Personalized medicines: Silicon Valley doctor calls for optimized treatment
Dr. Molly Maloof isn't your everyday doctor but one that believes that one can only stay healthy by 'optimizing one's health'. With an exclusive Silicon Valley clientele, Dr. Molly helps people hit peak performance not by pumping supplements but through lifestyle change and diet specifications. A critique of bio-hackers, Maloof is working towards tailor-making health as per individual needs.
Silicon Valley tripping on drugs for self improvement
Silicon Valley that has lived by optimizing technology has now moved to optimizing health. An era of nootropics has dawned where young executives are guzzling down supplements to increase productivity, alertness etc. These men fast for days at a stretch and frequently pop supplements targeting brain chemistry. Micro-dosing on LSD too has become a trend to remain on top of your game.
Is Silicon Valley going overboard with performance enhancers?
Performance Psychedelics, as these drugs are called come in many forms and variants. Many resort to bio-hacking wonders like Bulletproof Coffee- a formula made of "blend of coffee, butter, and concentrated coconut oil" that enables fasting to stimulate cognitive function. Aniracetam which is known to influence cognitive function is yet another favorite. Electric brain stimulation too is commonly used.
What is bio-hacking?
Dave Asprey, the man behind Bulletproof coffee coined the term 'bio-hacking' (self-proclaimed). Bio-hackers believe in tweaking the diet people intake to "have more energy and focus, to be free of disease, to have a better memory, to perform optimally in business and athletics."
Micro-dosing: The latest trend to survive Valley
LSD is the most commonly used psychedelic drug but now it has made inroads into the Silicon Valley. Young professionals have started taking small doses of psychedelic drugs to perform better- a practice, known as "micro-dosing". Small quantities of drugs such as "LSD, psilocybin (magic mushrooms) or mescaline (found in the Peyote cactus)" are taken every few days for better performance at work.
Billionaire Peter Thiel roots for blood transfusions to defy death
PayPal founder Peter Thiel has often insisted that transfusions of blood from younger people can reverse the aging process and defy death. A process known as parabiosis, mice were transfused with healthy blood leading to massive rejuvenation and Thiel believes it can help humans too. A report revealed that Thiel "spends $40,000/quarter to get an infusion of blood from an 18-year-old".
How does this novel treatment work?
Maloof's approach relies heavily on data. To begin with, tests are conducted, measuring thousands of biomarkers to understand patient's cellular history. After assessing the results, the patients are prescribed diet, lifestyle specifically tailored along with western therapies. Pharmaceutical-grade supplements are given after all evaluation. She calls it "optimizing one's health through deep analysis of their genetics, physiology, and psychology".
