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The pursuit of health and longevity has become an obsession for millions of people, driven by the countless health recommendations and protocols that flood our social media feeds and podcasts. While the yearnings for health and longevity have long dogged humanity, this latest version is intensified by an “ecosystem in which influencers and podcasters profit from our attention and quest for health by getting sponsorships from supplement companies, sleep trackers and other pseudoscientific wellness products”. The story told by Stulberg, of a gym-goer who feels overwhelmed by the sheer number of health tips encapsulates a broader societal issue: the increasing pressure to adhere to an ever-expanding list of “biohacks” and “protocols” that promise a longer, healthier life but generally lack scientific backing.

As a physician and scientist who has spent decades pursuing and disseminating evidence- based information, it felt like I had landed on a different planet when I first entered the social media realm some 5 years ago in order to promote my first book, The Mind Gut Connection. I found a world populated by a strange mix of self-appointed pseudo experts on topics like diet, supplements, cold plunges, longevity, brain function and life coaching. What their huge audiences often don’t realize (or mind) is that most of these influencers are not motivated by a desire to improve health or longevity, as physicians generally are, but rather by the opportunity to sell products to an increasingly worried and receptive audience.

Stulberg’s opinion piece reflects a common sentiment today—one where individuals feel they must dedicate nearly every waking hour to executing these health practices, only to feel perpetually behind. This sense of inadequacy stems from the complex, and often contradictory, “health” advice that has become ubiquitous in today’s digital age. From the latest superfood, dietary supplement to the newest diet and exercise regimen, the sheer volume of information can be overwhelming, leaving individuals feeling as though they are constantly failing in their quest for optimal health.

The Rise of Biohacking and Protocols

The term “biohacking” has gained popularity in recent years, often promoted by influencers and podcasters who advocate for various shortcuts to enhance one’s biology. These “biohacks”, ranging from dietary supplements to extreme exercise routines, are frequently marketed as revolutionary ways to improve health and extend lifespan. They often require wearable devices to monitor the effects of these “revolutionary” interventions on the body. However, the majority of the promoted practices lack scientific rigor and can even be harmful when taken to extremes. In addition, getting “objective” readouts ranging from step length, sleep architecture, vagal nerve activity, 24hr ambulatory glucose measurements, stool microbiome analyses to name just a few has become a fascination for many biohackers, not realizing that our brain is the ultimate computational “device” to make sense and generate appropriate homeostatic responses to trillions of bits of interoceptive information from every cell in our bodies around the clock, seven days a week. The beauty of this natural design is that it generally doesn’t require our constant attention or financial investment, unless something wrong is going on requiring a conscious response, and an evidence-based intervention.

Similarly, “protocols” have become a buzzword in the health and wellness community. These are highly specific regimens for exercise, sleep, and nutrition that claim to optimize various aspects of health. While some of these protocols may have merit, many are overly complicated and difficult to maintain, leading to burnout and frustration.

This preoccupation with health and longevity is not new; humans have long sought ways to extend their lives and improve their well-being. However, the current iteration of this obsession is amplified by the internet and social media, where influencers and podcasters profit from promoting health trends and products. The global supplement market, for example, has ballooned from $135 billion in 2016 to $250 billion today, with projections to reach nearly $310 billion in the coming years. This growth is driven in part by the increasing health-related anxiety and the constant stream of new products and practices that promise to improve health, despite the lack of solid evidence to support many of these claims.

The Simplicity of True Health and Longevity

Amidst the noise of “biohacking” and “protocols”, it’s easy to forget that the key to a longer, healthier life is not a mystery and relatively easy to implement. Decades of research have consistently shown that health and longevity are largely determined by a few fundamental lifestyle behaviors, practiced from early on: regular exercise, a healthy diet, avoiding smoking, limiting alcohol consumption, maintaining meaningful relationships and having a sense of meaning in life. These behaviors may not be as flashy, exciting or monetizable as the latest health trend, but they are proven to work.

