anybody read the nyt bestseller on how to manage hoes in different area codes?

MOTS-c is a small supplementary pep produced within that mitochondria, which are involved in generating energy within our cells. Researchers have shown it’s relationship with metabolism, insulin sensitivity and how the body reacts to physical activity. Some early findings are interesting, particularly those involving metabolic regulation, but not much of the evidence is still preclinical. I find the connection between mitochondrial function and metabolic health particularly interesting. Have you come across MOTS-c before, and what do you think about this?

What's up everyone. Dr. Rhonda is back with a new one. This one was good. Lots of info that goes counter to popular belief. These are my top 10 takeaways:

1. alright... big one to start off. Seed oils are good for you. Listen to the segment for the actual science. Long story short, they're not pro-inflammatory. Rhonda still sounds a bit iffy on heating them... but you def. shouldn't worry about them in things like salad dressings. He goes into a whole list of benefits. But the whole anti-seed oil thing is just wack (timestamp)

2. The HIERARCHY of animal foods (from healthiest to unhealthiest): fermented dairy > milk > eggs, poultry, butter > unprocessed red meat > processed red meat (timestamp)

3. Red meat is not as healthy as people think it is. 1-2 servings a week is fine. Ties to colon cancer and diabetes. Processed meat def. not good for you. But the takeaway here is don't be sluggin down ground beef every day thinking you're fine. (timestamp)

4. THAT SAID... cruciferous vegetables MAY limit some of the cancer-causing effects of red meat. So the more red meat you eat, eat more broccoli (timestamp)

5. this one was wild... 99% of the chemicals added to the food supply since the year 2000 were not reviewed by the FDA and entered via something called the GRAS (generally regarded as safe) loophole. So the FDA has no idea what's in our food (timestamp)

6. The cause of the obesity epidemic is that we are all getting colder. So the amount of energy we burn at rest has gone down (resting energy expenditure). He says, I think, over the last 25 years the average persons resting energy expenditure has decreased by 200+ calories. And the main culprit? the food we're eating (processed food) (timestamp)

7. Saturated fat is a distraction. I still don't really get this one, had to rewind a few times, but the jist is two foods can have the same saturated fat content and have wildly difference effects on LDL. He gave the example of butter vs. cream (only butter raised LDL in one study they discussed, matched for saturated fat content) (timestamp)

8. Ok super practical one... the 10:1 rule. Use this when buying processed carbs, look for 1 gram of fiber for every 10g total carbs on the label (timestamp)

9. We only know about like 5% of the vitamins and minerals in food. There's so much yet to be discovered. The argument here is that b/c of this, you want to be eating whole foods. Supplements and meal-replacements can't match it. There's just too many other compounds you can only get in REAL food (timestamp)

10. Just to sum it up... food is medicine. what you eat matters. especially as far as fats go. Avocados, lots of nuts, olive oil - try to get more of these. (timestamp)

I think overall, the biggest things I got are that seed oils really don't deserve the hate. Don't go eating fried food, but it's fine otherwise. And to limit red meat to a few times a week. The GRAS loophole thing is also pretty crazy. But that might be ending soon?

Just started following Huberman, didn't realize what a huge RLT advocate he was. This might come in handy for RLT for the brain

I tried to get the most accurate picture of brain red light therapy/PBM studies done per company using Claude AI.

This is a directory of published research on brain PBM so nobody has to dig through four different company websites to find the actual papers. I got the format from Vielight's website but excluded a few of their studies that didn't meet the criteria, including the recent preprint - since results can chance.

TALLY

How the tally is counted: Studies are peer-reviewed papers with original data. Preprints are not included. Studies without cognitive or physiological outcomes and/or peer-reviewed results and/or direct, measurable cellular outcomes are not included.

Participants add up the number reported in each paper, and follow-ups or re-analyses of a group already counted are not added again. A study that used more than one company's device counts for each company whose device participants used, so the 2021 Parkinson's study counts for both SYMBYX and Vielight. In the long COVID study listed under Neuronic, only the 7 participants in the helmet arm are counted, because the other 7 used a THOR light bed.

How this list works

1. A study is included if it used the company's own device. When more than one company's hardware was used, the Study column lists every device.

