Beginner view — everything explained simply.
Guides
Background and context on longevity, compounds and peptides — independently researched and backed by primary sources. We explain and contextualize; we do not give dosing or usage recommendations.
Longevity explained simply: healthspan, the "Hallmarks of Aging" and why research is being done
What "longevity" really means - the distinction between lifespan and healthspan, the biological hallmarks of aging, and why compounds and peptides are being researched, soberly framed and without hype.
What Is Biohacking? A Sober Assessment
Biohacking ranges from harmless lifestyle tuning to risky self-experiments. This beginner's guide honestly situates the term, the evidence and the limits.
Lifespan vs. Healthspan: Why Longevity Means More Than Just "Living Longer"
A longer lifespan does not automatically mean more healthy years. What "healthspan" and "compression of morbidity" mean - and why these terms lie at the heart of the interest in longevity.
NAD+ — Coenzyme, Research and Hype
NAD+ is a vital coenzyme that declines with age. Precursors such as NR and NMN demonstrably raise blood NAD+ levels — but whether that also makes you younger or healthier remains an open question in humans.
Rapamycin and the mTOR Pathway: What Longevity Research Actually Shows
Rapamycin (sirolimus) is an approved, prescription-only immunosuppressant that is being studied off-label in aging research. This article explains the mTOR mechanism and honestly weighs the hype, the evidence, and the risks.
Metformin in Longevity Research: What the Evidence Really Supports
Metformin is an approved, prescription-only diabetes drug that is discussed in aging research as a possible "geroprotector." This article puts into context what studies actually show, where the evidence is thin, and why the data picture is mixed.
Fisetin and the Concept of Senolytics
Fisetin is a plant-derived flavonoid being investigated in aging research as a possible "senolytic" candidate. The promising findings so far come mainly from animal and cell experiments – robust human evidence is still lacking.
Tadalafil: PDE-5 inhibitor beyond erection – what the research really shows on blood vessels and longevity
Tadalafil is a prescription-only PDE-5 inhibitor with clear approvals. We sort out what is actually proven about the vascular and longevity hypotheses – and what so far remains mere observation.
Longevity: Dos and Don'ts – what the evidence really shows
Which habits are proven to extend life expectancy – and which longevity trends are overrated. A sober overview for beginners, without the hype.
Thymus Rejuvenation and the TRIIM Study: What a Small Pilot Trial Really Shows
The TRIIM pilot study raised hopes of a measurable "rejuvenation" of the thymus gland and of biological age. We provide an honest assessment of what the data does support – and what it does not.
Epitalon and the Bioregulator Hypothesis: What's Really Behind the Telomere Promises
In the anti-aging scene, Epitalon is touted as a "telomerase activator." We put the bioregulator hypothesis into context and show how thin the solid human evidence actually is.
Retatrutide: the triple agonist fact-checked
Retatrutide is an experimental triple receptor agonist (GIP/GLP-1/glucagon) for obesity. The trial data are remarkable - yet the compound is approved nowhere and remains in clinical testing.
Peptide Bioregulators: a critical look at the Khavinson concept
Short peptide bioregulators from the St. Petersburg Khavinson school are regarded in longevity circles as "switches for genes and aging." This article explains the concept and assesses the evidence honestly — mostly Russian studies, with little independent replication.
Exosomes in Regenerative Research: What Lies Behind the Vesicles
Exosomes are tiny messenger bubbles released by cells. In longevity circles they are hailed as a beacon of hope for regeneration — yet the human evidence is thin and regulators explicitly warn against unregulated products.
Stem Cell Therapy: Benefits and Risks at a Glance
Worlds separate established standard therapy from the unproven grey market. This article sorts out what is scientifically established about stem cells - and where “stem cell tourism” carries serious risks.
Mitochondria: the powerhouses of the cell
Mitochondria generate most of the cell's energy (ATP). What exactly they do, why their function declines with age, and what research really supports - explained factually.
Chronic Inflammation (Inflammaging): What Silent Inflammation Has to Do With Aging
Acute inflammation heals and protects. Chronic, low-grade inflammation, by contrast, often smolders unnoticed for years and is considered a driver of aging. An honest assessment of inflammaging and the role of so-called regeneration peptides.
Fasting and Autophagy: What the Research Actually Shows
Intermittent fasting, OMAD and multi-day fasting are said to work through autophagy, the cells' "self-cleaning" process. We put into perspective what is established about the mechanism and where human data are still missing.
Testosterone and TRT: What Science Shows About the Hormone, Deficiency, and Replacement Therapy
Testosterone is the central male sex hormone. This guide explains factually what a genuine hypogonadism is, how a physician-supervised testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) is to be understood, and what research really shows about benefits, risks, and the heart debate.
Estrogen and Energy Balance: Physiology, the Menstrual Cycle, Menopause, and What HRT Research Really Shows
Estrogen controls far more than reproduction: it influences metabolism, fat distribution, energy expenditure, and bone. A level-headed overview of the physiology and an honest assessment of the research on hormone replacement.
Progesterone: A Hormone for Women and Men
Many regard progesterone merely as the "pregnancy hormone." In reality it is a steroid hormone with effects reaching far beyond reproduction – and it occurs in men, too. A sober assessment.
Cortisol and the Stress Axis: What the HPA Axis Does and Why Chronic Stress Differs from Acute Stress
Cortisol is more than the "stress hormone": it governs metabolism, the daily rhythm and the response to strain. This article explains soberly how the HPA axis works, why acute stress is useful while chronic stress is problematic, and what the research actually shows.
