biological Age with Three Free Online Tools
“How old are you?”
It’s a common question, and one that we often use in early conversation with acquaintances of all sorts. I’ve noticed just how common a query it is, because I’ve turned it into a fun guessing game, where I reply - “Well, how old do you think I am?”. People will often take a few moments to look at my face, and spurt out their guess without much hesitation. I’ve been casually keeping track of the responses, and the median age is currently 27 (range 24 - 30, 15 responses) - not bad for a 34 year old.
This fun little guessing game starts to beg a deeper, biological question. The difference between how old we look (we might call this one’s aesthetic age) versus our actual chronological age, varies from person to person. Looking at my classmates from high school or college over the years has been quite remarkable in this regard - many of my male classmates are now balding or have grey hair, others seem to have many wrinkles or sagging facial features already, many are overweight or obese - but a select few are trim, fit, glowing and youthful in appearance. So onto that biological question - are there measurable differences between people of the same chronological age that may shed some light on the seemingly different rates of aging I observe across my peers?
For a great, layperson explanation of the epigenetic ageing process, and what to do about it - Grab yourself a copy of “Lifespan” by Dr. David Sinclair
Well, fairly recently, the answer to this question has become a very clear yes. Enter the concept of biological age - where measuring representative variables in human biology have yielded remarkably accurate answers to this tricky question. There are several methods of approach, but by far the most widely discussed and accepted in the scientists exploring this topic are methylation clocks, which track changes in methyl groups in the epigenome. The epigenome is the system that controls how our genome is expressed, and this is known to change as we age. Later this year, I have plans to test and review several different biological age tests, including methylation clocks and other tools for tracking the epigenome and telomere length.
Given this emerging field of science, and new technologies that are following it, I have spent much of my recent longevity research efforts exploring the tools that are available to biohackers and wellness enthusiasts like myself for quantifying biological age. Today, I’ll share three different online tools that you can leverage, and share my results with you.
Biological Age Tool #1 - Phenotypic Age
[EDIT: Alternative direct download for spreadsheet hosted at the above link]
“Phenotypic Age” was first discussed in two separate studies, which you can find here (study 1 and study 2 -< note that Steve Horvath is one of the authors, who has pioneered the methylation clock work mentioned above). Phenotypic Age is calculated based on 9 biomarkers and measured chronological age using a cohort of 11,432 adults (a range of 20-84 years old). I was first introduced to this tool by Dr. Michael Lustgarten, who also blogs on longevity related topics, and was recently able to test out this tool for myself, thanks to the 15 vials of blood I gave at NextHealth.
Using the results from my Total Baseline test, and the excel spreadsheet located here (EDIT: some readers have reported the spreadsheet link is not working, so here is an alternative direct download) , I was able to enter the following information to reveal my phenotypic age. This includes information about the shape and size of my red and white blood cells, inflammation (C-reactive protein), albumin (protein in blood plasma) and creatinine (a byproduct of muscles and measure of kidney performance).
My biological age: 22 years old. That’s 12 years younger than my chronological age of 34! Hey - I must be doing something right :)
Biological Age Tool #2 - AgingAI
Another group of researchers who have pioneered biological age tools are the team at Insilico Medicine, developers of the ‘AgingAI’ tool. In fact, I considered Alex Zhavoronkov (CTO of Insilico) one of the world’s leaders in advocacy for longevity technology research, and if you are interested in this space, he is someone you should certainly follow.
AgingAI uses an artificial intelligence approach to biological age estimation, which is significantly more complex and technical than the linear model used in the phenotypic age tool. This approach employs deep neural networks and was trained on more than 60k data points (read more about the details here). In my view, this tool is inherently more subjective in that due to the machine learning approach employed, it will be biased toward chronological age more strongly than the phenotypic age model (simply put - the neural networks are trained against chronological age as ‘the answer’).
Using the results from my NextHealth Total Baseline I was able to complete both the AgingAI 2.0 and AgingAI 3.0 Tests. For those of you interested in replicating this with your own Total Baseline test, here are a few tips:
be sure to select “US” for the sample metric at the top
you won’t have a value for “Lactate dehydrogenase”, so I recommend using the median value of the reference range
“Basophils” is “Basos %”, “Eosinophils” is “Eos %”, and “Lymphocytes” is “Lymphs %”
in your Total Baseline report
And my results? AgingAI 2.0 guesses I am 30 years old. AgingAI 3.0 guesses 32 years old. Pretty close on both counts! And I suppose it is good news it knows I am a male (LOL).
