The Health Conspiracy No One Talks About: Life Insurance, Big Data & Aging | Gary Brecka

Mark Hyman

Mar 12, 2025

Episode description

What if I told you life insurance companies can predict, almost to the month, when you’re going to die? That’s exactly what Gary Brecka, a human biologist and former mortality expert, used to do—until he uncovered something shocking. After years of analyzing blood work and medical records, he realized that the biggest predictors of disease and early death aren’t genetic—they’re modifiable. Now, he’s using that knowledge to help people optimize their health and extend their lifespan. In this episode of The Dr. Hyman Show, we discuss:

How insurance companies use hidden health data to predict life expectancy with stunning accuracy.
The biggest factors that shorten lifespan—and why most of them are within our control.
Why vitamin deficiencies, especially vitamin D, are quietly fueling chronic disease.
How the right biohacking tools, like red light therapy and oxygen optimization, can reverse aging.
What you can do today to take control of your health and longevity.

This conversation will change the way you think about your own health.

View Show Notes From This Episode

Get Free Weekly Health Tips from Dr. Hyman

This episode is brought to you by BON CHARGE, Timeline Nutrition, Paleo Valley, and Big Bold Health.

Order BON CHARGE’s Max Red Light Therapy device today and get 15% off. Visit boncharge.com and use code DRMARK for 15% off.

Support essential mitochondrial health and save 10% on Mitopure. Visit timeline.com/drhyman to get 10% off today.

Get nutrient-dense, whole foods. Head to paleovalley.com/hyman for 15% off your first purchase.

Try Big Bold Health’s HTB Rejuvenate and get 25% off by going to bigboldhealth.com and use code DRMARK25 at checkout.

Episode description

How insurance companies use hidden health data to predict life expectancy with stunning accuracy.
The biggest factors that shorten lifespan—and why most of them are within our control.
Why vitamin deficiencies, especially vitamin D, are quietly fueling chronic disease.
How the right biohacking tools, like red light therapy and oxygen optimization, can reverse aging.
What you can do today to take control of your health and longevity.

This conversation will change the way you think about your own health.

View Show Notes From This Episode

Get Free Weekly Health Tips from Dr. Hyman

This episode is brought to you by BON CHARGE, Timeline Nutrition, Paleo Valley, and Big Bold Health.

Order BON CHARGE’s Max Red Light Therapy device today and get 15% off. Visit boncharge.com and use code DRMARK for 15% off.

Support essential mitochondrial health and save 10% on Mitopure. Visit timeline.com/drhyman to get 10% off today.

Get nutrient-dense, whole foods. Head to paleovalley.com/hyman for 15% off your first purchase.

Try Big Bold Health’s HTB Rejuvenate and get 25% off by going to bigboldhealth.com and use code DRMARK25 at checkout.

Mindsip insights from this episode:

Choose methylfolate over folic acid for better B-vitamin processing

Folic acid is a synthetic chemical not found in nature that 44% of the population cannot properly process, making methylated forms of B-vitamins like methylfolate superior.

#supplement

#vitamin-B

Address hypoxia to improve sleep quality for exhausted individuals

People who are the most exhausted often sleep the worst because they are hypoxic (low oxygen), and the brain wakes them up to prevent suffocation during deep sleep.

#hypoxia

#sleep

Incorporate mineral salt and amino acid supplements for foundational health

For foundational health, consider taking a mineral salt like Baja Gold sea salt and a complete amino acid supplement like Perfect Aminos.

#minerals

#supplement

Recognize corticosteroid use as a predictor for joint replacement

Data analysis showed that starting a corticosteroid medication leads to a joint replacement in a predictable timeframe of six years and one day.

#joints

Reevaluate LDL cholesterol as a cardiovascular risk factor

Insurance data revealed that LDL cholesterol is not an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and in fact, no centenarian died without having clinically elevated LDL levels.

#cholesterol

#LDL

Limit pharmaceuticals to enhance longevity

The more pharmaceuticals a person takes, the more predictably and sooner they are likely to die, according to insurance company data.

#longevity

Mimic nature for effective biohacking strategies

The most effective biohacking modalities are those that mimic what we get from nature, such as oxygen from the air, light from the sun, and magnetism from the earth.

#biohacking

#environment

Utilize red light therapy to enhance mitochondrial energy production

Red light therapy works by kicking nitric oxide out of the mitochondria, allowing oxygen to bind and making cellular energy production roughly 16 times more efficient.

#mitochondria

#red-light

Utilize a 220-volt outlet for effective red light therapy

A truly therapeutic red light bed requires a 220-volt outlet, as a standard 110-volt outlet isn't powerful enough to generate the deeply penetrating therapeutic wavelengths.

#light-therapy

#red-light

Mark Hyman

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