The nervous system ‘calm’ device that Sophie swears by - and a review of the latest health tech and wearables

0:00This show is sponsored by Primadine, a clean, natural and science-based spermidine supplement that's been a long-time staple in my own longevity stack. Because studies suggest that through autophagy, spermidine increases healthspan and upregulates a range of health markers, from memory and cognitive function to heart health, hormone balance, fertility, and even hair growth. Plus, you can be assured that all ingredients undergo rigorous third-party testing. Buy Primadine now at OxfordHealthSpam.com and use the discount code DrSophie, that's D-R-Sophie for 20 % off. This show is sponsored by Microbes, an award-winning liquid probiotic that's now a staple for me because Microbes, with a Z on the end, is different.

0:47For one thing, they source directly from the soil on their Wiltshire farm, meaning more diversity with at least 15 strains of good bacteria in every single shot. It's brewed so it can survive in the stomach and a remarkable 92 % of customers say it makes a difference. Plus they offer micro-friendly cleaning, gardening and even microbes for dogs. Buy now at microbes.co.uk and use the discount code sophie20 for 20 % off. Hi I'm Sophie and this is Age Well with Dr Sophie Schotter, a space devoted to all things health, wellness and longevity. Because for me, aging well is about looking and feeling like the best possible version of ourselves inside as well as out.

1:31So together with my producer Fee, I'll be deep diving into the latest research, sifting fact from fiction. I'll also be talking to all kinds of trusted experts tapping into their knowledge, along with bringing you conversations from a range of interesting women and men, finding out how they age well. So this is my show. Welcome along. And as always, thank you so much for listening.

2:00Dr Sophie Shotter:Okay, so our mutual pal, Emma, sent us a link last year, an article with the headline, our smart earrings, the next smart rings. And this led both of us going down a bit of a rabbit hole in thinking about health tracking and wearables and what's new in this space. Can we get to the smart earrings in a little bit? But first of all, I guess I wanted to know what are the big trends that you're seeing this year? There are several trends that we can already see happening. One that's particularly interesting or weird, depending on how you look at it, is ingestibles. So these are pills, or some might call it a digital pill, that are coated in a safely digestible metals such as copper or magnesium and then hidden inside a regular tablet.

2:44The pill then dissolves in your stomach acid releasing a signal to an adhesive patch on your body which in turn communicates with an app on your smartphone relaying the information to your smartphone via Bluetooth and these ingestibles are full of sensors that can not only track your vitals for example things like your heart rate but can also tell you when for example you last took your medication or if you're low on a certain vitamin or whatever it might be. It can also help doctors work out how you might be responding to a particular treatment. And there's a lot of research underway here. There are also camera pills that work in a similar way and track the health of our stomach and digestive system via these tiny cameras, meaning possible early diagnosis of any problems or even tracking to see how treatment is going, such as potentially chemotherapy.

3:33So you can possibly see how there's a moral argument in favour of these.

3:38Dr Sophie Shotter:Yes, because I was thinking I don't like the idea. And then, yeah, you can see exactly how there's a moral argument. So do these metals just stay in the body? No, the body clears out the chip in the natural way by us pooping it out. Okay. All right. Deep breath. What else? So we also have embeddables and invisibles. And embeddables are these tiny chips inserted into our muscles or our skin or even in some cases our nerves and this is all about tracking. Invisibles on the other hand are stick-on techs such as a skin-coloured patch or a tattoo-like sensor and these are either absorbed into the body or peeled off and again they capture vital data through the skin.

4:19Dr Sophie Shotter:All right that does sound very very futuristic let's momentarily bring it back to the kind of stuff that's more readily available although I know you have some more futuristic stuff up your sleeve. I certainly would like to know what you found out about the earring. But first of all, what's the latest with smart ring? Should we talk about Aura? Because I know you wear one and I know you're a fan. Yes, it's definitely been a mainstay for me. And while I think my very first Aura was the original model, I have upgraded since then. And I do have the fourth generation, which is the latest version of Aura.

