Hi {{ first name | friend}},

HEALTH HACK has a new home. As of this week, my small editorial team and I are taking over the newsletter from its original creators and will be steering it into its next chapter.

My name is Rolf Eichenberger. I’m the publisher – originally from Switzerland, I consider myself a “global citizen”. I’ve spent the last decades building and investing in companies in a variety of industries while my interest in health, longevity, and technology kept growing – and, like many of you, I fully expect to be on this planet, healthy and sharp, for a long time.

The core promise of HEALTH HACK stays the same: a weekly briefing on the most important ideas, concepts, and tools in modern health. Over the coming weeks you’ll see a slightly sharper focus on vitality and longevity, plus a few new recurring sections like Longevity Playbook, Peptide of the Week, Gadget of the Week, and Startup of the Week.

Thank you for reading and for sticking with HEALTH HACK through this transition. I’m excited to build something genuinely useful with you – and I’m always glad to hear what you’d like more (or less) of.

Live long and prosper (for real, not just in sci-fi),
Rolf

-LONGEVITY PLAYBOOK-

If this helps, consider forwarding it to one person who struggles with sleep.

Subscribe here: https://newsletter.health-hack.com

Sleep Struggle?

The "Slow" Fix That Matches Gold-Standard Therapy

If you’ve ever tossed and turned at 3 AM, you’ve probably heard of the "gold standard" for fixing sleep: CBT-I (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia). It’s incredibly effective, but let’s be honest, it can be expensive, hard to find, and requires a strict regimen.

But a brand new study just published in the BMJ suggests there’s a gentler, more accessible alternative that works just as well in the long run.

The Hack: Tai Chi.

The Science: Researchers in Hong Kong took 200 adults (aged 50+) struggling with chronic insomnia and split them into two groups:

  1. The Gold Standard Group: Received CBT-I (sleep education, sleep restriction, etc.).

  2. The Tai Chi Group: Attended Tai Chi classes (focused on slow movement and meditation).

Both groups met for one hour, twice a week, for three months.

The Results? A Tale of the Tortoise and the Hare

  • At 3 Months (The Sprint): The CBT-I group won. Their insomnia severity dropped faster and more significantly than the Tai Chi group immediately after the classes ended.

  • At 15 Months (The Marathon): Here’s the twist. One year later, Tai Chi caught up. The study found Tai Chi was "non-inferior" to CBT-I for long-term sleep management. The benefits stuck, and the gap between the two treatments almost vanished.

Why This Matters? CBT-I is often limited by a shortage of trained therapists. Tai Chi, on the other hand, is low-cost, widely available in community centers (and even on YouTube), and offers physical benefits like balance and flexibility alongside better sleep.

The Takeaway: If you need a quick fix, therapy might still be your best bet. But if you’re playing the long game, or can't access a sleep therapist, joining a local Tai Chi class could be the sleep hack you didn't see coming.

-PEPTIDE OF THE WEEK-

Epithalon

The "Hardware Upgrade" for Your Sleep Clock

We just looked at Tai Chi as the ultimate behavioral hack for downregulating your nervous system and inviting restorative sleep. Think of Tai Chi as upgrading your body’s sleep software – teaching the machine how to wind down efficiently.

But what happens when the machine itself – the physical hardware – is getting old?

If you are doing everything right – meditating, blocking blue light, practicing Tai Chi – and you still wake up unrefreshed at 3 AM, your internal clock might be broken.

The Circadian Reset Button

Epithalon (sometimes spelled Epitalon) is a synthetic tetrapeptide modeled after a compound naturally produced by your pineal gland.

The pineal gland is the master timekeeper deep in your brain. It dictates your circadian rhythm by releasing melatonin when it gets dark. As we age, or after years of shift work and late-night screen exposure, the pineal gland calcifies and slows down.

Unlike taking oral melatonin, which just dumps exogenous hormones into your system to force sleepiness, Epithalon acts as a bioregulator. It doesn’t just add melatonin; it appears to epigenetically rehabilitate the gland’s ability to produce its own melatonin naturally again.

What the Research Says

The most compelling research on Epithalon comes from decades of studies focused on reversing "accelerated aging" of the neuroendocrine system.

  • Restoring Youthful Rhythms: In a landmark study on aging primates whose circadian rhythms had flattened, Epithalon didn't just act as a sedative. It restored their evening melatonin secretion to the levels of young monkeys and normalized their erratic cortisol curves.

  • The Genetic "Fix": More recent human research suggests the peptide works by actually modifying the expression of "clock genes." In middle-aged subjects with poor sleep efficiency, Epithalon upregulated genes responsible for melatonin synthesis, leading to a significant increase in their own natural melatonin production.

If Tai Chi is the practice of aligning with nature's rhythm, Epithalon is the tool that allows your aging body to actually feel that rhythm again.

