The human limit: Inside the world of biohacking
As Brits become more health-conscious, there are some who take it even more seriously
We all want to live longer, don’t we? It’s not exactly a modern concept; it’s something we as humans have always chased.
Throughout history, for example, several Chinese emperors wanted to live forever or die trying, and many of them did indeed die. Though estimates vary, ‘elixir poisoning’ claimed the lives of multiple emperors throughout Chinese history, possibly more than 10.
In the modern day, we’re pretty sure that concoctions of mercury and gold are not the key to eternal youth. Instead, attention has turned towards taking steps to ensure a healthier lifestyle and longer life.
There are some people, however, who take human enhancement to the next level.
Biohacking, also known as DIY biology, is a sort of umbrella term without a singular definition, but Marie (Mary) Kruth, founder and chair of the Oxford Biohacking Society (OBS), defined it as. “A way of becoming the best version of yourself. If you could optimise your health, your cognitive performance, or your athletic performance, I always see biohacking as a tool to reach that.”
Marie started the society in 2024, and in two years they have gained almost 700 members, all with a shared interest in human enhancement.
This growing society comes at the same time as Britons are becoming increasingly more proactive with their health. A study from UCL found that 4.9 million Brits had either used a drug to support weight loss or were interested in using one in the near future.
The Oxford Biohacking Society’s anniversary gala (Credit: Marie Kruth)
The changes that a biohacker might make to their day-to-day life differs for everyone. Some practices are simple and relatively cheap, such as getting enough sleep, doing some exercise, and having a nutritious diet.
Marie believes that the essentials are sleep, exercise, and diet.
“It seems, based on the research that I’ve seen, that those three have the biggest impact on health and life expectancy.”
Marie (centre) founded the society two years ago (Credit: Marie Kruth)
But biohacking doesn’t stop there; it can get very expensive if you let it.
One person who is no stranger to spending their hard earned money in the name of human enhancement is Henrik Diamant, an avid biohacker and member of the Oxford society
As I correspond with Henrik via email, he revealed to me that as we spoke, he was sitting in his hyperbaric oxygen chamber, a device that costs upwards of £8,000 at a minimum. Henrik, however, got a good deal on his own chamber.
“I figured out what company makes these chambers, they’re all imported from China. I contacted the Chinese company directly and I paid £3,700 for this and imported it directly from China. It’s still a lot of money, but it’s a lot cheaper than 8k.”
Henrik has been a biohacker for 15 years (Credit: Henrik Diamant)
Henrik used to be in charge of computational fluid dynamics for a Formula 1 team. In layman’s terms, he was responsible for analysing a car’s aerodynamics.
“We optimised race cars to the 10th degree, and I just like to optimise things, so now I’m sort of optimising myself.”
Since turning his eye for efficiency towards himself, Henrik has never looked back.
“Once you get into 60,70,80 you get some diseases and one motivation is to avoid those kinds of diseases as far as you possibly can.
“But the other motivation, and this is absolutely brilliant, I have more energy now than I did a decade ago. I feel totally energised and happy, and that sort of thing is a complete motivation.”
Supplements of vitamins and minerals are also a popular aspect of biohacking. The vitamin and mineral industry has shown consistent growth in the UK, continually growing since 2020 with projections showing a continuation of this into 2030.
Use of supplements is a big part of biohacking (Credit: Thomas Henderson)
A sometimes controversial practice within biohacking is the use of nootropics, sometimes called ‘smart drugs’. These are substances that are linked to improve cognitive function, in areas such as focus and creativity.
Where this gets controversial is when drugs such as Adderall and Ritalin, drugs usually prescribed for ADHD, are used by biohackers to improve focus. Both of these drugs have addictive properties and have potential for dependency when incorrectly used.
Hamzah Patel, a biomedical science student, believes that drugs such as these should be used with caution.
“Everything is fine in regulation as long as it’s following the law, but anything out of dosage could have detrimental side effects, so it’s smart to stay within the dosage of these drugs.”
Marie felt that the choice of what substances someone takes is a personal choice.
“I think that’s up to the individual because it’s always up to us if we’re willing to take certain risks, right? So I wouldn’t want to recommend taking it or not taking it, but also there is a bunch of natural products that could be tested.”
Looking into the future, Marie feels that people will be more open to technological advances that can improve our lives, such as brain-computer interfaces, which can restore mobility for people suffering from paralysis.
“I would assume that in the past, most people would have been rather uncomfortable considering getting an implant. Whereas nowadays, I’m, there’s an assumption of mine, but I think more and more people will be comfortable with it simply because we’re exposed to more and more technology in our daily lives.”
As far as we know, there’s no ‘golden elixir’ to stop life’s only guarantee besides taxes. But, who knows, if you’ve got the motivation, and maybe some money to spend, you might be able to push death back a bit further, and feel healthier in the process.
