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. Why Sulforaphane Absorption Is the Real Bottleneck
Sulforaphane is a bioactive compound from broccoli with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial effects. It supports detoxification, protects cells, and contributes to heart, liver, and metabolic health.
Its main limitation is absorption. Sulforaphane is formed from glucoraphanin and requires conversion. A 2026 clinical study showed that adding mustard seed powder (which provides the enzyme myrosinase) nearly doubled the sulforaphane bioavailability from 18.6% to 39.8%, improving how much the body can use.
Without the enzyme myrosinase, this conversion depends on gut bacteria, making it slow and highly variable between individuals. Vitamin C further supports this process as a cofactor. Together, glucoraphanin, myrosinase, and vitamin C create a more reliable system that delivers higher and more consistent sulforaphane levels than broccoli extract alone.
→ Source: Mastaloudis, A. et al., Scientific Reports (2026)
2. Visceral Fat Is a Metabolic Threat You Can Reverse
Visceral fat is stored deep around vital organs, acting like an active metabolic tissue rather than passive storage. It disrupts insulin signaling, contributes to fatty liver, and accelerates metabolic decline, making it more dangerous than surface fat.
The key insight: it is reversible with the right stimulus.
Dr. Rhonda Patrick highlights exercise as the most effective tool. Moderate to vigorous cardio (like jogging, swimming or cycling) and high-intensity interval training reduce visceral fat, even without weight loss.
Around three hours weekly is effective, while HIIT can halve that time. Combining aerobic and resistance training improves insulin sensitivity, turning muscle into a metabolic sink. Consistency is key to sustaining results.
→ Source: FoundMyFitness
3. How Heart Rate Before Sleep Predicts Recovery
Heart rate before sleep (HRBS) is the number of heartbeats per minute measured while lying quietly right before sleep. Bryan Johnson calls it “the most consequential health lesson” because it acts as a single biomarker reflecting fitness, metabolism, stress, and overall health.
A lower heart rate signals activation of the parasympathetic (“rest and digest”) system, which helps you fall asleep faster and experience deeper, higher-quality sleep.
What stands out is how responsive it is: late meals, alcohol, stress, or evening exercise can raise HRBS by 5–25 bpm, while shifting food earlier and reducing stimulation lowers it quickly. Around 50 bpm reflects an efficient heart and higher vagal tone, turning a single number into a real-time proxy for how well the body is prepared to recover overnight.
→ Source: Blueprint Bryan Johnson
4. What Ageing Does to Zinc (And Your Immunity)
Ageing is linked not only to immunosenescence (the gradual decline of immune function) but also to decreasing zinc levels. As zinc declines, immune cells become less responsive, particularly in their ability to produce key defense signals.
A study published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences examined this connection, showing that age-related zinc deficiency impairs immune function, especially the production of interferon-γ (IFN-γ), a critical molecule in the body’s defense against infections.
In the study, zinc-deficient older adults were given 10 mg of elemental zinc daily for seven days. Even over this short period, blood zinc levels increased and IFN-γ production in whole-blood tests improved. These findings suggest that correcting zinc deficiency through supplementation may help optimize immune function and support overall health during ageing.
→ Source: Olah, K. et at., International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2026)
🪫 Replenish what ageing, poor diet and medications may deplete.
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5. Jesse Roth Redefined Diabetes as Insulin Resistance
Dr. Jesse Roth, an endocrinologist who transformed diabetes research, died on March 11 at the age of 91.
He showed the disease is driven not just by insulin levels but by how cells respond to it. His work identified insulin receptors (proteins on cell surfaces) as key control points, shifting focus to insulin resistance rather than hormone deficiency.
In 1971, he and colleagues provided the first direct proof that cells have specific insulin receptors. When these receptors are faulty or too few, glucose cannot enter cells, leading to high blood sugar. This discovery reframed Type 2 diabetes as a failure of cellular signaling.
→ Source: The New York Times
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