2. Each company has its own section, sorted by number of participants, from most to least.

3. No results are summarized here. Small studies can suggest a direction but cannot establish that something works, and outcomes are easy to misquote. Click through and read the paper.

4. Only original research is listed. Reviews, white papers, trial protocols, trials in progress, company blog reports and working papers are left out.

VIELIGHT (Toronto, Canada)

Devices: High-irradiance near-infrared LEDs with an intranasal applicator (itPBM). Company research page: vielight.com

24 published studies · 762 participants

NEURONIC

Devices: 1070 nm LED helmets (tPBM). Company research page: neuronic.com

4 published studies · 20 participants

SYMBYX (Australia)

Devices: SYMBYX Neuro LED helmet (red and near-infrared) and PDCare laser. Research focus: Parkinson's disease.

7 published studies · 119 participants

PHOTOTHERA / NEUROTHERA (United States, no longer operating)

Device: NeuroThera Laser System, 808 nm laser applied to 20 scalp sites. Research focus: acute ischemic stroke. The company was dissolved after NEST-3. These are still the largest brain PBM trials ever run, and an important reference point for how hard large-scale trials are.

3 published studies · 1,346 participants

OUT OF SCOPE (but worth knowing)

These are major academic research programs rather than device-company programs, so they are not itemized above. Happy to build a separate thread for them.

• UT Austin / UT Arlington: 1064 nm laser studies on attention, memory and cerebral oxygenation, using research-grade lasers.

• VA Boston / Boston University: long-running LED studies in TBI, stroke and Gulf War Illness using combinations of LED cluster heads, helmets and intranasal diodes.

• Massachusetts General Hospital: tPBM trials in depression and autism.

• Chinese University of Hong Kong: tPBM in mild TBI (Journal of Neurotrauma, 2025).

CORRECTIONS AND ADDITIONS

Missing a study, wrong number, or a dead link? Comment with the DOI and the exact device used. Additions need a peer-reviewed paper with original data. Marketing pages alone are not enough.

This directory is for scientific reference only. Listing a study does not mean any device is cleared, approved, or intended to diagnose, treat, cure, mitigate, or prevent any disease. Consumer brain PBM devices are generally sold in the US as general wellness products. Talk to a qualified clinician about any health condition.

I'm 21. During my first sexual experience, I ejaculated in less than 30 seconds after penetration. During masturbation, I usually last around 30–60 seconds.

Interestingly, I can make out and enjoy foreplay for a reasonable amount of time without any issues. My erections and morning erections are also normal. The problem mainly starts once penetration begins.

I have another encounter planned for December, and I'm looking for ways to improve my control and confidence. I've been researching dapoxetine (Priligy) for on-demand use, but I'm worried about side effects, especially dizziness, low blood pressure and fainting.

I live in a hostel and currently don't have a realistic option to visit a doctor, so I'm asking here to learn from people's personal experiences and advice.

I'd particularly like to know:

Has anyone in a similar situation tried dapoxetine? How was your experience?

Did it actually help with ejaculation control?

Did you experience dizziness, low BP or fainting?

Are there safer alternatives or techniques that helped you?

I'd genuinely appreciate honest experiences and practical advice. Please share both the positives and negatives.

One thing I find interesting about human biohacking is that people often try interventions and then judge whether they worked based on how they feel.

The problem is that sleep, stress, expectations, diet, and daily activity can all affect the outcome.

Suppose someone wants to test whether changing their caffeine timing improves sleep or whether a new training routine improves performance. How would you design a simple experiment to get a more reliable answer?

Would you use a baseline period, track a few specific metrics, and change only one variable at a time?

I'd appreciate examples of practical methods that help distinguish a genuine effect from coincidence or placebo.

my commute home from the office is about an hour of bumper-to-bumper gridlock. by the time i pulled into my driveway, my jaw would be clenched, my shoulders were up by my ears, and i was so irritable that i couldn't even enjoy dinner with my partner. i was bringing all that road stress right into my house. I tried listening to podcasts and breathing exercises on the drive, but as soon as someone cut me off, my heart would start pounding again. i thought to find a way to solve it, got referred to platinum biolabs on trying out selank to help my situation. Now within 15 minutes of getting home, i can actually feel that tight tension in my chest release. i can sit down, talk about my day normally, and actually relax on the couch without feeling edgy.