⚠️ Important Medical & Safety Disclaimer

Epithalon is an unregulated research chemical and is not FDA-approved for human use. It is considered experimental.

Because Epithalon works in part by activating telomerase (an enzyme that lengthens the protective caps on DNA), there is a theoretical risk that it could encourage the growth of existing cancer cells, which also rely on telomerase to survive. Do not use this compound if you have active cancer or a family history of cancer.

The information in this newsletter is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult a qualified, integrative physician before dabbling in peptide therapy.

-IN THE PRESS-

What we're reading

Cardiovascular benefits of GLP-1 drugs independent of weight loss

New “SELECT” trial data show semaglutide protects the heart even when weight loss is modest – forcing a rethink of GLP-1’s true benefits.
https://peterattiamd.com/cardiovascular-benefits-of-glp-1-drugs/

Scientists begin to pinpoint what’s in food besides fats, carbs and protein

Scientists are uncovering “nutritional dark matter” – 26’000 hidden food chemicals shaping longevity, gut health, heart risk and personalized nutrition.
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/food-protein-vitamins-mediterranean-diet-b2816556.html

Can biohacking reboot your human OS?

Inside the booming biohacking scene, entrepreneurs experiment with diets, fasting, red light and oxygen therapies, chasing sharper minds and longer lives.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/today/big-read/biohacking-longevity-supplements-technology-diet-sleep-5434936

Electronic Eye Implant Restored Vision in Patients With Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Wireless retinal implant and AR glasses help seniors with advanced macular degeneration regain black‑and‑white central vision and read again.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/electronic-eye-implant-restored-vision-in-patients-with-age-related-macular-degeneration-180987541/

Singapore steps up with new trial center for healthy longevity

NUS Medicine unveils precision geromedicine trial hub, using multimodal biomarkers and real-world trials to turn cutting-edge aging science into longer healthspans.
https://longevity.technology/news/singapore-steps-up-with-new-trial-center-for-healthy-longevity/

China bets on bio-manufacturing as new growth engine, bid for tech self-reliance

China is supercharging biotech, rolling out pilot manufacturing hubs to turn lab breakthroughs into commercial drugs, food and cosmetic products faster.
https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3334538/china-bets-bio-manufacturing-new-growth-engine-bid-tech-self-reliance

-SCIENTIFIC STUDIES-

New Findings

Dietary iron attenuates epigenetic aging through DNA methylation remodeling and extends survival in older adults

Forget expensive creams – your biological clock might just need more iron. A groundbreaking new study in Clinical Epigenetics reveals that higher dietary iron intake is linked to slower epigenetic aging in adults over 50.

The numbers are striking: optimal iron levels correlated with a 7% lower risk of mortality and favorable remodeling of your DNA’s "aging clocks."

The Health Hack: Iron isn't just for energy; it's for longevity. But more isn't always better – don't supplement blindly. Prioritize iron-rich foods like lentils, spinach, and lean meats, and get your levels checked to hit that anti-aging sweet spot.

Coffee intake is associated with telomere length in severe mental disorders

☕ The 5-Year Anti-Aging Hack in Your Mug

Can your morning brew actually turn back the biological clock? A fascinating new study suggests it might, specifically for those managing severe mental health conditions.

Researchers analyzed the DNA of 436 participants and found a "sweet spot" for caffeine: 3–4 cups a day.

Those hitting this target had longer telomeres – the protective caps on our chromosomes – comparable to a biological age five years younger than non-drinkers. But don't over-caffeinate just yet; the benefits vanished for those downing five or more cups.

The takeaway? Moderate coffee consumption might be a potent shield against cellular aging. Pour wisely!

A final note

We’re at a strange but exciting moment in history. Longevity science is moving faster than ever, health tech is quietly creeping into our homes, and AI is starting to change how we detect, treat, and even think about disease. The risk is no longer that nothing happens – it’s that too much happens and we miss what really matters for our own lives.

The promise with HEALTH HACK is simple: this newsletter will be your calm, practical filter. Once a week, we’ll look past the hype, highlight what’s truly useful, and turn it into small, concrete steps you can actually try – for yourself, and for the people you care about.

If one idea in each edition helps you sleep a bit better, move a bit more, think a bit clearer, or support someone you love a bit more effectively, the compounding over the next 10, 20, 30 years will be enormous.

For this first issue, we’d love to hear from you:
What’s the one area of your health you’d most like to improve right now – sleep, stress, metabolism, brain, or something else?
Hit reply and tell us. Your answers will shape what we focus on next.

And if you know a family member, friend, or colleague who should be thinking seriously of their healthspan too, please forward this email and encourage them to subscribe – it helps us grow, and it might help them even more.

To your health and longevity,
The HEALTH HACK team

PS: If someone sent you this, you can subscribe here: https://newsletter.health-hack.com

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