Biohacking can be described as do-it-yourself biology and it consists of making small diet or lifestyle changes to slowly improve your health and well-being. The most common biohacks can lead to quick weight loss or increased brain function.
Here is how biohacking works and how you can do it safely.
While biohacking can come in many forms, but the three most popular types are nutrigenomics, grinder, and DIY biology.
Nutrigenomics
This type of biohack focuses on how what you eat ultimately reacts to your genes. Although controversial, Nutrigenomics is based on the idea that your body’s genetic being can be drawn upon and improved from examining how different nutrients impact your health over time. They also take note of how these nutrients impact your feelings, thoughts and behaviours.
Grinder
Grinder is a subculture within biohacking that considers every aspect of the human body hackable.
Grinders wish to ‘improve’ their bodies using a combination of technological gadgets, chemical-induced injections, implants, and everything and anything they can gain access to in order to make their bodies function the way they want them to.
DIY Biology
DIY biology can be defined as the type of biohacking that is guided by people with education and experience in any of the related scientific fields.
These types of biohackers share their opinions and tips to nonexperts conduct their own self-examination outside of any surveilled experimental environment such as labs or medical centers.
How Nutrigenomics works
Nutrigenomics can alter your biology in many ways such as
lowering your risk of disease that you are genetically predisposed to
helping you reach physical, mental, or emotional goals like losing weight or alleviating your depression symptoms
helping you improve any bodily function like blood pressure or stomach bacteria
Food does have an effect on your genes, however not everybody responds to changes in diets or habits in the same way.
How DIY biology and grinder biohacking work
While there are many examples of DIY biology and grinder-based experiments that have achieved their intended outcome, with any experiment or modification within the human body there can be severe or fatal consequences.
Without training, DIY biohacking or grinder experiments can be dangerous and even be against the law. In 2017, the UC Davis Law Review stated that any exposure to harmful biological agents not only causes numerous health problems but also breaks international bioterrorism laws.
In 2018, a grinder experiment took place where a number of people who follow this subculture inserted RFID chips into their bodies to gain access within hospitals or apply sound-increased magnets in their ears in order to have ‘built-in’ earphones.
While these methods may sound interesting and safe enough, implanting foreign objects into your body can potentially expose you to numerous inflammatory responses that can then lead to long-term infections.
Is biohacking safe?
Some types of biohacking can be considered safe, taking supplements or making changes to your diet is considered safe. Some types of body modifications such as RFID implants can be considered safe if they are being overlooked by a medical professional.
On the other hand, other biohacking methodologies are on the border of being unsafe or illegal. DIY biology and grinder can often centre themselves around experiments that are not seen as safe or ethical in any research facility.
Experimenting on people, even on yourself is still considered a taboo subject mainly in biology due to the accidental negative outcomes that can occur.