Biological Age Tool #3 - RealAge by ShareCare
Not everyone will have the blood test results on hand to use both of the above tools (but you can likely get them if you find the right medical doctor! Also, read-on below, as it appears you can order these online via “Walk-in Labs”). So I wanted to make sure I included an age test that did not require a blood test. This one is arguably not truly a biological age tool, but I’ll place it in that category based on the amount of biological data it ingests through its questionnaire style approach (it does collect cholesterol numbers for example). Co-created by “Dr. Oz” and Mike Roizen, this tool boasts that is has been completed more than 43M times.
An example question from the RealAge survey tool
I appreciated this test for its accessibility and its candour. What I mean by the latter point is that it asks many questions that clearly gauge youthfulness through emotional and psychological data points (really digging into whether or not you still have that quintessential ‘zest’ for life or not!). It also provides a wide array of follow-up tools that directly target your RealAge score, and can help you improve it, including a ‘dashboard’ tool that will let you track your behaviours and give you tailored advice (and I am sure it will use your data to make money somehow!).
This test reported a ‘Real Age’ (biological age) of 28 years old.
Should you complete a Biological Age test?
If you’re interested in maximising your longevity, it’s important to establish a baseline. This means, to establish where your overall health and wellness are at NOW, so that you can make changes to your diet, lifestyle, supplements and other input variables, and then re-test to determine how you’re faring with your own longevity strategy.
In my view, biological age tests are an ideal choice of baseline testing, as they are designed to comprise the overall impact of many different factors and are specifically dedicated to measuring aging. However, there is a rapidly growing list of options for testing, including checking your telomere length (of white blood cells), DNA methylation clocks (e.g. DNAge), and more broad spectrum epigenetic tests (check out Chronomics for example). So selecting which test to use comes down to a few key parameters, in my view:
Representativeness of the test to your overall health & wellbeing (Does the age test capture the most representative biomarkers of aging?)
Affordability (Are you able to routinely repeat the measurement based upon its cost?)
Accessibility (Do you need a doctor to work with you to get the test? Is it available in your country/region? Can you order it online?)
As a part of my commitment to the purpose of this blog (supporting you in generating your own longevity strategy), I am preparing a review of several of the biological age tests available on the market, for publication on this blog later this year. By working with the providers of these tests, I’ll share my results with you, and compare and contrast the (1) representativeness, (2) affordability and (3) accessibility of each approach. In this post, we got off to a solid start, so let’s close today by summarising these three factors for the above biological age tests in a succinct tabulated format. I will be sure to update this table as I evaluate additional options in the future!
![Costing estimates produced with “Walk-in Labs” [1], [2], [3]. My total baseline test cost $999USD.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/534cff75e4b0ce1c16de5321/1578708035056-NQBT0PVSD7FSR14BJDYH/Aging+Tests+Matrix+v1+January+2020)
If you enjoyed this post, be sure to read my coverage on epigenetic age testing company Chronomics
Want to test & improve you biological age? Longevity Blog recommends GlycanAge
Our Founder Nick used these kits to improve his biological age by 6 years, just by changing his diet. Read more about that here.
If you’d like a more robust and accurate biological age test than the free options above, GlycanAge is a great place to start!
-
RT @rebeccavziegler: The cryonics payoff matrix. Choose wisely my friends. https://t.co/l1rzsmOC2w
-
My rate of aging: 0.79 It’s the new street cred What you got? https://t.co/aHzWHAfCnD https://t.co/L3rZC4QFN2
-
It’s official - I’m co-producing and hosting a new #longevity docuseries, and will begin shooting in a few months… https://t.co/wLGqRrBfbp
-
“The #longevity segment opened my eyes to the groundbreaking advances in biotechnology, health, and wellness. The i… https://t.co/F8YB7PAeMW
-
I’m completely mindblown by what AI has done over the past 3-6 months, and it continues to accelerate… https://t.co/hh0JslucRg
-
Longevity legends take on many shapes and sizes https://t.co/X9vGa7gvOe
-
RT @BradStanfieldMD: Avoid These Popular Supplements (shout out to Professor Matt Kaeberlein @mkaeberlein & Professor Brian Kennedy… https://t.co/cy9CXldgUS
-
Who are influential persons in #longevity who are of Asian, African American or other “minority” group in the US?
-
The AI powered future is here 🦾 Contrary to the narrative, you’re not going to be replaced in the workplace by AI… https://t.co/BojTzyfDzA
-
I built and exited my first company today A big moment in my entrepreneur journey What’s next? All in on… https://t.co/5oTo3IjSyN
Immediately Actionable Insights via Micronutrient Testing
Considering a micronutrient test? Do these two things first!
Want to take a micronutrient test? Order your own without a doctor!