4:53And I think it's fair to say that Aura has dominated the smart ring space, probably for good reason. But having had the market to itself, we now have the Galaxy ring, the circular ring, Ultra Humans ring. Apple is also rumoured to be developing a device and all of these will have new tech and new releases. But I do think the Aura is still the best smart ring out there at the moment. And looking at recent reviews, that definitely seems to be the consensus. So we're currently on the Aura 4. A lot of people were saying that the new sensors embedded into the three made it a little too big. This has then changed with the four.

5:27It's not tiny, but it's much sleeker and very comfortable to wear at night. So the aura will track your activity in general, plus all four stages of sleep, your blood oxygen levels and your heart rate variability. So you get scores on all of these. You also get a stress rating and a resilience rating. And it also even has a pregnancy tracking option. It's totally waterproof. I've dived with mine on. It has some nice color choices. The charging is fast and they've also really improved the battery life. Having said that, you still need to charge it every few days, which depending on what you're comparing to might be more or less.

6:04I find it much easier to have a ring that I have to charge maybe every four days than an Apple Watch, which I need to charge every night. I would say that some people report that they have to remove it to grip onto certain gym equipment, which again then sort of defeats the point if you want to see your full out data. I found that issue a little bit when I was doing deadlifts but I found if I changed what finger I wore it on then I didn't have the problem anymore. So that worked for me. But in all I really would say people love this ring. It also has now got its own built-in AI coach which offers bespoke recommendations based on your personal data.

6:42I've not used that but I've heard good things about it. it isn't cheap they start from around 260 pounds per ring and that's kind of entry level you get full functionality but you might not get the most sophisticated design and then you also pay around six pounds for the monthly membership although I will say that the aura is coming down in price as more and more competitors enter the space for me it's a really good investment piece for general health tracking rather than for fitness tracking and of course the stats can always be shared with your GP as well so it's quite valuable in that regard.

7:16Dr Sophie Shotter:So many people have an aura. Okay smart earrings tell me everything. Okay so these are the Lumia earrings and they're smart earrings known as the world's smallest wearable. They're designed to track blood flow, sleep, temperature, cognitive readiness, I could go on. They're actually now on the second generation so the Lumia 2 is coming and I'll say from the off that these haven't yet landed in the UK but from their website I believe it might be later 2026 and the two really big plus points from the Lumia are that firstly this isn't wellness inspired fashion that's been designed by tech bros quite the opposite it started life in clinics it was actually initially developed alongside researchers at Johns Hopkins Duke and Harvard and was built to help patients with things like long COVID and chronic blood flow disorders like POTS the other real flexes these look like actual jewelry not wearables or so-called fitness jewelry so the earrings continuously track real-time blood flow to your head meaning they offer something that aura or apple watches can't measure which is insight into why your brain for example may feel foggy or why you feel tired or dizzy and this is all about tracking that blood flow arguably one of the most important metrics related to energy focus dizziness fatigue and cognitive sharpness and one that's been missing from mainstream wearables so far.

8:40So blood flow fluctuates constantly based on things like hydration and posture through to carbon intake, stress, exercise, caffeine, sleep, body temperature, the list goes on. I was reading a quote from the company that says everyone feels lightheaded or brain foggy or drained at times but most have no idea why because their heart rate is normal and their blood pressure is normal so everything looks objectively normal even if you feel bad and Lumia changes that. So this tech to me seems really interesting and again the design is great. They're tiny and they have different designs whether you want a stud or a hoop.