A landmark study published in 2017 in the journal Health Affairs analyzed data from over 14,000 American men and women starting at the age of 50. The study found that 50-year-old nonsmokers who drank alcohol in moderation and were not obese could expect to live, on average, seven years longer than their peers who did not share these traits. Moreover, most of these additional years were spent free from disabilities associated with aging, such as difficulty walking or performing daily tasks. This research highlights the profound impact that simple lifestyle choices can have on both the quantity and quality of life, increasing health-span or healthy longevity.

The Role of Relationships in Longevity

In addition to these lifestyle behaviors, maintaining strong relationships is another crucial factor in promoting longevity. A 2023 meta-analysis published in the journal Nature Human Behavior examined data from over two million adults and found that loneliness and social isolation were associated with a significantly higher risk of early death. Specifically, there was a 14 percent higher risk of dying early associated with loneliness and a 32 percent higher risk associated with social isolation. Sadly, we are in the midst of an epidemic of loneliness which doesn’t receive the attention of the “biohacker” community, as there are few ways to monetize any interventions.

The importance of relationships in promoting both longevity and quality of life is further underscored by the Harvard Study of Adult Development, one of the longest-running studies of adult life. Beginning in 1938, the study followed over 700 men and later included their spouses and descendants. The researchers found that the quality of relationships was a key predictor of health and happiness in later life. As Robert Waldinger and Marc Schulz, the study’s director and associate director, wrote in The Atlantic in 2023, “Good relationships lead to health and happiness.” The quality of social relationships, rather than special diets may be a key factor in the longevity of individuals living in so called Blue Zones.

The Allure and Danger of the Longevity Movement

Despite the clear evidence supporting simple lifestyle behaviors and strong relationships as the keys to health and healthy longevity, the allure of the internet health and longevity movement keeps increasing. A large part of its appeal lies in the fantasy of control—the idea that if you just follow the right routines, regimens, and protocols, you can achieve eternal youth, beauty and avoid illness. However, this fantasy is just that—a fantasy. It is driven by the growing prevalence of health-related anxieties in the population, and by the greed and hubris of the multibillion dollar industry fueling it. No amount of “biohacking” can change the fundamental truths of human mortality and the natural aging process. If you follow obituaries of people in all parts of life, people living into their 80s and 90s has almost become the new norm, and the number of centenarians has been increasing in many parts of the world. None of this longevity can be explained by “protocols” or “biohacking”.

The intense focus on extending life can have a paradoxical effect, leading individuals to neglect the life they have in the present. This is a particular danger for younger generations, who are increasingly bombarded with messages about the importance of optimizing health at all costs. The pursuit of perfect biomarkers and immortality can lead to a form of health anxiety, where the fear of illness and aging becomes all-consuming, further driving the above trends.

Embracing What Truly Matters

In the end, the best approach to living a long, healthy, and fulfilling life is to enjoy the moment and focus on a few simple lifestyle modifications,—regular physical exercise, a healthy, largely plant-based diet, social relationships, a sense of meaning and connectedness, and moderation in all things. Rather than getting caught up in the endless pursuit of the next health trend, we should focus on what truly matters and not stress about the rest. These behaviors may not be as exciting as the latest health trends and gadgets, but they are grounded in ancient traditions and decades of scientific research and are proven to work. By embracing these simple yet effective practices, individuals can lead healthier, happier lives without the stress and anxiety that often accompany the pursuit of perfection in health.

Life is precious, fragile and short. After all, the goal of health and longevity should not be to live forever, but to live well and make the most of our time.

This post was inspired by an excellent recent opinion piece in the New York Times by Brad Stulberg entitled “The Key to Longevity is Boring”. Stulberg is a member of the adjunct faculty adjunct faculty at the University of Michigan Graduate School of Public Health, the author of “The Practice of Groundedness” and “Master of Change,” and a co-founder of the newsletter “The Growth Equation.”