Micronutrient test results are in!
Imagine my excitement as the moment finally arrived - the comprehensive results from my 15 vials of blood and four detailed blood tests arrived in my inbox. After 4 weeks of waiting, the mountain of data arrived and the real fun of digging through it for actionable insights began. To get started, I’d like to share with you three immediately actionable insights I gained from my micronutrient blood test.
Micronutrient Test for Glutamine (Actionable Insight #1)
Huffing and puffing my way towards my cardio goals (I plan to run my first 10km race this year) sure leads to a lot of SWEAT. Much more than I’ve personally been used to. I’ve established a solid routine where 6 days/week, I am up early in the morning getting in a vigorous walk of 5k+ steps or run workout (trail runs, endurance training - follow me on Strava). However, unbeknownst to me, that SWEAT was taking with it a critical micronutrient needed for the success of many different bodily systems - Glutamine.
Glutamine is an amino acid that plays a critical role in the synthesis of proteins, which has impacts for many bodily systems. In fact, it is the most abundant amino acid in the human body. This being the case, it is also abundant in a wide variety of our food choices - including meats like beef, chicken and fish, dairy products, eggs, and many vegetables (leafy greens, carrots, cabbage, beets).
After a deep dive on all the best options, I opted for this L-Glutamine powder from California Gold. They also offer a capsule form. Save 10% and support the Longevity Blog with code EYU021
But my levels were low, as in rock-bottom low, and that had many knock-on effects to my neurological function, gastrointestinal barrier, my liver performance, my joint health, my skin vitality and my mitochondrial function. Just check out the useful summary graphic provided in my report (the one with the multiple indicator “gauges”, note that you can click on the image to see the full size)
Low glutamine is simply put - bad news. For a young and healthy person looking to optimise his wellbeing and longevity, this was certainly limiting my performance. For some perspective on just how low my levels were, check out the reference ranges in the next image. The ‘Serum’ levels (what was detectable in my blood liquid - not the actual cells) was only 23.6 nmol/mL! Thankfully, the amount in my white blood cells (WBC), which is an indicator of long-term micronutrient availability was in the normal range, but the serum level was nonetheless quite problematic.
Needless to say, I jumped on a high quality glutamine supplement from my brand of choice (California Gold - save 10% and support Longevity Blog with code EYU021 ) within a few days. I immediately enjoyed a noticeable improvement in my gastrointestinal health, with knock on effects to the health of my skin (less acne breakouts) within just a few days. The bottom line here - this was incredibly valuable and highly actionable information that was available to me through this micronutrient test.
Micronutrient Test for Chromium (Actionable Insight #2)
My glutamine levels weren’t the only important micronutrient that was critically low, as my intense levels of exercise and SWEAT were also depleting an important mineral - Chromium. Further research revealed that Chromium is commonly deficient in athletes for this reason.
Chromium plays a very important role in metabolism, and is directly involved in the breakdown of fats and carbohydrates. With respect to fats, it stimulates the synthesis of cholesterol and fatty acids. For carbohydrates, it is involved in the regulation of insulin. It also is involved in the metabolism of some amino acids. Once again - very important!
I took a pretty picture for you! Chromium Piccolinate to the rescue!
Dietary sources of chromium include broccoli and green beans (which I eat daily!), meats like beef and poultry, and fruits like apples and bananas (which I regularly also enjoy). However these dietary sources are still relatively low.
This makes chromium supplementation a well-informed choice for me and for anyone else who is moderately active (or wants to better manage their insulin levels, e.g diabetics), which is the second immediately actionable insight I garnered from my NextHealth micronutrient test. I turned to my vitamin supplier of choice - Thorne for a Chromium Piccolinate supplement, but later pivoted to the cheaper version from Now and take it twice a week with my Vitamin C and B-vitamin complex to improve absorption. Just like with the Glutamine options on iherb - use the discount code EYU021 to save 5% and support the Longevity Blog!
Micronutrient Test for Vitamin K1 (Actionable Insight #3)
There are two forms of the fat-soluble vitamin K needed by the body - K1 and K2. These are important for blood clotting, regulation of calcium (particularly bone metabolism) and cardiovascular health. Vitamin K also plays a role in mitochondria producing energy for your cells.
It also turns out, that despite plenty of dietary intake of Vitamins K1 and K2 in my vegetable rich diet, my micronutrient testing revealed critically low amounts of Vitamin K1 in my blood serum. Additionally, despite my 100mcg/day supplementation of K2, it was also fairly low. This clearly made supplementation of Vitamin K1 (and continued supplementation of K2) the third immediately actionable insight gained from my micronutrient testing at NextHealth.
