Quote · Huberman Lab
Accelerate Learning & Increase Cognitive Capacity | Dr. Tommy Wood
Where this was said
Enhancing Brain Health, Nutrition & Supplements
At 1:25:45 · chapter starts 1:24:59
The conversation turns philosophical: we've established what you shouldn't be deficient in, but what about the frontier of optimization — could pushing an already-adequate omega-3 index from 7 to 12 produce additional benefits? Wood's honest answer is that the evidence isn't there yet, but the COSMOS trial offers a relevant data point: giving thousands of older adults the most basic multivitamin (Centrum Silver at 100% RDA) produced measurable cognitive improvements, suggesting that covering deficiencies is powerful enough that mega-dosing may not add much above that floor. The cocoa flavanol arm of COSMOS also only helped those with poor baseline diets — a consistent theme. Wood articulates two distinct goals: raising the floor for the population (ensure everyone gets critical nutrients) vs. optimizing above that floor for individuals (where personalized testing and self-experimentation become more relevant). Huberman reflects on the unhelpful 'expensive urine' dismissal of supplements as conflating very different supplementation categories.
Older adults who did the Norwegian 4x4 HIIT protocol 3 times a week for 6 months showed superior hippocampal improvements over zone 2 exercisers, and maintained those benefits 5 years later.
