Good morning. It’s Friday, November 29th.

In today’s email:

• Focus: David Beckham’s New Supplement Company

• Watch: Buy Now! The Shopping Conspiracy

• In the News: Hot Showers

• Brain Games: The 1% Club

Also, I spoke with Joyan Chan on her podcast “Find Joy with Joyan.”

If you’re looking for a quick listen that sparks more about how and why our health impacts our energy, mindset, and joy give it a listen.

Listen on: Spotify | Amazon | Apple

Stat of the Day

The number of phones across the world that get thrown away every single day. (Time) See more in the “Watch” section below.

Focus

David Beckham’s New Supplement Company

Given the success of Athletic Greens (AG1)*, soccer icon David Beckham has jumped into the supplement game launching a direct competitor - IM8.

The question is if his 88 million social followers buy his longevity supplements - will they get their money’s worth?

The company is backed by medical advisors from the Mayo Clinic, NASA, and a physician I find very knowledgeable and respected, Dr. David Katz from the Yale School of Public Health.

Ok - so what are they selling?

The Products

There are two products being launched - the Powder supplement (All-in-One) and capsule (Daily Longevity). And he suggests you can put them together for the “Beckham Stack.”

The powder is pretty much a direct competitor to AG1 - it’s priced the exact same ($79/pouch and $2.63 per serving) and the IM8 website even shows a side-by-side comparison chart:

So do these differences matter?

It calls out Vitamins D3/K2 - anyone who’s read Thrive25 for a while knows we’ve highlighted the scientifically proven benefits of Vitamin D. It’s an essential nutrient and we may need more than previously thought. K2 helps with the absorption of D3 - but if this is a deficiency you can get a full dose for $0.05/day (see Thorne).

CoQ10 - there are studies on the benefits of this supplement, specifically to help rid our body of plastic and possibly to lower Lp(a) - which we talked about in Issue #384.

MSM - not a supplement I had researched previously, but seems like there might be something to it helping with inflammation.

Prebiotic fiber - too many of us have messed up guts with the wrong bad bacteria from eating too many ultraprocessed foods. This is something we absolutely should get more of on a consistent basis.

Vitamin C - most of us get a sufficient amount of this nutrient, but it’s water-soluble so not a bad thing to get more of.

Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) - an essential micronutrient that doesn’t get the airtime of some other B vitamins, riboflavin is key to helping our cells function the right way - as well as maybe lowering our risk of cancer and protecting our vision.

Magnesium - again, a foundational supplement that we want to get every day and Mg Glycinate is a good form to take. (see Issue #21)

The other “longevity” supplements are found in the IM8 proprietary blends.

From what we’ve seen in the research, the amount of each supplement in this powder is far less than most studies - so any potential benefits will probably be pretty low, but the risks/side effects will also be muted too.

Berberine HCI - this could help with reducing glucose and lowering lipids in our blood, as well as weight loss. This is true for people with high PSK9 protein which impairs the ability to degrade LDL cholesterol (so you have too much in your blood). But to be absolutely clear - much more research in humans is needed.

Resveratrol - this has been 100% debunked as providing any longevity benefits. Don’t trust anyone that promotes this or think you need to chug a bunch of red wine!

Spermidine HCI - this also has early results of some promise with some studies, but still TBD how much this actually matters to longevity.

Urolithin A - we covered this previously (Issue #151) and seems like a worthwhile supplement for most people as it helps recycle out poor performing mitochondria and improve our muscle strength.

So if you want a morning drink with all the nutrients to complement a less than perfect diet - IM8 seems like a viable new option to give a try. Seems like it works for at least one 49-year old.

Now what about the Capsule (Daily Longevity).

It’s basically B vitamins (Niacin - B3, Folate - B9, Vit-B12), selenium, NAD3?, and DHA.

Now B-vitamins are hugely important. They keep our existing cells healthy and build new cells, boost our energy, and help our brain.

In terms of Selenium - it’s also a key mineral that boosts our master antioxidant, glutathione and jumpstarts our immune function.

And DHA as part of omega-3 fatty acids is absolutely something we need as brain fuel! (see Issue #22).

But here’s the thing…

The IM8 Daily Longevity costs $2.50/capsule.

• You can get a B-complex vitamin from Thorne for just $0.40 per day. 

• You can get your daily selenium from 1 brazil nut (yes, just 1).

• You can get 2-3x DHA from omega-3 supplements from Nordic Naturals for $1.00 per day.

I can’t speak to the real validity of the proprietary NAD3 blend - but until we know more, I wouldn’t say that it will boost longevity. 

If you want one capsule - go for it. But you’re probably overpaying for what you need.

Oh and even if you’re a big fan of Inter Miami - don’t feel that you need the Beckham Stack (both products).

Most of the supplements in the two products are the same and unless directed by a doctor that you’re severely lacking these nutrients you don’t need to spend over $5/day on both of these products.

*By “success” - we mean that AG1 is expected to earn $600M in annual revenue in 2024 and will mostly be worth way more than the $1.2 billion valuation in 2022.

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Watch

Buy Now! The Shopping Conspiracy

Going into Black Friday and the holiday season - a little reminder that we probably don’t need more stuff.

Check out the Netflix documentary: Buy Now! The Shopping Conspiracy. Our digital and physical world overwhelms us with nonstop advertising as the biggest companies in the world want nothing more than to sell us things - most of it we don’t need. (see our issue on Minimalism)

Plus, companies are making products that aren’t designed to last - so that we just have to buy more sooner. It’s not just a buying addiction that takes too much of our money - we send 15 million pieces of used clothing to Ghana every week.

We don’t think about it when that Amazon order shows up in 8 hours - but how is all this possible and what are the implications?

Maybe instead of another sweater, go with more experiences for holiday presents this year??

H&L in the News

Beware of Hot Showers: Steamy showers may relax you, but they strip oils, weaken your skin barrier, and dry out hair. Dermatologists recommend lukewarm, short showers for healthier skin and hair. (NYTimes)

Unlock Your True Muscle Power!: Knowing your muscle-fiber type - fast or slow-twitch - could be key to maximizing training outcomes, from endurance to strength. Learn simple ways to assess your type and tailor your workouts. (Outside)

How Our Cells Die: Our cells constantly die in dramatic ways - by self-destructing, exploding, or even turning cannibal. Learn how these processes impact health, immunity, and the fight against diseases like cancer. (Big Think)

Brain Games

The 1% Club

Hint: Wes’ password is a word.

Credit: FOX
**For answer, scroll to the bottom of the post

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Thanks for another great week!

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** Brain Games Answer **

Why Thrive25

We’re 40-something dads that felt our bodies and minds start to slow down and we’re not ready for that. We found too much information on every subject. So we started Thrive25 to transform what we’ve learned into something useful for the rest of us to spend just 3-5 min a day to optimize our health & longevity. 

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To health! 

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The information in this newsletter is for informational purposes only and may not be appropriate or applicable based on your individual circumstances. Thrive25, Inc. does not provide medical, professional, or licensed advice. Please connect with your healthcare professional for medical advice specific to your health needs.