My "transhumanist stack"
Bryan Johnson on a budget
As some of my friends might know, I consider myself a radical transhumanist. Basically, I believe we shouldn't be subject to the whims of biology, since that is simply an appeal-to-nature fallacy. Many of humanity's greatest achievements have been through culture and artifacts that have helped us create niches or improve our bodies, from clothing to housing, transportation, glasses, medication, and more. You can read more about the advantages of transhumanism in a couple of blog posts I wrote some years ago (here and here). Or read the work of Oxford ethicist Julian Savulescu. Furthermore, I don't believe that any of the anti-transhumanist arguments are correct.
Now, transhumanist interventions are too experimental, cumbersome, and expensive for my current lifestyle. So instead, my focus here is on sharing the lifestyle supplements that I have tried or believe are worth looking up and using. This approach is partly to optimize my own day-to-day life, body and mind. And partly because if we can reach longevity escape velocity, our generation could potentially live to be 120 years old, 200 years, 1,000 years, or live indefinitely, depending on the pace of technology. So I better keep my body and mind in good shape!
I've hesitated about posting this. Maybe the fact that I try to optimize my life makes me seem like a weirdo? The boundary for how much supplements and stuff each person is willing to take is pretty personal to them, because “daily routine” is pretty personal. To some people in the mainstream, this is going too far. To more convinced transhumanists, this is peanuts. There are arguments to be had here. But, in general, people go by vibes rather than argument on these things.
This is just to say, I'm comfortable at this level and even going for more extreme interventions due to my transhumanist beliefs. But I want them to be cost-effective, cheap, and within the reach of most people. So I wouldn't go down the route of Bryan Johnson, even if I had the money.
Anyways, without further ado, here is the current stack I use to improve my body and mind at a relatively low cost, which I believe offers sufficient benefits to be part of my daily routine.
Supplements.
Any Multivitamin with High Doses of Vitamins B and D (any brand, just make sure it has what you need based on your blood test analytics)
Why: The family of vitamins grouped under B and D tend to be low in individuals with a plant-based diet and those who don't get enough sunlight. Vitamin B, especially B12, is crucially and dangerously important for vegans and vegetarians. Vitamin D is also essential, and a massive portion of the human population are deficient in it. Wikipedia says 24% of the US population has insufficiency, and some other data suggests insufficiency could be up to 42%. Anyways, I usually spend most of my day indoors, so my blood analytics say I tend to be low in it.
Finasteride, 1 mg (any brand)
Why: I turned 30 years old some days ago (happy birthday to me!), and have been taking Finasteride since I was 28. Finasteride is used to treat male pattern baldness by preventing hair loss. While I believe it may not be strictly necessary in my case, I'd prefer to prevent any hair loss or receding hairline or whatever. I just see so many men that are balding or with receding hairlines, and it looks so bad.
The data is the following:
By age 30, about 25% of men will have some degree of noticeable hair loss.
By age 50: Roughly 50% of men will experience noticeable hair thinning or balding.
By age 70: Around 80% of men will have some degree of male pattern baldness.
But like, why? We have medication for this. And I'd rather deal with it too early than too late.
I've tried topical Minoxidil before, which you put on your hair, and it feels like putting shaving cream and leaving it there to absorb. But I find that it makes my hair feel greasy and ugly. A daily pill solution is much easier and less cumbersome, so that's what I use now.
EDIT: As Rota mentioned in the comments, Finasteride has potential side effects. The most prominent being sexual or mental. (Here’s a short breakdown. Reduced libido: ~5-10% (higher in the first year, may decline over time). Erectile dysfunction (ED): ~2-5% (most resolve after stopping). Decreased ejaculate volume: ~1-4%. Depression & anxiety: ~1-2% (some studies suggest up to 3-4%) Memory/concentration issues ~1-2% (mainly anecdotal reports, not well-studied). Mood swings or emotional blunting: ~1-2% (uncertain mechanism). For what it’s worth, I haven’t noticed any side effects, but it is worth discontinuing if you feel any.
Orlistat Capsule, 60 mg (any brand), twice a day
Why: Orlistat aids in weight loss by preventing the absorption of some fats into the body. I take 60mg, the highest amount available over-the-counter without a prescription. It makes maintaining a healthy weight within a mostly sedentary lifestyle a bit easier. On average, it reduces about 100kcal coming from fats, every day. It's not a lot, but it will keep you a couple of kilos lighter than you would otherwise be. I take once or twice a day, within an hour of eating food.
It also helps with some chronic intestinal issues I have, so it's a very nice two-birds with one-stone situation. However, for a majority of the population, it is more likely to cause rather than solve gastrointestinal issues. So this is one worth testing out slowly and discussing with your doctor!
Capsules with Caffeine and Green Tea Extract, among other things (FitLab Nutrition)
Why: These capsules help reduce my appetite for a few hours. I don't take them everyday anymore, but they're handy to have if I'm having a restrictive diet. They also help increase my caffeine levels slightly when I'm feeling particularly sleepy or sluggish.
