Bioelectronic medicine is changing how we treat inflammation, autoimmunity, and chronic disease, and this episode shows you exactly how nerve stimulation could redefine human performance, longevity, and brain optimization. You will learn how electricity, neurotransmitters, and targeted neural pathways can replace drugs, control inflammation, and help you hack the vagus nerve with precision instead of guesswork.
Listen to the FULL-LENGTH version of this episode on your favorite audio platform:
-Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-human-upgrade-biohacking-for-longevity-performance/id451295014
-Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2mkB9OoukPVKCTKSuAIgCq
Host Dave Asprey is joined by Kevin J. Tracey, MD, president and CEO of the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research at Northwell Health, pioneer of vagus nerve research, and author of The Great Nerve. He is one of the world’s most cited scientists in inflammation and neuroscience, and his discoveries created the field now known as bioelectronic medicine. He identified the therapeutic action of anti TNF antibodies, mapped the inflammatory reflex, and revealed how vagus nerve signaling controls immunity. With more than 450 scientific publications and over 120 U.S. patents, he is a trusted authority whose work drives the future of anti-aging, functional medicine, metabolism, and neural therapies.
Dr. Tracey and Host Dave Asprey explore how the vagus nerve truly operates, why it contains 200,000 fibers with different functions, and what happens when you stimulate specific pathways that regulate inflammation, HRV, neurotransmitters, and immune signaling. You will learn how nerve impulses transmit information, how voltage gated ion channels shape behavior and biology, and why certain forms of stimulation create measurable improvements in mitochondria, metabolic control, sleep optimization, and emotional regulation.
They break down the science behind surgical vagus nerve implants, focused ultrasound, gamma entrainment, cytokine control, and real neuromodulation. They also explore why cold plunging, breath work, HRV training, nootropics, and consumer devices vary so widely in their effects, and how to evaluate these tools with practical biohacking frameworks. You will hear what actually works, what remains experimental, and what the next decade of nerve based therapies could unlock for brain optimization, longevity, ketosis, fasting, supplements, and AI guided interventions in human biology.
You’ll Learn:
• How vagus nerve stimulation reduces inflammation through the inflammatory reflex
• Why bioelectronic medicine can replace drugs in autoimmune conditions
• How nerve fibers relay electrical and chemical signals inside the body
• How 40 hertz gamma entrainment may influence cognitive decline
• Which stimulation methods have clinical validation and which do not
• Why high vagal tone is linked to better metabolism, immunity, and emotional stability
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Timestamps:
0:00 – Trailer
1:12 – Bioelectronic Medicine
3:23 – FDA Approval
6:48 – RA Treatment Explained
11:35 – Vagus Nerve Function
15:12 – External vs Implanted Stimulation
18:06 – Focused Ultrasound
26:11 – Ear Stimulation Science
30:51 – Clinical Evidence
37:10 – Alzheimer’s Link
42:15 – Future Applications
46:48 – Cold Exposure Effects
53:51 – Common Misconceptions
55:38 – Final Thoughts
Resources:
• Learn More About Kevin’s Work: https://feinstein.northwell.edu/institutes-researchers/our-researchers/kevin-j-tracey-md
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