Insulin: the central metabolic hormone
Insulin is the body's own peptide hormone that lowers blood sugar. This article explains its physiology factually and situates its relationship to the GLP-1 and incretin peptides.
Insulin Resistance and Prediabetes: Understanding the Overlooked In-Between Stage
Insulin resistance and prediabetes often go unnoticed for years – and yet they represent the crucial window before a metabolic imbalance turns into type 2 diabetes. An honest assessment, including the role of GLP-1 peptides.
Longevity Biomarkers Made Clear: VO₂max, Heart Rate Variability and Grip Strength
VO₂max, heart rate variability and grip strength are considered simple markers of health and longevity. We explain what they measure, what the research actually shows – and where their limits lie.
Wearables in Longevity: What Trackers Really Measure
Fitness trackers and smartwatches promise insight into heart rate, HRV, sleep and oxygen saturation. This guide puts into perspective what the devices can actually measure, where their limits lie and how to use the data with a level head.
Social and Cultural Factors of Longevity
What the Blue Zones, the Roseto effect, and large observational studies really show about social connection and life expectancy – and where the line between correlation and causation lies.
Micronutrients for Energy Metabolism: B Vitamins, Magnesium and Iron Explained Clearly
Why the body relies on B vitamins, magnesium and iron to produce energy – and why supplementation only makes sense when a deficiency has actually been confirmed.
Breathing Techniques Against Stress: What Slow Breathing and the "Physiological Sigh" Really Do
Slow breathing and so-called "cyclic sighing" are seen as simple tools against stress. We put into context what controlled studies actually show – and where the limits lie.
Neurotransmitters and Cognitive Performance: What Dopamine, Serotonin, Acetylcholine and GABA Really Do
How messengers such as dopamine, serotonin, acetylcholine and the GABA/glutamate system influence cognition and mood — and why the link to so-called nootropic peptides remains far more hypothesis than proven effect.
Nicotine as a Nootropic? What the Mechanism and the Evidence Really Show
In biohacking circles, nicotine is touted as a cognitive enhancer. We separate the substance from smoking, place the mechanism and the evidence in context, and name the addiction risk honestly.
Methylene Blue: Brain-Boost or Hype? An Honest Assessment
Methylene blue is a drug substance more than 100 years old that is marketed today as a cognitive enhancer. We separate the mitochondrial mechanism from the thin human evidence and name the serious risks.
Red Light Therapy (Photobiomodulation): What Red and Near-Infrared Light Can Really Do
Red and near-infrared light is said to trigger regeneration via the mitochondria. We honestly sort out the mechanistic hypothesis, human evidence and hype.
Cold and Ice Bathing: What the Research Shows
Cold exposure activates brown fat and releases noradrenaline. What of this is supported by evidence, what remains mere claim, and why cold is not harmless for the heart.
Measuring Sleep and Understanding Sleep Disorders: Sleep Architecture, Self-Tests, and an Honest Look at Sleep Peptides
How sleep is actually structured, what self-tests like the PSQI can do (and what they can't), how stress disrupts sleep – and why sleep peptides like DSIP rest on thin scientific evidence despite big promises.
Creatine: the most thoroughly researched supplement
Creatine monohydrate is one of the few dietary supplements backed by robust human evidence. What is actually proven, how it works and where the limits lie - assessed soberly.
Taurine: Functions, Longevity Hype, and What the Research Really Shows
Taurine is an aminosulfonic acid the body produces itself, with genuine biological functions. A 2023 animal study sparked a longevity hype that a 2025 investigation has substantially qualified. An honest assessment of animal and human data.
Alpha-Lipoic Acid: Antioxidant, Mitochondria, and What the Research Really Shows
Alpha-lipoic acid is an endogenous molecule with a dual role as a metabolic cofactor and antioxidant. This article gives an honest appraisal of the evidence, including the tension between positive individual studies and sobering meta-analyses.
Vitamin D: Physiology, Deficiency, and What Large Studies Really Show
Vitamin D is a prohormone the body makes itself, with a clear role for bones and calcium. This guide puts into perspective what the large VITAL study actually showed and where the hype goes beyond the evidence.
D-Ribose explained clearly: a sugar molecule in ATP metabolism and the thin body of evidence
D-Ribose is a sugar the body makes itself and a building block in energy metabolism. This article frames the theory behind the ATP hypothesis, the actual human evidence and the open questions soberly and without hype.
Saffron as a Supplement: What Studies on Mood and Satiety Really Show
Saffron extract is marketed for improving mood in mild low spirits and for reducing snacking. We give an honest assessment of what the research actually shows - including its limits, quality issues and regulatory status.
Glycine: What the Amino Acid Can Really Do for Sleep, Collagen and Methylation
Glycine is the smallest amino acid and is involved in sleep, connective tissue and methylation. We put into context what human studies actually show — and where the hype outruns the data.
Measuring Mitochondrial Function: What Research and Clinics Actually Investigate
How research and medicine assess mitochondrial function — from lactate and organic acids to muscle biopsy and respiration measurement — and why commercial "mitochondria checks" are far less informative than the advertising promises.
Biohacking for Women: The Hormonal Cycle and Energy
How the menstrual cycle influences energy, performance and mood – and what the research actually shows. An honest assessment of cycle-aware approaches, without rigid promises.