Cocoa's Theobromine and Epigenetic Age

Dave covers research linking theobromine to slower DNA-methylation aging and cautions against sugary chocolate products.

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This episode covers:

• Trump Drug Pricing Deals and Access to Longevity Medications

New drug-pricing agreements announced under President Donald Trump aim to lower the cost of high-priced prescription drugs through negotiated rebates and pricing pressure on major pharmaceutical companies. Early reporting suggests these changes could affect cardiometabolic and longevity-relevant medications, including GLP-1 diabetes and obesity drugs. Dave explains why the real question is not headline savings, but whether lower prices actually reach patients at the pharmacy counter. He breaks down how affordability shapes real-world access, adherence, and long-term prevention strategies, and why policy decisions can matter more than new mechanisms when it comes to sustainable longevity care.

Source: https://longevity.technology/news/trump-sets-new-drug-pricing-deals-with-big-pharma/

• 5:2 Intermittent Fasting Outperforms Daily Dieting on Metabolic Health

A controlled study compared three popular strategies in people with obesity and type 2 diabetes: 5:2 intermittent fasting, time-restricted eating, and continuous daily calorie restriction. All approaches improved weight and HbA1c, but the 5:2 protocol produced larger reductions in fasting glucose, triglycerides, and insulin resistance. Dave explains why periodic restriction can outperform constant dieting, how to structure fasting days without tanking performance, and how to pair intermittent fasting with CGM data and training schedules for better metabolic flexibility and long-term health.

Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/07/250715043351.htm

Full paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-32673-9

• Cocoa’s Theobromine Linked to Slower Epigenetic Aging

New research highlighted by Aging-US suggests that theobromine, a bioactive compound found in cocoa, is associated with epigenetic markers of slower biological aging. Dave breaks down what epigenetic aging clocks actually measure, why this finding adds credibility to cocoa’s cardiometabolic benefits, and why most chocolate products cancel out the upside with sugar and ultra-processing. He explains how to think about food-derived bioactives without turning them into hype-driven anti-aging shortcuts.

Source: https://www.aging-us.com/news-room/theobromine-from-cocoa-linked-to-slower-biological-aging

• Organ-Specific Biological Age Clocks Predict Disease Risk More Accurately

A large Nature study built biological aging clocks for individual organs using blood-based proteomics, showing that organ-specific aging predicts disease and mortality better than a single “bio age” number. Dave explains why you can be biologically young overall but still have an aging brain, arteries, or kidneys, and how this reframes longevity from generic anti-aging to targeted organ protection. He explores how sleep, blood pressure, glucose control, and exercise map differently to different organs, and why precision aging metrics are the future of prevention.

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s43587-025-01016-8

• Copper Peptides and the Rise of Skin Longevity

Copper peptides like GHK-Cu are moving from niche skincare into serious longevity conversations. Human data show strong effects on collagen synthesis, barrier repair, and wound healing, in some cases outperforming traditional retinoids. Dave explains why skin is not just cosmetic but a key immune and environmental interface, how copper peptides fit into repair-focused protocols, and why cycling repair and stress mirrors smarter approaches to training and recovery across the body.

Source: https://www.vogue.com/article/copper-peptides

Auro Wellness Copper Peptide with Discount (click on skincare and scroll to Copper Peptide): https://aurowellness.com/pages/dave

All source links provided for direct access to the original research and reporting.

This episode is designed for biohackers, longevity seekers, and high-performance listeners who want practical strategies grounded in real science and real-world constraints. Dave Asprey translates emerging research, policy shifts, and clinical data into actionable upgrades for metabolism, fasting, biological age tracking, skin health, and long-term prevention.

New episodes every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday.

Keywords: Trump drug pricing deals, prescription drug affordability, GLP-1 access, cardiometabolic medications, longevity policy, intermittent fasting 5:2, intermittent energy restriction, time restricted eating study, insulin sensitivity improvement, metabolic flexibility fasting, theobromine cocoa aging, epigenetic aging markers, biological age clocks, organ specific aging, proteomics longevity research, brain age dementia risk, vascular aging, copper peptides GHK-Cu, skin longevity protocols, collagen synthesis skincare, evidence-based biohacking news, longevity science updates

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