The 2-ingredient drink reduces stress and hair loss

Biohacker Dave Asprey says he has the secret to fighting hair loss – and one of the most important steps is reducing stress.

“You have to control your stress levels, because cortisol makes your hair thin,” the Bulletproof founder told the Mindbodygreen podcast.

This may be easier said than done. But while we can’t eliminate all external stressors in our lives, he insists that a two-ingredient drink in the morning can make a noticeable difference.

Asprey, 51, said his wife saw results with his protocol, stating that she “tripled the amount of hair she had at the end of perimenopause.”

Plenty of biotin is a must, and he also recommends red light therapy and taking adaptogenic herbs like ginseng, licorice root, and ashwagandha in the morning.

But one of his favorite “supplements” isn’t a supplement at all.

“When you wake up in the morning, you probably want to take a pinch of Himalayan sea salt, put it in water and drink it,” he said.

“And the reason for that is a hormone called aldosterone, and it’s one of your stress hormones… in the morning, you have to have more blood pressure so you don’t lose the lean when you get out of bed.”

Aldosterone is involved in the regulation of blood pressure. It also regulates blood levels of sodium and potassium, important electrolytes that regulate nerve and muscle function.

“Consuming a little salt in the morning reduces stress throughout the day. You actually feel better all day from it,” he added.

The mix, sometimes referred to as “single water,” has gone viral. However, research to support Asprey is limited.

Mindbodygreen points to a study that found salt can lower cortisol levels, while other studies have suggested it can help with hydration, sleep and weight loss.

But some other studies show the downsides of too much sodium intake, and many experts warn against it.

“Most Americans get a lot of sodium in their diets, often more than is needed, so adding more salt to drinking water is likely to increase that amount even higher throughout the day,” said Jen Bruning, a registered dietitian, for Verywell Health. .

“You can also save that salt to sprinkle on your eggs in the morning instead of adding it to your drinking water,” she added.

“You have to consume very high amounts of water alone to get any significant amount of minerals other than sodium,” said registered dietitian Gillian Culbertson at the Cleveland Clinic. “And at that point, the sodium content would be much higher than a healthy intake.”

She argued that there is already so much salt in our food that adding more water to water is “counterproductive”.

“We recommend that the general population consume less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day, or 1,500 mg for anyone following a low-sodium diet, which can be quite difficult to achieve without intentionally adding salt to water as part of your diet.”

Saltwater has also been consumed as an anti-constipation remedy – meaning that drinking it when you’re not constipated can lead to some unpleasant side effects in the bath.