EP 1313
1313. The New Poisons Lurking Around You – Longevity at Risk
In this episode of The Human Upgrade, Host Dave Asprey exposes the hidden poisons damaging your health with environmental health attorney and author Alan Bell. After surviving life-threatening toxic exposure, Alan has dedicated his career to uncovering the chemicals that sabotage longevity, metabolism, and brain optimization—and showing people how to fight back. You’ll discover how everyday items in your home can destroy mitochondria, weaken neuroplasticity, and undermine human performance, along with the functional medicine and biohacking fixes that actually work. Alan shares the top 10 most dangerous chemicals, how to spot them, and practical steps to detox your body, upgrade your environment, and protect your long-term health. Whether you’re focused on supplements, fasting, sleep optimization, or smarter not harder living, this episode gives you the tools to build resilience, safeguard your biology, and reclaim control over your future.
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In this Episode of The Human Upgrade™...
Toxins you cannot see are damaging your health, wrecking your metabolism, and quietly accelerating aging. This episode reveals how to detect the new poisons lurking in your home, how they sabotage mitochondria and brain optimization, and the biohacking fixes that restore longevity, energy, and human performance. You’ll learn actionable strategies you can implement right away, from functional medicine detox protocols to supplements that protect your nervous system and upgrade neuroplasticity.
Host Dave Asprey sits down with Alan Bell, an environmental health attorney and author of POISONED. Alan’s landmark legal work and decades of investigative experience have exposed some of the most dangerous everyday chemicals in modern life. After surviving his own severe toxic exposure, he’s dedicated his career to helping others identify hidden threats, fight back against corporate negligence, and restore their health through targeted biohacking and functional medicine.
You’ll learn:
- The most common invisible poisons in homes and how they impact metabolism, mitochondria, and brain optimization
- Biohacking techniques for detox, from supplements to fasting and cold therapy
- How to protect longevity and human performance with targeted functional medicine strategies
- Why your sleep optimization, ketosis, and nootropics stack may fail without toxin removal
- The connection between environmental toxins, neuroplasticity, and emotional resilience
- How to use smarter not harder thinking to upgrade your biology for the long term
This is essential listening for anyone serious about biohacking, brain optimization, hormone hacking, nootropics, functional medicine, emotional resilience, and building a state of unstoppable energy.
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 where Dave asks the questions no one else dares, and brings you real tools to become more resilient, aware, and high performing.
Keywords: Alan Bell, Dave Asprey, environmental illness, toxic building syndrome, VOC exposure, multiple chemical sensitivity, U.S. chemical safety laws, environmental toxins, mast cell activation, mitochondrial health, ten most dangerous chemicals, biohacking detox, air filtration, flame retardant-free bedding, non-toxic cookware, chronic illness
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“One out of every two men and one out of every three women will get cancer in their lifetime—and 80% of all cancers are caused by the everyday environment you’re exposed to.”
Alan Bell
0:00 — Trailer
Highlights from the conversation previewing the dangers of hidden toxins and how to fight back.
1:07 — Intro
Dave Asprey introduces Alan Bell and sets the stage for a discussion on environmental illness and prevention.
3:45 — Life in a Bubble
Alan describes being airlifted to an 800-square-foot toxin-free bubble in the Arizona desert to survive.
5:40 — Building Syndrome Impact
Exploring how sealed, energy-efficient buildings can trap and concentrate harmful volatile organic compounds.
7:04 — Legal Gaps
Why the U.S. has almost no regulations on indoor chemical exposure and how industry influence shapes the law.
11:55 — Medical Blind Spots
How medical schools fail to teach environmental health and the systemic bias toward treatment over prevention.
13:04 — Chemicals + Mold
The “double whammy” of chemical off-gassing and aggressive mold growth in sealed buildings.
14:00 — Legal Barriers
The challenges of suing chemical manufacturers and how corporate tactics evade accountability.
17:15 — Environmental Disease Links
The role of environmental toxins in cancer, heart disease, and neurodegenerative conditions.
18:54 — Toxic Burden
Understanding cumulative toxic exposure and how it weakens the body over time.
20:53 — Media Awareness
Using entertainment, television, and public outreach to educate people about environmental illness.
21:55 — Hollywood Hazards
The high toxin exposure faced by actors and crews on film sets—and why it’s often ignored.
24:00 — MCS & Fibromyalgia
Recognition of multiple chemical sensitivity and fibromyalgia as legitimate disabilities.
26:04 — Recovery Strategies
The treatments, supplements, and daily practices Alan uses to manage his condition.
27:22 — Mast Cell Science
The emerging science of mast cell activation and its connection to environmental illness.
38:15 — Biohacking & AI
How AI tools can accelerate environmental health research and personalized biohacking solutions.
40:17 — Top 10 Chemicals
Alan’s list of the most dangerous chemicals, their sources, and their health effects.
44:00 — Reduce Exposure
Twenty practical lifestyle changes to lower toxic load at home, work, and on the go.
48:45 — Detox & Travel
Detox strategies, supplement stacks, and ways to minimize exposure while traveling.
50:20 — Legal + Media Power
How legal action and media attention can push for systemic change.
52:33 — Chemical Industry Truth
The greed-driven motivations behind the chemical industry’s practices and resistance to reform.
56:19 — Policy & Advocacy
Proposed legislative changes to hold manufacturers accountable before products enter the market.
58:12 — Closing
Final thoughts, resources, and how to connect with Alan Bell for help.
Resources:
- Alan’s Website: https://alanbell.me/
- 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
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