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Restore Youthfulness & Vitality to the Aging Brain & Body | Dr. Tony Wyss-Coray

Feb 23, 2026 1h 59m 20 insights
Dr. Tony Wyss-Coray, PhD, is a professor of neurology at Stanford School of Medicine who is discovering factors present in young blood and in exercised blood that can improve brain, heart and other organ health. We discuss how different organs age at different rates and how to accurately measure biological aging. We also discuss the specific proteins found in blood when we are young and that are increased by things such as exercise, sunlight exposure, short-term fasting, specific foods and social connection that can significantly increase vitality, restore youthful functioning of the brain and body and potentially increase lifespan. Read the episode show notes at hubermanlab.com.
Actionable Insights

1. Optimize Lifestyle for Dementia Risk

Optimize lifestyle factors like avoiding smoking, excessive alcohol, and addressing childhood obesity and lower education to significantly reduce your risk for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, as countless studies show the incredible power of lifestyle.

2. Engage in Diverse Exercise

Incorporate both cardiovascular and resistance training into your routine, as both forms of exercise have proven beneficial effects on overall health and longevity.

3. Optimize Daily Light Exposure

Ensure you get bright light exposure during the day, ideally from sunlight, and keep your nights dark to improve mental health, reduce susceptibility to mental health conditions, and support overall well-being.

4. Practice Moderation, Varied Diet

Adopt a diet that includes a variety of foods, including fruits and vegetables, and practice moderation in both eating and drinking, as excess in any single food or drink is detrimental.

5. Prioritize Social Connection

Actively engage in social interactions and maintain a strong community, as being social and connected is one of the most common aspects observed in people who live the longest.

6. Seek Personalized Organ Age Profiling

Consider using emerging platforms like Vero Compass that combine biological signatures with clinical and wearable data to predict which organs may be aging faster and receive tailored interventions, including lifestyle changes, to optimize their function.

7. Embrace Challenging Activities

Actively seek out and engage in activities, both cognitive and physical, that you find challenging but choose to do, as pushing through these difficulties can lead to significant personal and neurological benefits.

8. Avoid Constant Snacking

Refrain from continuous snacking throughout the day, as the human body evolved to experience periods of starvation and constant eating may be detrimental to metabolic activity.

9. Adopt Expert’s Exercise Routine

Incorporate regular outdoor running (e.g., two 5-10K runs per week) and daily Pilates into your fitness regimen, as this is the personal exercise routine of an expert in aging and rejuvenation.

10. Consume 100% Dark Chocolate

Include 100% dark chocolate in your diet, perhaps with coffee after lunch, as it is high in polyphenols, stimulates the brain, and can contribute to feelings of happiness.

11. Prioritize Fresh, Cooked Food

Make an effort to consume fresh fruits and vegetables, ideally from your own garden or local sources, and cook your own meals to have better control over the ingredients and avoid processed foods.

12. Utilize Wearables for Health

Use wearable devices to track metrics such as steps and sleep quality (e.g., deep sleep duration), as these tools can provide useful insights into your daily health and well-being.

13. Use Artificial Light for Mood

If access to sufficient sunlight is limited, use a 10,000 lux artificial light source in the morning (e.g., in the kitchen or bathroom) to help offset seasonal depression and stimulate beneficial morning cortisol and catecholamine spikes.

14. Choose Third-Party Tested Supplements

If you choose to take supplements, ensure they are from a reputable source, third-party tested, and used within their recommended time frame, as many supplements may not contain what is stated on the label or can degrade quickly.

15. Exercise Caution with Unprescribed Treatments

Be extremely cautious and avoid taking any treatments, especially those involving injections of cells or unproven factors, that are not rigorously tested, clinically controlled, and prescribed by a trusted clinician due to potential dangers.

16. Avoid Plastics, BPA Cans

Minimize your exposure to plastics and BPA-containing cans when consuming food and drinks, as these chemicals can accumulate in the body, and their long-term effects on lifespan are unknown.

17. Don’t Bank Blood for Rejuvenation

Do not bank your own blood with the expectation of using it for rejuvenation purposes, as pooled young blood from multiple individuals has been shown to be beneficial, negating the need for personal banking.

18. NMN Not Proven for Lifespan

Do not rely on NMN or similar NAD-boosting supplements as a proven method to extend human lifespan, as there is currently no validated clinical evidence in humans for this effect, despite some beneficial effects in animal models.

19. Fasting Not Proven for Longevity

Do not assume clear benefits of fasting for human longevity based on current clinical studies, as the field is complex, and animal study results may not directly translate to humans.

20. Mental Exercise Not for Impairment

Do not rely on mental exercises to reverse cognitive impairment once it is established, as studies in patients with existing cognitive issues have not shown significant benefits from such interventions.