Biohacking Weekly 41: The Secret to Fasting Benefits (While Still Eating!)

This is Biohacking Weekly - A curated news roundup designed to help you increase your longevity, improve healthspan and access OptimOZ product picks.

IN THIS EDITION

1. BIOptimizers meets The Ultimate Human
2. The next generation of functional foods
3. Effects of bovine colostrum on gut immunity
4. Fasting benefits without the fast
5. New online calculator reveals your heart’s biological age

1. 🎙️ Gary Brecka Talks Enzymes, Magnesium & Gut Health with BIOptimizers Founders

On the latest episode of The Ultimate Human podcast, Gary Brecka sits down with BIOptimizers founders Wade Lightheart and Matt Gallant for an insightful conversation about how enzymes, amino acids, and gut health can completely transform your body and brain.

Top takeaways:

• Enzyme Power: Lab research shows that combining the right enzymes with protein significantly boosts amino acid absorption, enhancing the body’s ability to recover and rebuild.
• Protein ≠ Amino Acids: It’s not about more protein — you need enzymes to unlock amino acids your body can use.
• Magnesium mastery: Chronic stress depletes magnesium, triggering a feedback loop.
• Gut-first approach: Fix digestion first before any supplement stack — probiotics, biofilm support, and fermented foods are foundational.
• Lab-backed innovation: BIOptimizers runs thousands of in vitro experiments before releasing products, setting a new standard in supplement science.

Watch the full episode on YouTube

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Gary Brecka’s discussion with the BIOptimizers founders underscores how deeply digestion, nutrient absorption, and stress regulation shape long-term health.

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2. 🌱 The University of Queensland Engineers Plants with Built-In Therapeutic Benefits

The University of Queensland, in partnership with biotech firm Phyllome and wellness company Pharmacare, is pioneering a new generation of functional foods — plants engineered to produce therapeutic peptides that may help relieve pain, lower cholesterol, or suppress appetite.

Backed by a AU $1.2 million grant, this marks the first commercial effort to use cyclotide technology, a class of naturally stable circular peptides discovered and developed by Professor David Craik and his team, directly in food products. Plants will be grown in controlled, AI‑managed environments at Phyllome’s facility in Sydney, ensuring consistent production and integration into major supermarket supply chains.

Read the full article on The University of Queensland

3. 🥛 Colostrum Supplement Strengthens Gut Immunity in Older Adults

A new clinical trial published in the Journal of Functional Foods shows that a daily supplement containing bovine colostrum — a milk-like fluid rich in nutrients — can improve gut immunity and muscle strength in older adults. Colostrum is the first form of milk produced by cows after giving birth. It's packed with immune-supporting ingredients and growth factors that help repair tissues and support overall health.

In this 12-week study, people aged 50 to 75 were randomly given either the colostrum-based supplement or a placebo. Those who took the supplement had higher levels of IgG antibodies in their stool, a sign of stronger gut immune defenses. They also had higher levels of IGF-1 in their blood, a hormone linked to muscle growth and repair, suggesting the supplement may help reduce age-related muscle loss.

Read the full research on ScienceDirect

4. 🥘 Anti-Aging Effects of Fasting Without Having to Give Up Eating

A recent Telegraph article highlights a smart way to unlock the powerful anti-aging benefits of fasting — without actually restricting all eating. Scientists are increasingly interested in spermidine, a naturally occurring compound found in foods like aged cheese, mushrooms, and legumes. Spermidine has been shown to activate autophagy, the body's process of cleaning out damaged cells, which is also triggered by fasting. This internal "cellular recycling" is linked to improved heart, brain, and metabolic health.

Unlike traditional fasting, spermidine supplementation supports similar longevity pathways while allowing normal eating. Studies suggest it may reduce inflammation, protect DNA, and promote youthful cell function.

Read the full article on The Telegraph

5. 🫀 How Old Is Your Heart? New Calculator Makes It Easy to Find Out

A new free online calculator, developed using the PREVENT cardiovascular risk equations from a 2023 JAMA Cardiology study, now lets individuals estimate their biological heart age — potentially showing their heart is “older” or “younger” than their actual chronological age.

The test relies on common health markers — such as blood pressure, cholesterol levels and kidney function — and was applied to a dataset of over 14,000 American adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. On average, results showed men’s hearts aged about seven years beyond their actual age, and women’s by roughly four years.

Read the full article on The Washington Post