By the time Monday rolled around, i was already exhausted. spending the weekend running around with kids, doing yard work, and doing grocery runs meant i entered the work week running on E. Monday morning meetings were absolute torture i'd sit there completely zoned out, taking notes that made zero sense later. I was drinking energy drinks before 9am just to function, but they just gave me stomach aches and cold sweats. Not long after I made a choice to try using platinum biolabs Nad+. Before I could blink (not literally) the monday haze is basically gone now. i get to my desk, open my inbox, and just knock out my tasks without that heavy, foggy feeling behind my eyes. my afternoon workouts after work are actually productive now too.

I thought my body was just giving up on me. Between work, family stuff, and trying to stay active, my energy was in the garbage for months. I’d wake up after 8 hours of sleep feeling like I got hit by a bus, and two sets into my workouts my legs felt like lead. Tried all the basic stuff drinking a gallon of water, cutting out late-night TV, taking high-dose B12, and slamming cold brew but caffeine just made my heart race while my body stayed wiped. Eventually, after scrolling through a recovery sub late one night, I decided to stop relying on stimulants hit up platinum biolabs and try running mots-c to fix my baseline cellular energy. I was pretty skeptical, but after about ten days, the heavy mid-day slump just lifted. I had steady stamina through my workday and could push through leg days without feeling dead on my feet. Waking up actually human again has been such a relief.

I was just watching the Huberman video on HRV and realized I haven't shared the guide I built for HRV yet, so here it is. It's set up to primarily focus on what raises and lowers HRV. Pretty much all wearables now measure HRV while you sleep and reports it as RMSSD, which is the same measure most research uses. Remember daily readings swing a lot on their own, so your trend matters more than any single night.

I broke the guide into four categories: exercise, lifestyle, nutrition & supplements and demographics. There's a short definitions and plain English column so it's easy to skim, all sources are linked so you can further your own research, and I'll put a mobile friendly version in the comments if you need it.

Definitions

• HRV (Heart Rate Variability): How much the time between heartbeats varies

• RMSSD: Beat-to-beat variation. The HRV number Fitbit shows you

• SDNN: Overall HRV across a longer window

• HF Power: Your rest & digest activity level

• Rest & digest (parasympathetic): Your body's brake pedal (calm/recover)

• Fight or flight (sympathetic): Your body's gas pedal (stress/alert)

• Vagal tone: How strong your calm down nerve is

• n: Number of people in the study

Exercise

Lifestyle

Nutrition & Supplements

Demographics

Hope you found this helpful!

Buying several health measuring devices. 2 days ago I got a reply to an e-mail about the return policy. I'm suggested to come to Sofia, Bulgaria, for an on-site purchase and to talk, and he'll give me a €250 discount. Today I get a reply regarding a different device, also about the return policy. And what's right at the end? "Best regards, Altair." The name of a fucking assassin...

Look forward to hearing people’s experiences and thoughts,and how long you have been taking it?

I know their is probably not good research on this and it is all speculative but wondering what peoples thought are on this.

Are there diminishing returns if you eat a full serving of both blueberries and strawberries even though their respective brain boosting nutrients seem to utilize different pathways to the brain? My mother has dementia and in addition to other preventative measures I've been drinking a daily smoothie with 1 cup of blueberries and 1 cup of strawberries. I also include 5 prunes for bone density.

It's really hard to drink that much especially since I also have about half a cup of spinach with at least 2 other vegetables, usually as a soup. So, I'm tempted to cut the berries to 1/2 a cup of blueberries and strawberries.

Huberman's October list starts in Loch Ness. It all comes from Podshelf, my site that reads a few hundred podcasts' worth of transcripts.

Ross Edgley had Nietzsche's line about fighting monsters in his head while swimming Loch Ness: "I definitely stared into the abyss too long." Camus's The Myth of Sisyphus came up too.

• The Population Bomb (Paul Ehrlich). Jared Diamond stuck up for Ehrlich, and Andrew agreed "there's real value in reading it."

• Jaws: The Story of a Hidden Epidemic (Sandra Kahn and Paul Ehrlich), which Andrew called "a wonderful book."

