Good morning. It’s Tuesday, April 22nd.

In today’s email:

• Focus: What’s Real and What’s Not

• Try: The 10 Pillars of Longevity

• Laugh: Do We Need to Share?

• Cook: Rosemary Lemon Tart

• In the News: Mobility for Your “Off” Days

Happy Earth Day!

Stat of the Day

Venture Capital investment into longevity-specific startups and technology between 2022-2024. (Longevity Technology)

Focus

What’s Real and What’s Not?

Since getting mono in middle school I’ve explored ways to proactively improve my health. I changed what I ate, doubled down on exercise, and vowed to not get sick again.

I was the guy waking up early after a night of drinking to sweat it out with a run or surf. (Few things are as sad as running the Las Vegas Strip at 8am on a Saturday morning 😉).

But while I focused on working out, I was always skeptical of biohacking. I remember many conversations with colleagues about putting grass-fed butter in coffee (the Bulletproof Diet) way back in 2015.

I needed grounded science to back up what I was doing.

So when I read David Sinclair’s Lifespan in 2019 everything changed. It seemed to be exactly what I was looking for - a respected Harvard professor explaining how we can alter our gene expression and extend our life.

Note: Maybe I should have been more skeptical in the subtitle: “Why we age and why we don’t have to.“

It built on the ideas of others in the longevity space - like “longer telomeres mean a longer lifespan.”

The science seemed real and I thought we were on the cusp of changing health and longevity.

This was quickly followed by the launch of the Huberman podcast and the increased focus on investment into longevity science.

Like all big trends - promise has exceeded reality.

Even before all this - signs showed that the science wasn’t real. Like when Dr. Sinclair sold Sirtris to GlaxoSmithKline for $720M back in 2008, but the pharma giant found resveratrol doesn’t work and basically threw away this science.

It could be why the WSJ did an entire feature on potential flaws from David Sinclair.

Other scientists like Leonard Guarente who have been studying sirtuins are under fire that this isn’t the key to longevity.

These scientists have all built companies (e.g., Elysium Health) to monetize their research - but often before the proof is there.

And then there’s the search for a magic pill - one such solution has been thought to be rapamycin. But now, even biohacker Bryan Johnson has taken this out of his regimen of 60+ pills due to negative side effects.

Similarly - should we be taking NAD+ supplements? If so, which one (NAD+, NMN, NR)?? The top Google Search results on this are from the companies selling them!

Even the Blue Zones are under fire - is this a result of poor record-keeping or even fraud?? How does Okinawa have these results when the area also has one of the highest rates of metabolic syndrome in Japan?

Part of this is normal in the course of science - there should be disputes and testing of new hypotheses as new studies get funded.

But the difference is that too many influencers or billionaires are overpromising* -

And when something turns out to be junk, we just throw our hands up and quit trying to make sense of what’s real and what’s not.

But that’s not the answer.

Stay aware of the edge - because there will be real advances in biotech and longevity.

But - focus on the core foundation of stuff that actually has a real affect on our health to make life awesome right now and set yourself up for longevity.

In the meantime, we’ll keep doing our best to make sense of the online noise of longevity and give you the real story without bias or agenda.

*In all fairness, at least Peter Diamandis does preach basic lifestyle habits for longevity - until we achieve “longevity escape velocity.”

Try

The 10 Pillars of Longevity

While we wait those 10 years for longevity’s escape velocity (if reverse aging is even what we really want) - here’s what we do know now: a proven protocol for all of us to live our best life and stay healthy for as long as possible for the years we have:

Which one are you focusing on right now??

Thrive25 Partner Spotlight

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Laugh

Do We Need to Share?

What else do we share on social media that seems insane when we do it in real life?

joshpughcomic

179K followers

View more on Instagram

Cook

Rosemary Lemon Tart

Coming off an Easter sugar rush? This zesty Lemon Tart is the perfect reset - bright, clean, and celebration-worthy without the crash. The sweet date crust balances the tangy lemon filling, and it's fully vegan if you go with agar-agar. Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and cashews offer methylation support, healthy fats, and fiber for a nourishing comeback treat. 🍋🌱

H&L in the News

Covid’s Hidden Aftershocks: From brain fog to heart strain, scientists now see how Covid can silently reshape your body years later. Learn the latest on long-term inflammation and how to protect your health post-infection. (NYTimes)

Recover Without Sitting Still: Skip the couch but still rest right - this 10-move mobility routine boosts recovery, eases soreness, and keeps you moving on your off days without stressing your body. (Outside)

Build the Future, Starting Now: The Great Progression (2025–2050) reframes this historic moment as an unprecedented opportunity to harness AI, clean energy, and bioengineering to reinvent society and create a far better future. On this Earth Day, ask yourself - how will you leave the world a better place? (Big Think)

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We’re 40-something dads that felt our bodies and minds start to slow down and we’re not ready for that. We found too much information on every subject. So we started Thrive25 to transform what we’ve learned into something useful for the rest of us to spend just 5 min a day to optimize our health & longevity.

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To health!