Overcoming Adversity Through Biohacking and Nootropics

Want to think faster, remember more, and rewire your brain for high performance? This special archived episode breaks down the real nootropic stack, neuroplasticity tools, and brain optimization protocols Jim Kwik uses daily, plus the biohacking routines that rebuilt his cognition after traumatic brain injury. 

Watch this episode on YouTube for the full video experience: 

https://www.youtube.com/@DaveAspreyBPR 

Host Dave Asprey sits down with world-renowned brain coach Jim Kwik, bestselling author of Limitless and advisor to billionaires, athletes, and Hollywood performers. After being labeled “the boy with the broken brain” as a child, Jim transformed his life through functional medicine, nootropics, cold therapy, neurorehab, and smart supplementation. He’s now the go-to expert on learning how to learn, with cutting-edge insights on memory, speed reading, focus, and cognitive recovery. 

Together, they reveal the most effective supplements for brain optimization, how to stack smart drugs with sleep optimization, the surprising downside of alpha GPC, and why things like ketosis, mitochondrial support, and even Danger Coffee are essential for modern cognition. You’ll also hear why your brain speed depends on your metabolism, the forgotten science of post-traumatic growth, and how to combine breathing, fasting, and cold therapy for massive neuroplasticity gains. 

Jim also shares his Brain Animal system, a new way to personalize your learning, decision-making, and communication based on your unique cognitive style. From performance to parenting, he shows how your “brain type” influences every part of life and how to hack it for focus, clarity, and flow. 

This episode is packed with high-impact strategies for biohacking your brain, improving human performance, upgrading memory, and building real resilience using smarter not harder protocols. 

You’ll Learn: 

• What Jim Kwik takes daily for brain speed, cognition, and mental stamina 

• The exact nootropics Dave Asprey uses (and the ones he avoids) 

• How sleep apnea nearly destroyed Jim’s performance and how he hacked it 

• The connection between mitochondria, memory, and metabolism 

• Why brain inflammation blocks focus and cognitive clarity 

• When to use cold therapy, hyperbaric oxygen, and stem cells for brain repair 

• How to know if your brain needs more acetylcholine and what happens if you overdo it 

• The best biohacking tools for focus, speed reading, learning, and flow state 

• Why your brain animal determines how you learn, lead, and connect 

Dave Asprey is a four-time New York Times bestselling author, founder of Bulletproof Coffee, and the father of biohacking. With over 1,000 interviews and 1 million monthly listeners, The Human Upgrade is the top podcast for people who want to take control of their biology, extend their longevity, and optimize every system in the body and mind. Each episode features cutting-edge insights in health, performance, neuroscience, supplements, nutrition, hacking, emotional intelligence, and conscious living. 

Episodes are released every Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday (audio-only) where Dave asks the questions no one else dares, and brings you real tools to become more resilient, aware, and high performing. 

Keyword Index: 

Acetylcholine supplements, Alpha GPC vs CDP choline, Post-traumatic growth brain, Stem cells for brain repair, Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for TBI, Brain inflammation supplements, Learning disabilities recovery, Best supplements for neurogenesis, Brain fog biohacks, Brainwave training programs, Smart drug protocols, Cognitive stack routines, Mitochondrial support for cognition, Electrolytes for brain performance, Danger Coffee brain benefits, ADHD nootropics protocol, Sleep apnea and cognition, High dopamine supplements, Brain types and learning styles, Upgrade Labs review 

 Thank you to our sponsors!  

• Generation Lab | Go to http://generationlab.com/, use code Dave20 for $20 off, and see what your body’s really doing behind the surface. 
• GOT MOLD? | Go to http://gotmold.com/shop and use DAVE10 to save 10% and see what’s in your air. 
• BodyHealth | Go to https://bodyhealth.com/ and use code DAVE20 to save 20% off your first order of PerfectAmino. 

 Resources:  

• Jim's Website: https://www.jimkwik.com/ 

• Dave Asprey’s Website: https://daveasprey.com 

• Danger Coffee: https://dangercoffee.com/DAVE15 

• Dave Asprey’s BEYOND Conference: https://beyondconference.com 

• Dave Asprey’s New Book – Heavily Meditated: https://daveasprey.com/heavily-meditated 

• Upgrade Collective: https://www.ourupgradecollective.com 

• Upgrade Labs: https://upgradelabs.com 

• 40 Years of Zen: https://40yearsofzen.com 

Timestamps: 

• 0:00 — Introduction & Brain Health 

• 0:47 — Childhood Injury & Struggles 

• 2:53 — Adversity & Purpose 

• 6:31 — Nootropics & Optimization 

• 18:49 — Daily Biohacking Habits 

• 32:14 — Exercise & Brain Function 

• 34:21 — Learning & Cognition 

• 38:06 — Sleep & Resilience 

• 41:41 — Brain Types Explained 

• 52:16 — Parenting & Neuroplasticity 

• 57:19 — Limitless Update & Wrap-Up 

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