Conclusion - Micronutrient Testing is a Valuable, Actionable Tool
There is so much more that I gained from my micronutrient testing that I hope to share with you in upcoming posts (be sure to subscribe to the Longevity Blog!), including my Omega 3/6 balance, copper-zinc ratio and antioxidant levels. However, even without these added benefits, I believe the outcome of my first micronutrient test is clear - regular assessment (I’m guessing every 6-months) of one’s micronutrients provides actionable insights that can be used to improve your health and optimise longevity.
I’d like to close with my sincere thanks to NextHealth for living up to their mission as a Health Optimisation and Longevity Center, and making is simple, straightforward and affordable to access this resource. I’ll certainly be back for my next micronutrient test in 2020!
Follow-up Post: Considering a micronutrient test? Do these two things first!
READY TO Test Your Micronutrient Status?
We’ve found three valuable DIY options for you! No doctor required!
HealthLabs USA)
UltaWellness (USA)
I-Screen (Australia)
-
RT @rebeccavziegler: The cryonics payoff matrix. Choose wisely my friends. https://t.co/l1rzsmOC2w
-
My rate of aging: 0.79 It’s the new street cred What you got? https://t.co/aHzWHAfCnD https://t.co/L3rZC4QFN2
-
It’s official - I’m co-producing and hosting a new #longevity docuseries, and will begin shooting in a few months… https://t.co/wLGqRrBfbp
-
“The #longevity segment opened my eyes to the groundbreaking advances in biotechnology, health, and wellness. The i… https://t.co/F8YB7PAeMW
-
I’m completely mindblown by what AI has done over the past 3-6 months, and it continues to accelerate… https://t.co/hh0JslucRg
-
Longevity legends take on many shapes and sizes https://t.co/X9vGa7gvOe
-
RT @BradStanfieldMD: Avoid These Popular Supplements (shout out to Professor Matt Kaeberlein @mkaeberlein & Professor Brian Kennedy… https://t.co/cy9CXldgUS
-
Who are influential persons in #longevity who are of Asian, African American or other “minority” group in the US?
-
The AI powered future is here 🦾 Contrary to the narrative, you’re not going to be replaced in the workplace by AI… https://t.co/BojTzyfDzA
-
I built and exited my first company today A big moment in my entrepreneur journey What’s next? All in on… https://t.co/5oTo3IjSyN
FDA & TGA DISCLAIMER
This information is intended for educational purposes only and is not meant to substitute for medical care or to prescribe treatment for any specific health condition. These blog posts are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, and only may become actionable through consultation with a medical professional.
Body Composition Data - Tracking Lean Muscle Mass and Fat Over Time
InBody and Styku Body Scan Technology - Is it Actionable?
While we are (im)patiently waiting on the results from my blood tests at NextHealth, let’s take a look at another longevity and wellness datapoint that I was able to collect during my recent visit. In my meeting with my “Health Coach” at NextHealth, we completed two types of body composition scans. The first was an ‘InBody’ scan which uses bioelectrical impedance to estimate:
Total skeletal muscle mass
Total body fat in kilograms
Total body fat percentage
Visceral fat
As well as make estimates of your basal metabolic rate and a few other body composition items.
The second was a a Styku which actually uses an Xbox Kinect and a rotating platform to create a full 3D scan of your body.
A key question that I have for these types of body scans and body composition data overall is - “Is this information actionable/valuable?”. In this post, I’ll aim to answer that question from my perspective.
Let’s dive in and take a look at some results!
Comparing my InBody Scan across 18 months
The biggest value in body composition data lies in tracking how it changes over time. On shorter timescales of months to a year, you are able to track how your diet and/or exercise routines are affecting your lean mass, fat mass and/or visceral fat values. Over longer timescales, on the order of several years, you may even be able to track the impacts of aging on your body composition (e.g. the loss of lean muscle mass as the years stack up - yikes!).
I did my first InBody composition scan at the Health Nucleus in May of 2018. At the time, I was about 11 months into a year-long experiment eating a (very clean, whole foods based) ketogenic diet. I was doing an above average amount of physical activity (12k steps/day), but was not ‘working out’ or completing any cardio exercise.
However, that has all changed significantly. As I recently wrote, one of the key outcomes from my visit to the Health Nucleus was a life-long dedication to cardio fitness! So in the 18 months since my first InBody scan, I had added several days/week of cardio training (mostly running), and some strength training (still working on adding more of this), and I had returned to a whole-foods, carb-based diet (retaining plenty of healthy fats). One additional factor on the diet front has been my experiment over 2019 of water-only fasting for 2-4 days per month.