9:16They weigh less than a gram and they're five times smaller than AirPods. They're waterproof, non-allergenic and they've even thought about the charging so instead of removing the earrings you simply swap the battery pack. So lots of very clever engineering has gone into this one. and if you don't have pierced ears they also have a no pierced cuff option it's had millions of dollars of funding and investment so i would definitely say watch this one i am on the watch

9:41Dr Sophie Shotter:list for this it sounds so interesting so interesting okay and i've got your notes in front of me here so what's the hylo so the hylo is fabulous it's a blood pressure tracking device that claims to offer clinical grade accuracy but unlike the blood pressure cuffs that we're all used to at the GPs, it's really quite small and discreet. It's worn on the wrist and links to an app on your phone via Bluetooth and it takes readings up to 50 times a day. Very easy to set up, simple user experience, no bells and whistles and it's been designed that way to keep things simple and it really does just do what it says it'll do.

10:20I noticed that Emily Lavinia, the independence wellness editor, was quite impressed by its accuracy although she did also say not to ditch clinical GP monitoring and that this should be used as an add-on to help track trends which I would agree with although again you can share the data with your GP it's around 200 pounds so not cheap none of these devices are and be aware that you'll also need to pay the annual membership fee the other thing is that if you have another risk-based tracker then obviously you'll be wearing two possibly one on each wrist but all in all if blood pressure is an issue for you or even And if you're worried about your risk of high blood pressure, then I think it's a good option.

10:58Dr Sophie Shotter:Yeah, I think I might get one of those for my husband, actually. So this next one's intriguing, the molecular water vaporizer. Yes, and this is called the NanoV and it's very interesting. It's designed to prevent and repair cellular damage or cellular aging caused by oxidative stress. And it works by using water. So this device transforms water into vapor and then infuses it with electromagnetic waves. so you fill the device with distilled purified or reverse osmosis water you plug it in then the device turns the water into vapor and creates this electromagnetic energy you then breathe in the water vapor through your nose via a nasal cannula and you would do this for maybe 15 to 30 minutes a day and this is apparently where the magic happens there is data behind this and it's currently used by a lot of elite athletes and several biohackers like Dave Asprey the kind of things it can apparently help with are enhanced recovery, reduced oxidative stress, increased immunity and energy, better heart rate variability, and even improved brain function.

12:02Super interesting.

12:02Dr Sophie Shotter:So how much are we talking for that? This one's not just not cheap, but this is Benny. Prices start from around£5 ,000 up to around£10 ,000. Wow. So definitely an investment piece. exactly and not one in my personal arsenal at the moment no okay keep us looped in all right okay what's next we could talk about this self-hypnosis head device so this is called brain tap and this is a technology that and i quote pairs hypnosis with sound and light to help improve mood and sleep increase feelings of rejuvenation and confidence and enhance social interactions it's a little bit more low tech compared to the other things i've been talking about but it's an interesting example of how technology is mimicking wellness therapies.

12:48Whether or not that's a good thing you decide. So you wear the headset and the goggles and you listen to hypnotherapist recordings with added sound and light frequencies designed to attune the brain to a relaxed state which can help in the brain's rewiring process. The app has hundreds of pre-recorded hypnotherapy sessions to help retrain your brain with a new habit you want to create. it's interesting but personally I wouldn't want to see hypnotherapists go out of business for this

13:16Dr Sophie Shotter:no me neither all right and speaking of relaxation there are now quite a few of these devices designed to calm the nervous system yes and we've talked before about the sensate in case you don't know this is a pebble shaped cordless wearable that gives these low vibrations so you place it on your breastbone pair it with the app and select from various pieces of relaxing music and then the pebble pulses and vibrates on your breastbone in time to the music. It's all about calming the nervous system and tapping into the vagus nerve. Then there's the Apollo, which like the aura is currently on its upgraded next generation.

13:51This is a wrist worn wearable that again delivers soothing vibrations. So higher vibrations help improve energy and focus while lower vibrations reduce stress and help you relax. Like many of these, again, it has science behind it and there are lots of different types and styles and colors you can choose from and it's certainly really popular. A lot of people have heard me talk about the Neurosym. This is a medical device that clips onto the tragus of the ear and connects to a handheld device that controls these small electrical impulses to the ear. This then activates a peripheral branch of the vagus nerve.