Supplements I've been trying out lately:
Ashwagandha KSM-66 Extract (Nutrition Geeks)
Why: Ashwagandha is supposed to reduce anxiety, which sometimes impairs my focus or lead to procrastination during important times. It seems very helpful to have and take daily for a person that gets anxious easily.
I use the Nutrition Geeks one because it was cheap, high dose, and also has Vitamin D, L-Theanine, L-Tryptophan, and Black Pepper Extract.
Cognitive Enhancer (No. 4 Focus)
Why: Contains various ingredients, including green tea extract, lion's mane mushroom powder, ginseng extract, guarana extract, ginkgo biloba, iron, niacin, zinc, etc.
I use it to support my multivitamin and as a slight focus and cognitive enhancer. I think it has helped me feel a bit more sharp and less foggy while working.
CBD Oil (any brand, just make sure the dose is high enough)
Why: For moments when I feel particularly stressed, taking a few drops of CBD oil could possibly help reduce stress levels. But I'm unsure, because scientific results are mixed.
That's all in terms of supplements. So far, I think I've noticed a positive effect out of all of them. Otherwise, I have already removed them from my routine, which I've refined over a couple of years.
But remember to take a look at potential side effects, and not to try them all at once. Add them to your routine one by one. And consider consulting with a doctor.
Skincare.
Aging is also about vanity and looks! So here's my simple yet scientifically backed skincare routine.
Retinol (CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum)
Why: Basically, Vitamin A for your skin. Retinol is the most scientifically proven way to de-age your skin, at least over the counter (Tretinoin is better, but needs to be prescribed by a doctor). Simply put, there's nothing more scientifically proven to help with a wide variety of skin issues. It accelerates the shedding of dead skin cells, so the younger ones underneath can shine!
However, it can cause irritation in some people, so it is best used alongside a moisturizer. Retinol should be applied at night because sunlight can degrade it and reduce its effectiveness.
The best one I've used is the CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum. It's supposedly less aggressive than other brands thanks to the licorice root extract and niacinamide.
Niacinamide (The Inkey List 20% Niacinamide)
Why: Basically, Vitamin B3 for your skin. It reduces sebum production and hydrates the skin, which helps with acne and reducing irritation.
Although Niacinamide has only been clinically proven to be effective up to 5% in the labs, and I've used the 5% for a while, I am currently using The Inkey List 20% version, which has been even more powerful in keeping my skin free of acne. So I'm pretty sure higher doses will get proven to work even better once they start to get scientifically tested.
Moisturizer (CeraVe Moisturising Lotion / Garnier Summer Body)
Why: Moisturizer protects the moisture barrier of your skin, preventing it from drying out, which will help keep a more youthful appearance.
I typically alternate between the CeraVe Moisturizer, which also has Ceramides (a supposedly good freebie for the skin’s lipid barrier, idk), and the Garnier Summer Body Moisturizer with Deep Glow Tanning, which adds a bit of tan to my skin without any risk of skin cancer.
Sunscreen (Scinic SPF50)
Why: Perhaps the most important step of a skincare routine, yet skipped by many. Since instead of repairing damage, sunscreen prevents it in the first place.
I use sunscreens with SPF-50 that are not too expensive. Because why not go with the highest amount? As far I've seen, dermatologists always complain that we apply too little (you're supposed to apply a THICK layer). So might as well use SPF50.
I’ve recently found that Korean sunscreens (such as Scinic or Beauty of Joseon) feel a bit lighter on the skin than western ones, so you don’t feel as sticky after applying them, which is the typical excuse for why people don't wear sunscreen everyday.
BB Cream (Garnier SkinActive Classic Perfecting All-in-1 BB Cream)
Why: I use a bit as if it were foundation, in order to cover sudden acne breakouts (or to hide hickeys from a gluttonous French lover).
That’s all I use, after researching skincare for several months. Because that's pretty much all that works. Optionally, feel free to look into Vitamin C and a Cleanser. Although I haven't really noticed any improvements from using them.
Any other things? I'd say don't bother. The rest of the world of skincare seems to be mostly a bunch of unproven or unscientific waste of time and money.
Diet supplements
Ok, time for diet. I am a terrible cook, and I hate cooking, so I eat way too many pre-cooked meals from the supermarket, and dress them up a bit with sauces or condiments. Still, I try to aim for a high protein, and aiming towards lower carb, lower fat. These are the cheats that I use to hit the macros I aim for.
Protein Bars - Grenade
Why: I've tried a bunch of protein bar brands. Most brands are awful. My favorites so far are the Grenade Oreo Protein Bars. 21g of protein for 230kcal, and they taste like a nice dessert.
They help me kill hunger if I want to snack. Or if I'm a tiny bit hungry but not enough to get a full lunch, so I'll skip lunch and just have one of these.
Creatine - Warrior Creatine
Why: Creatine is the only “S tier” scientifically proven fitness supplement. It's also pretty cheap. Supplementing with creatine will give you like 10% more reps per set in the gym, which is substantial because the last reps (training close to failure) are the most important for muscle growth.
It does so by magically allowing you to recycle energy.
I get the flavored one because creatine with water is a bit disgusting, and reminds me of old fashioned powdered medication.
I use the Warrior brand because it's the cheapest and comes in many flavors that taste decent.
