Most people track glucose or ketones, but almost no one is measuring the hidden signal that could be silently wrecking your metabolism, brain function, and longevity: uric acid. This episode reveals why this overlooked biomarker drives obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s, and even accelerated aging—and how you can hack it to unlock resilience, human performance, and smarter not harder health upgrades. 

Watch the podcast on YouTube for the full video experience: 

https://www.youtube.com/@DaveAspreyBPR 

We revisit host Dave Asprey sitting down with Dr. David Perlmutter, one of the world’s leading functional medicine neurologists and the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Grain Brain and Drop Acid. Dr. Perlmutter has spent decades connecting gut health, brain optimization, and neuroplasticity with lifestyle interventions that truly change the trajectory of disease. In this conversation, he explains how uric acid acts as a metabolic switch that determines whether you burn fat or store it, whether your mitochondria power you up or slow you down, and whether your brain stays sharp or declines with age. 

They break down how fructose, purines, alcohol, and even dehydration spike uric acid, why Japan is decades ahead in using this as a health marker, and how supplements like quercetin and luteolin rival pharmaceuticals in keeping it under control. You’ll also learn how ketosis, fasting, cold therapy, carnivore and plant-based approaches, and sleep optimization all interact with uric acid to shape your healthspan. This is biohacking at its most actionable—because once you measure this signal, you can control it, and once you control it, you radically upgrade your metabolism, your brain, and your longevity. 

This is essential listening for anyone serious about hacking their biology, building neuroplasticity, powering up mitochondria, exploring nootropics, and discovering smarter not harder ways to live longer and perform better. 

You’ll Learn: 

• Why uric acid may be the most important overlooked biomarker for longevity 

• How it connects obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and Alzheimer’s 

• The evolutionary reason your body uses uric acid as a survival signal 

• How fructose and hidden sugars sabotage metabolism and brain optimization 

• The role of quercetin, luteolin, and targeted supplements in lowering uric acid 

• Why measuring at home with a simple device can change your health trajectory 

• How functional medicine uses uric acid as a predictive tool for chronic disease 

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 listene