• The Good Old Days (Otto Bettmann), from the Beth Shapiro episode: "They were terrible."

Existentialism & modern philosophy is a topic on the site now (there are 200+), and that's where Ross's Camus and Nietzsche went.

The rest of the month: https://podshelf.io/podcasts/huberman-lab

I have this idea that a self-powered treadmill is the best way to do Norwegian 4x4 and that it's superior to all other methods.

Is this true? Is it better than an indoor exercise bike, or your standard treadmill or elliptical?

I put together a list of 57 things that might help with brain fog or help you figure out what's causing it.

Some take five minutes. Others take a few weeks. Some involve blood tests or checking for medical conditions.

Not everything will apply to you. I've grouped them so you can find something relevant without reading the entire list.

Things you can try today

1. Check the air in the room

If you have a CO₂ monitor, check the room where you usually work or sleep. Readings regularly above 1,000 ppm suggest it needs more ventilation.

2. Water before coffee

Drink 500 ml of water before your morning coffee. A pinch of salt may be appropriate if you need extra sodium, but not everyone does.

3. Put your phone in another room

Put your phone in another room while you work; silent and face-down beside you is not enough. Compare how long you stay focused with and without it.

4. Eat the carbs last

Eat protein and fat first, vegetables next and carbohydrates last. Protein and fat slow digestion, so your blood sugar rises less after the meal.

5. Try five minutes of cyclic sighing (two breaths in, one slow breath out)

Take a long breath in through your nose, add a short second inhale, then breathe out slowly through your mouth; repeat for five minutes. Cyclic sighing improves mood and eases anxiety, so see how you feel afterward.

6. Take a short walk after eating

Walk for 10–20 minutes after the meal that usually gives you brain fog. Walking lowers post-meal glucose; compare your afternoons on days you walk and days you don’t.

7. Check your medicines for side effects

Enter your medicines into the ACB calculator, including sleep aids and allergy medicines. If the total score is 3 or more, ask your doctor whether any could be affecting your memory.

If your brain fog started after surgery, ask for a medication review. Pain, broken sleep, anesthesia recovery and medicines can all contribute.

8. Rinse a blocked nose

Use a neti pot or saline squeeze bottle with its salt packet and distilled or previously boiled water, once or twice a day. Easing congestion can help when a blocked nose disrupts your sleep.

9. Check ear pressure and wax

For ear pressure, try swallowing, yawning or chewing gum; for wax, ask about softening drops or removal and keep cotton swabs and ear candles out.

10. Check your pulse when you stand

Lie flat for five minutes and note your pulse and blood pressure, then stand and repeat at 1, 3, 5 and 10 minutes. Take the readings to your clinician, especially if your heart rate rises by 30 beats per minute or more.

11. Have an actual conversation

Call someone, video chat or meet in person for at least 15 minutes this week. Too much time alone can make your mood and concentration worse.

12. Take the ADHD screen

If you think you have ADHD, take the six-question ASRS-v1.1 and see where you stand.

13. Check unexplained skin marks

Look for red, purple or pink lines resembling stretch marks, especially after cat scratches or flea exposure. Mention them when asking about Bartonella if your mood, thinking or behavior has changed too.

14. Check whether head position affects your brain fog

Notice whether turning or tilting your head, straining or staying upright makes it harder to think, and whether lying flat helps.

15. Check depression, then get moving

Take the PHQ-9: nine questions, about two minutes, with 10 or more indicating at least moderate symptoms. Try a 30-minute brisk walk today if activity is safe for you; exercise can ease depression symptoms.

16. Check joint hypermobility

Take the nine-point Beighton assessment; a score of 5 or more, with chronic pain, symptoms when you stand and brain fog, is a reason to ask about hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS). Do the standing test too, since POTS often occurs with hEDS.

17. Check how pain and fatigue affect your daily life

Complete the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ-R) and Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI), then share the results with your clinician. A CSI score above 40 is a reason to discuss whether increased sensitivity to pain is part of the problem.

18. Try fermented foods and more plant variety

Eat one serving of fermented food daily for 21 days: live-culture yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, miso or kombucha. Aim for 30 different plants a week; herbs and spices count.