What did my two InBody Scans show (before & after)?
“As you can see here”, Sirish the health coach pointed out with his pen, helpfully marking up my scan results, “Your body is actually pretty symmetrical from left to right. That’s not actually very common”.
I was immediately pleased. Symmetry was something I had been working on religiously, aiming to correct the imbalances I had in my body from left (weak) to right (strong), particularly in my running stride and strength workouts like push-ups.
“Your lean body mass is 157lbs (71kg), and with a total body weight of 177lbs (80kg), that places you at 10.7% body fat, which is at the low end of the normal range”, he commented. “We will get some further detail on this with the Styku body imaging data next”.
“That’s great mate!”, I responded. “That’s actually about the same number I get on my FitBit scale at home”. It was a solid ‘calibration’ of my in-house data, which is very useful.
In the following images (you can click through using the embedded controls), I have add some call-out annotations to draw attention to some actionable insights from my reports.
Conclusion: The InBody scan can definitely provide you with actionable data. Knowing where you stand with respect to your visceral fat mass alone is hugely valuable for assessing your disease risk For me, it was able to provide evidence that changes in my diet and exercise routine had contributed positively to my lean body mass. It also provided me with evidence that my efforts to increase symmetry in my body were fruitful and worth maintaining.
A Styku Haiku
One spinning platform
I stand upon with arms spread
Where did my hand go?
Styku Body Imaging
“Go ahead and strip down to your underwear and jump on this platform.”, Sirish beckoned, “I will step outside until the scan is completed”.
“Naw, mate. I couldn’t care less if you stick around!”, I explained, as I jumped upon the pedestal and started a slow rotation with my arms spread wide. Hey, it was just another day at NextHealth, where between the Cryo, the Infrared Sauna and Instagram, everyone’s half-naked most of the time anyway 😉!
Nudity jokes aside, the Styku scan provided some damn good data! Superceding the InBody scan with its detail, the Styku scan reported on the individual components of the legs, arms and trunk. Despite the accidental truncation of my left forearm (oops!), I was able to get a fairly comprehensive set of data points regarding my lean muscle mass distribution across the body.
Conclusion: The Styku data was certainly actionable. For example, while I had great symmetry in my thighs from left to right, the Styku was able to detect and measure asymmetry in my left and right calf muscles. I now will be adding some additional hypertrophy exercises to that lagging left calf muscle, and hopefully this will lead to performance gains in my race times!
Detailed Styku Results:
Body scan data is actionable - But blood markers will be even more exciting
Overall, I believe that this type of body scanning data is valuable for folks like me, who are trying to optimise their body and mind, relentlessly (hey that’s what being a biohacker is all about!). It may have additional benefits for folks who are overweight/obese, as it can highlight their elevated risks from carrying high amounts of visceral fat. I plan to continue tracking my results with both the Styku and the InBody tools on a yearly basis (and of course I will share what I learn on this blog!).
Body composition discussions aside, I only have to wait a few more weeks until I get the results from the 15 vials of blood I gave to NextHealth. I’m totally jazzed about this, and can’t wait to share what I learn from detailed analysis of my blood. Be sure to subscribe to the blog below to get notified whenever I add new longevity, healthspan and biohacking focused content!
-
RT @rebeccavziegler: The cryonics payoff matrix. Choose wisely my friends. https://t.co/l1rzsmOC2w
-
My rate of aging: 0.79 It’s the new street cred What you got? https://t.co/aHzWHAfCnD https://t.co/L3rZC4QFN2
-
It’s official - I’m co-producing and hosting a new #longevity docuseries, and will begin shooting in a few months… https://t.co/wLGqRrBfbp
-
“The #longevity segment opened my eyes to the groundbreaking advances in biotechnology, health, and wellness. The i… https://t.co/F8YB7PAeMW
-
I’m completely mindblown by what AI has done over the past 3-6 months, and it continues to accelerate… https://t.co/hh0JslucRg
-
Longevity legends take on many shapes and sizes https://t.co/X9vGa7gvOe
-
RT @BradStanfieldMD: Avoid These Popular Supplements (shout out to Professor Matt Kaeberlein @mkaeberlein & Professor Brian Kennedy… https://t.co/cy9CXldgUS
-
Who are influential persons in #longevity who are of Asian, African American or other “minority” group in the US?
-
The AI powered future is here 🦾 Contrary to the narrative, you’re not going to be replaced in the workplace by AI… https://t.co/BojTzyfDzA
-
I built and exited my first company today A big moment in my entrepreneur journey What’s next? All in on… https://t.co/5oTo3IjSyN