14:26So just to remind listeners, this is a large nerve that runs throughout the whole body and helps control various bodily systems including the nervous system. So the idea is that vagal nerve stimulation can help to treat a range of medical and mental health conditions ranging from stress and depression to physical pain. There's certainly some evidence to indicate that the vagus nerve is involved in many of these things including things like ME, chronic fatigue and other things like irritable bowel and bladder symptoms. And the Neurosim does have some evidence to indicate it can help in the treatment of things like cluster headaches.

15:00So for example, it's been approved for use for this by the FDA in America, but it doesn't work for everyone. And a lot of the evidence at the moment is mostly anecdotal. Plus do bear in mind, it's around 600 pounds, a lot of money to spend if you're unsure as to whether it will work on you personally. I think one solution might be to see if people will share a device with you so you can try it out.

15:21Dr Sophie Shotter:And what's your experience been like with it? Would you rebuy it if you had the choice? Yeah, I've really enjoyed it and I think it's a great device. I really would say use it regularly, preferably towards the end of the day, maybe do two 30-minute sessions a day with it. And I really did notice an improvement, a measurable improvement in my heart rate variability, which for me, it was about improving that physiological stress. So yeah, I'm a fan. Okay. All right. Okay. Any other devices I guess on a similar track? There's also the Think device. This uses gentle electrical currents designed to alter mood, offer stress relief or even energy boosts.

16:04So it uses low energy waveforms to speak to your neural pathways, sending these safe electrical pulses to either cranial or peripheral nerves that can shift our state between either calm or energised. It's worn on the forehead or the neck with sticky pads and was developed by Harvard and Stanford alumni. I also have to say I really rate a device called the AlphaStim. Again, this is a small medical device. And I would say for me, when I compare this and the Neurosim, they're different technologies. The Neurosim I found amazing for physiological stress, but I think you have a more palpable sense of calm from the AlphaStim personally anyway.

16:43So this uses cranial electrotherapy stimulation through ear clip electrodes again but on the lobes of the ears and can be really useful for anxiety, insomnia, depression. It kind of feels like a light tingling around the clips and really noticeably makes me feel relaxed and even potentially a little bit sleepy. So I do definitely like that one.

17:09Dr Sophie Shotter:The Alphastin. Yep. We've also now got these smart glasses. So for example, Narbis glasses, which are a neurofeedback device. And these apparently help improve focus by tinting when your mind wanders and clearing when you concentrate. So offers real-time feedback for brain training. Reviews again suggest they do work, especially for people with brain fog and ADHD, but effectiveness varies by individual. Plus some people find the glasses uncomfortable and they don't like the messy conductive gel. And again, they're pricey, But there's no doubt that these have potential for improved focus without the use of medication.

17:44Dr Sophie Shotter:I also spotted Luminate on your list. And this is something that I read about about five years ago. And this is quite a wild concept, isn't it? But apparently it's got science and has had quite a lot of endorsement and investment. Yes, and this is super interesting. This is all about using our smartphone's torches with very precise flickering light to gently synchronize our brainwaves, guiding us into a deeply meditative and potentially semi-psychedelic state. To give some background, the concept of using flickering light to alter consciousness isn't new. It's said that the prophet Nostradamus received visions while staring at the sun.

18:25And in 1819, the Czech scientist Jan Pukinyi recorded visual phenomena as he waved a hand between a gaslight and his eyes. So all of this is sort of in the DNA of Luminate's inception. It was created by Bristol-based Tom Galea and Jay Conlon, who say they're on a mission to make subconscious exploration more accessible than ever before. The app had over 25 ,000 downloads within months of launching, including me, and even had celebrity endorsement from the likes of Jennifer Aniston and Rosamund Pike. In fact, Rosamund found it so impactful that she invested and became the app's creative director.