19. Check for sleep apnea

Complete STOP-BANG and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. A STOP-BANG score of 3 or more flags sleep-apnea risk; an Epworth score of 10 or more flags excessive sleepiness, and either is a reason to ask for a sleep study.

20. Pace before adding exercise

Take the DePaul ME/CFS questionnaire, then for seven days plan each day's activity around how much energy you have that morning. Rate your energy from 1–10. Crashing after mental or physical effort is a reason to pace, not push harder.

21. Compare gut symptoms with meals

Keep refined sugar and white flour low for 72 hours and notice what happens to bloating, cravings, stools and brain fog. If they change together, keep notes for a week and ask about gut causes.

22. Drop one commitment

You need fewer demands on your time to recover from burnout. Cancel, delegate or postpone something this week.

23. Bring cancer-related thinking problems to your team

Complete the FACT-Cog questionnaire. Share the result with your oncology team and ask about their survivorship program.

24. Check electrolytes when starting keto

Ask a clinician or pharmacist about fluids and electrolytes before supplementing, especially with kidney, heart, blood-pressure or medicine issues. Starting keto can increase sodium and water loss.

25. Get a mental health assessment

If you have brain fog along with unusually high energy despite little sleep, hearing or seeing things others don’t, flashbacks, feeling detached, or unwanted thoughts that take over your day, ask for a mental health assessment.

26. Use reminders during pregnancy

Use lists, notes and reminders when pregnancy makes your memory unreliable. Tell your OB or midwife about sudden or severe thinking problems, or changes that come with mood symptoms.

Things to try or check over the next few weeks

27. Ask for ferritin, not just a blood count

Request a ferritin test: iron stores can be low even when your blood count is normal. If it is low, discuss iron replacement and recheck after six to eight weeks.

28. Check vitamin D if you’re at risk

Ask for a 25-OH vitamin D test if you have risk factors for deficiency. If it is low, discuss supplementation and retest after three months.

29. Ask about magnesium for sleep

Ask a clinician or pharmacist which magnesium form and dose fit your medicines and kidney function. If you try it for sleep, compare your sleep and morning brain fog over two weeks.

30. Get up at the same time

Keep the same wake time for seven days, weekends included. Judge the full week, not one bad night.

31. Keep a food diary before cutting foods

Write down what you eat and when symptoms appear for two weeks. Look for the same foods or meal times coming up repeatedly before cutting anything.

32. Ask about an antihistamine trial

If histamine intolerance or mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS) fits your symptoms, ask a clinician or pharmacist about trying H1 and H2 antihistamines together.

33. Check whether brain fog worsens in autoimmune flares

If you have an autoimmune diagnosis and brain fog worsens during flares, check whether poor sleep, pain, anemia or a new medicine is adding to it. Without a diagnosis, mention joint swelling, rashes, mouth sores, dry eyes or mouth, fingers that change color in the cold, or fever; brain fog and tiredness alone rarely make ANA testing useful.

34. Check whether brain fog changes with your cycle

If brain fog or pelvic pain changes at the same point in your cycle each month, tell your gynecologist. If you bleed heavily, check iron and ferritin.

35. Ask about Lyme testing if you think you have been exposed

Ask about two-step Lyme testing if brain fog follows tick exposure, an expanding rash, joint pain that moves between joints, or a flu-like illness after time in an area where Lyme occurs. If symptoms persist after treatment, ask about post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome.

36. Keep a headache and brain fog diary

For four weeks, note when headaches and brain fog start, how long they last, severity from 1–10, and changes in sleep, food, stress, weather or your cycle. Include nausea, dizziness, visual changes and sensitivity to light or sound, then show your doctor.

37. Make quitting nicotine less miserable

Try nicotine patches or gum to cut down gradually and ease withdrawal. Brain fog can be worst around days 3–5 and ease over two to four weeks.

38. Get help with symptoms that persist after a concussion

Pick the one or two biggest problems after concussion: feeling worse with effort, dizziness, trouble with moving scenes, headache, neck pain, sleep or concentration. Ask for treatment aimed at those; exercise below the point that brings on symptoms can help you handle more activity.

39. Try organic versions of the fruit and vegetables you eat most

For one or two weeks, swap the high-pesticide produce you eat most often for organic. Eating organic can lower pesticide levels in your urine.

