The concept of self-reliance has made a significant impact on human lifestyle. The growing need to hustle and give one’s best every day has paved the way for humans to “hack their biology”, meaning adopting a culture of self-enhancement of their health. Meditation, exercise, healthy eating, forming good habits and many more are part of a larger and much more comprehensive process called biohacking. It goes by numerous names; experts mostly call it human augmentation or human enhancement.
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What is biohacking?
Biohacking, also referred to as do-it-yourself biology, is a process of enhancing the body’s ability to accelerate its potential in terms of performance. Many experts even go beyond this definition and state that biohacking can even help increase one’s lifespan. This process may vary from boosting brain function to advancing weight loss; the types and kinds come in vast measure.
Although most biohacking is considered safe, some people take it to extreme measures and risk health hazards, which can make the process a bit volatile. Blood transfusions and gene editing are termed as the extreme form of biohacking one can implement.
According to some studies, many individuals turn to biohacking when traditional medicine fails to provide a solution to their health problems, ranging from terminal ailments to benign issues. They utilize biohacking to “hack their biology” and venture further into self-health culture.
If one implements the method taken from branches like neuroscience, biology, genetics or nutrition, then it means they are practising the process of human enhancement. It is important to note that the most desirable and productive results of biohacking come from making well-informed decisions regarding one’s health and being cautious enough to know what works for one’s body.
The types of biohacking
Almost any method can be called biohacking if the individual uses it to improve their biology in some or the other way. So, the types come in numerous varieties. However, Kien Vuu, M.D, most kinds of biohacking either fall into one of these categories below:
- Technology: Here, tracking devices like smartwatches and other wearables come into the picture. The technology has advanced enough to collect data about the body’s state and movements, it, in turn, helps the individual to make informative decisions by utilizing this data. Hyperbaric chambers and electromagnetic stimulators are just a few of many examples that an individual can use to advance their healing process;
- Nutrigenomics: This type of concentrates mainly on the way one interacts with the type of food a person consumes. The foundational idea behind Nutrigenomics is mapping out or rather gathering an individual’s comprehensive genetic expression and accelerating it by the method of testin;
- Lifestyle: This is the most commonly practised biohacking type all over the world. It concentrates significantly on making insightful decisions regarding behaviour and health choices. It is about implementing the kind of health practices that boost one’s performance and increase the lifespan. Some of the examples include dietary shifts, meditation, exercises, etc;
- Biologics: Biologics are often considered to be a bit extreme form of biohacking. They are cellular products made to enhance an individual’s biology. This includes getting injected with stem cells or having an IV transfusion to hack a person’s physiology.
Examples of biohacking
There are quite numerous examples of biohacking, and people often decide to biohack in these few common areas:
- Intermittent fasting: This comes under the category of dietary shifts. Intermittent means limiting food consumption for a particular period. Many studies are showing the benefits; some of them are that it boosts weight loss and enhances metabolism;
- Meditation: Meditation is the most underrated example of biohacking. Consistent practice of mindfulness has been shown to reduce stress and improve the overall mental health of an individual;
- Sleep optimization: The importance of sleep for one’s overall well-being cannot be stressed enough. Biohackers often wear blue-induced light (blocking) glasses or sleep trackers to enhance their sleep quality.
Is biohacking safe?
Some forms of Biohacking are quite controversial, like blood transfusions and stem cell injections. However, the do-it-yourself biology does have some amazing types from which one can implement to increase their health quality. Meditation and exercise, to name a few. It is also important to note that practising biohacking with caution can help give one the best results.
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