19:04In terms of how it works, as the light flashes, our brain apparently flashes in sync, sending a signal that something's changing and gradually that synchronization creates a state of elevated consciousness and Luminate says it replicates the chemical aspects of a drug-induced psychedelic experience, including increased functional connectivity in the brain and decreased activity in its default mode network. While all of this remains largely theoretical, Luminate does have a working relationship with a research team at Sussex University with very small scale studies and it's also had support from several members of the psychedelic research team at Imperial College who have given positive testimonials.

19:46Since then, so very recently, they've also launched a new technology called the Nova Mask. So you can still use the app in the original way with your smartphone torch but they now have this more immersive consciousness shifting light mask and this has four independently controlled high precision LEDs and the idea is that users can create these fully immersive light and sound sequences all of it connected through the app. So for example you can select a John Lennon track or perhaps a meditation rent by Rosamund Pike. On the website it states that 94 % of customers report better mental well-being.

20:25Definitely interesting, definitely quite a novel and unique approach.

20:29Dr Sophie Shotter:Okay, anything else before we wrap up? Well, there's also neurotechnology. Are you ready for this one? I really don't know, try me. Let's start by imagining you and Paul, your husband, are out house hunting and you end up having lunch discussing your budget. You're not sure if you can afford that house of your dreams and you start doing some sums in your head and as you do, the lightweight wearable that's around your head has already registered the neural activity involved in your mental arithmetic and then it emails you to confirm that the house is in your budget. This is neurotechnology. Oh that's weird.

21:07Crazy right? So this idea of a wearable interfacing with the brain itself it could be seen as science fiction but then that's what we once thought about emails and smartphones and AI and many think that neurotechnology is the next generation of wearables and a lot of research and development and millions if not billions of dollars are being invested to find the next big thing and neurotechnology does already exist mostly in medicine but sleep trackers are a form of it so this new shift might not feel as disruptive today as it would have done 10 years ago because wearing a device on our wrists or around our ears for

21:43Dr Sophie Shotter:example is already a really familiar sensation but this is certainly a step up much more sophisticated and I'd also argue invasive because within this we've also now got technologies like silent speech decoding which basically means that technology can hear our silences and anticipate the types of decisions we make and of course can then adapt to this so this does open up questions around privacy or how our experience of being in control of ourselves is potentially being altered I'm not going to say the tech is a bad thing for example people with motor neurone disease and other diseases that affect speech are already benefiting from communicating with their families and medical teams thanks to these technologies which are often described as mind reading but as one expert said what once seemed clinically extraordinary could soon become socially commonplace and is this a world we would really want to live in and before all of you tech heads answer that bear in mind that some companies are exploring how neurotechnology could track their employees productivity so yeah Oh my goodness, that is nuts.

22:49Dr Sophie Shotter:I'm definitely out. That's weird. Yeah, and I'm inclined to agree. But some of these companies argue that it could be a safety mechanism for people like long haul drivers and pilots, because then they can be monitored for signs of fatigue. But people say it can be useful to track students' attention during lessons. So while it might have its uses, I do still think there are several ethical considerations because the kinds of technologies that save lives inside hospital wards don't necessarily always work outside them. Agreed. So in short, big question, but where do you stand on wearables? So while I do use wearables, I am definitely in agreement with Boniface, our osteopath and body worker friend who guested with us actually quite early on in the days of the podcast.

23:34They can potentially make us hypervigilant and sometimes even anxious. However, I do like to track and I also think that the future of some of these devices is in disease detection so enabling an earlier diagnosis by monitoring signs of things like high blood pressure or diabetes so for me I am pro in the right people but if you are someone who doesn't sleep well then it might not be the best choice for you because it could drive more anxiety around your sleep so I think it's not for everyone and as always just watch this space yeah oh so interesting thank you so

24:09Dr Sophie Shotter:so much. Thank you, Fee. And that ends this week's podcast. If you want to find out more about me and my work, or maybe book a consultation, head to drsophyshotter.com. And you can find me on socials at drsophyshotter. And again, thank you so much for listening.