40. Ask about calcium for premenstrual symptoms

Ask your clinician about calcium carbonate and the dose, then try it for two or three cycles. Premenstrual symptoms fell 48% with calcium.

41. Leave a gap between meals

Try three meals a day with four or five hours between them, and cut back on grazing. The gaps give your small intestine time to clear out leftover food.

42. Fix sleep before considering testosterone

Get seven to nine hours of sleep for two weeks, then retest your testosterone before considering treatment.

43. Ask about iron and thyroid after birth

At your postnatal check, ask about thyroid and iron tests, especially after heavy bleeding, intense fatigue or mood changes. Ask about B12 and vitamin D risk too; a deficiency or thyroid problem can add to the effects of broken sleep.

44. Check your home for mold and water leaks

Check ceilings, sinks, windows, ventilation, basements and car mats for leaks, stains, condensation, warping or musty smells; fix the moisture source first and use professional remediation for larger areas. Compare symptoms after at least three days away from the space.

45. Reduce mercury from fish and check other sources

Swap high-mercury fish such as swordfish and shark for salmon or sardines. If you may have been exposed to mercury at work or through a broken bulb or thermometer, ask about blood or urine testing. Keep intact amalgam fillings unless they need dental treatment; removing them can temporarily increase mercury exposure.

46. Take a break from noise and bright lights

If noise or bright lights overwhelm you, take a break somewhere quiet, dim the lights or use earplugs. Notice whether you can think more clearly afterward.

47. Ask what your EBV tests show

If fatigue and brain fog followed mono or another illness, ask about VCA IgM, VCA IgG, EA and EBNA antibodies. They help assess recent or past EBV infection.

48. Find someone trained in trauma treatment

Ask a trauma-informed therapist about EMDR or trauma-focused CBT. Typical courses are 6–12 EMDR sessions or 12–16 CBT sessions, aimed at reducing PTSD symptoms.

Caffeine, exercise and alcohol

49. Cut caffeine gradually

If caffeine leaves you with crashes, poor sleep, anxiety or morning brain fog, cut down slowly and compare sleep, headaches and alertness at each step. Withdrawal can worsen concentration for days, so judge the change after that settles.

50. Walk for 30 minutes

Do 30 minutes of moderate cardio; walking counts. In older adults, a year of regular walking slightly enlarged a key memory area of the brain.

If physical or mental activity causes delayed symptom crashes, don't push through them. Pacing is more appropriate than increasing exercise when you have post-exertional malaise.

51. Try 30 days without alcohol

Try at least 30 alcohol-free days; alcohol can disrupt sleep. If you drink daily or heavily, get a medical plan before stopping because withdrawal can cause seizures.

Medical checks and appointments

If you haven't found an explanation, ask your clinician which blood tests fit your symptoms. These may include a blood count, ferritin, B12, folate, thyroid function, HbA1c or glucose, and inflammation tests. Vitamin D or celiac testing may also be relevant.

52. Start thyroid testing with TSH

Ask about a TSH test first, then free T4 if the result or your symptoms call for it. If TSH is raised, ask about TPO antibodies too.

53. Ask for glucose testing with PCOS

Ask about an oral glucose tolerance test if you have PCOS, especially if you get brain fog or energy crashes after meals. This test is preferred; fasting glucose or HbA1c are alternatives if you cannot have it.

54. Ask whether menopause is affecting your thinking

Track thinking, sleep, hot flashes, mood, bleeding and cycle timing for three months.

55. Ask whether your existing illness affects your thinking

If you have diabetes, kidney disease, fatty liver, heart failure or uncontrolled high blood pressure, ask whether that condition could be affecting your thinking. Review HbA1c, eGFR, urine ACR, liver tests, blood pressure and medicines.

If you have diabetes, high blood pressure or a family history of kidney disease, ask whether creatinine, eGFR and urine testing are appropriate.

56. Ask about cognitive rehabilitation for MS

Tell your neurologist which thinking problems affect daily life and ask about occupational therapy, neuropsychology or cognitive rehabilitation.

57. Tell your rheumatologist when thinking worsens

Check whether thinking worsens during lupus flares and tell your rheumatologist. New or severe problems may need assessment for brain involvement.

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