NutraCast: Fitbiomics on why women are the ultimate biohackers

19-Sep-2024 - Last updated on 19-Sep-2024 at 16:06 GMT

Biohacking can take various forms, from exercise optimization to the use of wearables or the simple act of drinking a cup of coffee. Biohacking is currently a $17 billion industry and is expected to grow exponentially by 2030. At the forefront of this biohacking movement is biotech company FitBiomics.

The company’s co-founders Carolina Barsa and Jonathan Scheiman, PhD, shared their groundbreaking work on the NutraCast, detailing how they identified a novel microbe that naturally eats lactic acid, which can help fight fatigue and promote endurance.

The conversation also delves into the critical role of the gut microbiome in biohacking and optimizing health and longevity. Barsa and Scheiman highlight how solutions like Fitbiomics' products can provide accessible ways to biohack by addressing core issues like sleep, digestion and fatigue through the gut.

Notably, Barsa emphasized the disproportionate impact of these issues on women, who often face longer diagnosis times and less research into solutions tailored to their needs.

“As we think about the gut microbiome and women's health overall, women are at quite a disadvantage when it comes to healthcare," Barsa explained. "Women were not included in clinical trials until 1993. Very, very little research is done on identifying solutions for women, [and] women are more likely to experience chronic conditions for longer before getting diagnosed. So the level of clinical care that they receive, especially when it comes to things like cardiac or hormonal health or various conditions, [is at a disadvantage]."

She added that women experience GI distress significantly more than men, placing women at a disadvantage from the beginning.

“When your gut is not happy there, it has profound impacts on everything else, your ability to absorb the nutrients from your food and to be able to absorb and metabolize the proteins in your food and the nutrients, things like weight gain, all these factors come into play,” she said.

“If you just think about our healthcare system, how we develop new products and innovations, it's predominantly for men,” Scheiman said. “I think women candidly are the ultimate biohackers for the reasons Carolina just mentioned.

To hear more on why women are the ultimate biohackers, and how biohacking your gut can optimize sleep, reduce inflammation and more, listen to the NutraCast.

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