Whey Protein Plus Greek Yogurt - MyProtein and Fage
Whey is basically eating leftovers from the process of making milk into cheese. They turn them into a powder and give it flavor. It's a good whey to easily get up to 100g+ of protein per day, which is important if you do any form of exercise.
I usually get the MyProtein one because it's the best tasting and they do big sales and student discounts. A scoop is like 20g of protein per 100kcal. I usually get vanilla because I mix it with Greek yogurt, as vanilla allows me to put as many scoops as I want without the flavor becoming overwhelming.
For Greek Yogurt, I get the 0% Fat Fage brand. It's also like 20g of protein per 100kcal.
So if you're very low on protein for the day, get some Greek yogurt, put some scoops of vanilla protein powder, and a bit of water to mix 'em together, and boom, 40 to 80g of protein right there, in a vanilla yogurt. I call it the Protein Bomb.
Clear Whey - MyProtein (Thanks to Stefan Kelly in the comments for reminding me of this!)
After a while of drinking protein shakes or adding the same milky whey protein to your meals, you might get tired of the flavors or texture. But there’s another way, which will also reduce your cravings for sweet fizzy drinks. It’s called clear whey. One scoop turns your water bottle into lemonade, while also adding 20g of protein to it!
I’ve also heard that if you do it with sparkling water instead of tap, you get actual fizzy lemonade. I’ve never tried it, but it sounds neat!
My favorite flavor is apple, because if I go with a more traditional flavor (like lemon or iced tea) I can tell the difference and it annoys me. The apple one disguises itself better, in my opinion.
Pre-Workout - Warrior PreWorkout
I use the Warrior brand because it's the cheapest. It has some Caffeine, Beta-Alanine, and Creatine, and also a tiny bit of stuff (Citrulline Malate, Arginine) that can help a bit get a pump at the gym, which helps with keeping up the motivation.
Workout
I'm a nerd. That means I like quantifying my progress in Excel spreadsheets. That's one of the reasons I like weightlifting, besides the time efficiency, or the fact that I can do it while listening to audiobooks.
There’s a massive industry focused on working out. You can spend years browsing different routines and watching thousands of exercises. I did and still do, for fun! Though most of it is a waste of time. You only need to get a workout routine with some of the best exercises and stick to it.
I can recommend the plans by Jeff Nippard (a solid, science-based fitness YouTuber) for good workout routines. The beginner one is called Fundamentals of Hypertrophy. I typically follow that one, with some modifications so that I do exercises that I enjoy, and remove those that I don't, but that still hit the same muscle groups.
I usually do full-body instead of a split. That way, while my upper body rests, I can train lower body, in the same session. It saves substantial time.
I also recommend doing some form of cardio that you enjoy. It can be walking, running, swimming, biking, static bike, or some sport. It doesn't really matter, the world is your oyster.
My next steps.
The stuff I haven't really tried yet and that in excited to try are smart gadgets, like a WHOOP Strap, Oura Ring, or smartwatch. Also, smart glasses have now become small and usable, and I'm excited to try them out.
EDIT: I previously said “I'd be excited to try prescription stuff like Modafinil (for focused alertness), Adderall (for concentration), and Ozempic (for weight loss)”. I think I had a bit of a starry-eyed perception that was only focused on the positive aspects of these drugs, given the good press many of these medications get from the news and the transhumanist blogosphere. The truth is, in order to give a more balanced perspective, I must mention that those drugs have serious side-effects. In the case of Modafinil, they include tolerance buildup, diminishing returns, and high cost. In the case of Adderall, addiction risk, side effects (anxiety, insomnia), and crashes. And in the case of Ozempic, lifelong dependence to keep the weight off, high cost, and side effects (nausea, gastrointestinal issues, organ issues such as pancreatitis or kidney problems), and unknowns from long-term use.
Other sources.
On transhumanism:
Bostrom’s Fable of the Dragon Tyrant, a fable illustrating the badness of death, narrated by CGP Grey
The articles of Julian Savulescu, on PhilPapers
Transcend: Nine Steps to Living Well Forever by Ray Kurzweil and Terry Grossman - seems like a good book, haven't read it
Aubrey de Grey's writings on longevity
Superintelligence, Superlongevity and Superhappiness - My own blog posts providing an introduction to transhumanism for a mainstream audience
On supplements:
Examine.com - one of the best websites to check for the efficacy of different supplements.
On skincare:
On diet:
Elizabeth’s “EA Vegan Advocacy is not truthseeking, and it’s everyone’s problem” post
On fitness:
Jeff Nippard - good science-based fitness YouTuber
Mike Israetel - another good science-based fitness YouTuber. He's also a fellow transhumanist. Warning, he's pretty unhinged with random sexual jokes during his videos.
Stronger by Science - nerdy fitness advice
Anyways, that's all for now! Join me, and I'll see you in the year 2100, just before we become robots or get uploaded to the cloud!
I think your advice about finasteride does not accurately represent the known risk profile of the drug.
myprotein clear whey is a huge one to try. makes an actual nice drink to have while working or something. rather than regular whey which i find is too milkshakey and you just have to chug down.