More than 30 doctors, scientists, physiotherapists and nutritionists are at his side every day to optimize every little adjustment of his body. We are talking about the American entrepreneur Bryan Johnson, who has dedicated himself to eternal life with his rejuvenation program “Blueprint”.
He wakes up at 5 every morning.12:00 a.m., works out up to three times a day, eats a strict vegan diet that contains approximately 76% of his daily calories, and takes over 100 supplements per day to slow his aging.
At Bryan Johnson Blueprint, everything is questioned and tested. Be it nutrition, sleep, blood values or fitness, everything is measured and compared with the latest research. Using the vast amounts of data, the researchers create a detailed plan - initially “only” aimed at Bryan Johnson. So he is the guinea pig in his own project. He describes himself as a “Professional Rejuvenation Athlete” and “the most studied person in the world”.
The remarkable thing about all his work is his openness. He shares all of his routines, fitness exercises, and supplement protocols for everyone to access on his website.
Attention, risk of confusion! Brian Johnson (with i instead of y) sounds very similar, but two people could hardly be more different. Brian (with an i), known online as “Liver King,” eats raw offal and injects himself with steroids, while Bryan (with a y) follows a vegan diet.
October 2021 – the start of a new way of thinking
Bryan Johnson wasn't always as health-conscious as he is now, however. As an initially hapless entrepreneur, he made his breakthrough with companies like Braintree and Venmo. The sale of the two companies to Ebay and Paypal catapulted the tech CEO into the circle of the richest people in the world. As of 2023, his net worth is estimated to be around $400 million.
However, entrepreneurial success had its price. Due to the enormous stress levels, Johnson slipped into depression, neglected his own body and became increasingly overweight.
The beginning of Bryan Johnson Blueprint
All that changed radically on the 13th. October 2021, when he announced his Blueprint project. The goal: to achieve maximum rejuvenation, based on the latest scientific findings. Opinions do not count in this project, only facts count. Today, Johnson employs a total of around 30 people and the project costs a lot. According to his own statements, the now 45-year-old spends over two million dollars a year on the Longevity Project.
Bryan Johnson Blueprint – evidence-based, rigorous, transparent
To increase his credibility, Bryan Johnson publishes all of his test and laboratory results without exception. This not only increases transparency, it also makes it possible to verify the results of his methods more precisely. This practically makes Bryan Johnson a “transparent person.”
Weight, body fat, muscle mass, oxygen saturation, sleep, temperature, blood sugar and air quality are measured regularly. But that's far from everything. While some people don't like going to the doctor at all, Bryan Johnson undergoes full-body ultrasounds and MRIs almost weekly to also check for structural changes (e.g.b: cancer) in his body can be recognized immediately.
Bryan Johnson is known for his iron discipline in various areas. He improved his sleep with several tricks. There is no natural light in his bedroom and he always tries to go to bed at the same time. In addition, there is no “screen time” for 2 hours before bed and he wears special lenses that are blue Light block.
Sleep is actually an underestimated means of promoting health and longevity . Numerous regeneration processes are stimulated during sleep. Depending on the sleep phase, different parts of the body are regenerated.
A look into the supplement jungle
The central part of his eternal efforts are nutritional supplements and selected medications. According to his own statements, he takes the unbelievable amount of 111 supplements daily . The number varies slightly because everything is always optimized according to needs.
All of these nutritional supplements have one purpose: they are intended to help Bryan Johnson reduce his biological age. Bryan Johnson started 2021 with one goal. He wanted to break the world record in “biological rejuvenation”. And according to his own statements, he succeeded impressively. He has the heart of a 37-year-old, the skin of a 28-year-old and a Lung capacity that is otherwise only found in 18 year olds .
Together with a special spermidine-rich greens drink, he swallows the 54 capsules and pills that are on the breakfast plan. The spectrum ranges from plant extracts (ginger, turmeric, garlic), to well-known longevity supplements ( Calcium alphaketoglutarate, Glucosamine, Vitamin D3/K2, Omega-3 fatty acids), up to medications (lithium, metformin).
Lunch is then scheduled every day at 11:00 a.m. For example, on the menu is “Super Veggie” – a creation made from black lentils and various vegetables. Spices. Alternatively, Johnson also mentions “Nutty Pudding”. As the name suggests, it is a type of nut pudding with a berry variation. Of course, the main meal, like breakfast, is accompanied by a lot of supplements. The tech entrepreneur takes the second dose of some molecules at lunchtime - new additions include hyaluronic acid.
Bryan Johnson Blueprint Diet – every single calorie is counted!
In addition to the supplements, all of which are tailored to his personal needs, Bryan eats a very specific diet in which each individual ingredient fulfills a “biochemical” purpose. With Super Veggie and Nutty Pudding, the nutrient composition is not left to chance - quite the opposite.
The basic principles that Johnson follows in his diet are called caloric restriction and intermittent fasting. He only eats approx. 76% of calories, measured from his daily basal metabolic rate, to slow his aging. This value corresponds exactly to 1977 calories. He eats these calories in a 6-8 hour window. Consequently, he fasts for 16-18 hours every day.
The number of calories results from the green breakfast drink, Super Veggie, Nutty Pudding and a third meal of the day, which is comparatively variable - depending on which nutrients he currently needs.
In the Japanese region of Okinawa (one of the five Blue Zones), people practice a similar diet and As a result, they live significantly longer on average. Researchers have now been able to find out some of the aspects behind fasting and why it can be beneficial for your health. The American Valter Longo invented his own fake fasting diet and the British singer Adele was able to lose weight with the Sirtfood diet .
Fasting and diet, for example, affect the Hallmarks of Aging . The Hallmarks of Aging are 12 different “markers” for health in old age. To do this, scientists Carlos López-Otin and Guido Kroemer evaluated more than 200 different studies. If you want to know more about it, you can read the detailed reports about the 12 different “markers” in our magazine.
Back to Bryan. In addition to caloric restriction, the recipes are about providing Bryan's body with enough protein. He eats a large amount of lentils and pea protein every day. It is also important that his blood sugar does not fluctuate too much. To do this, Bryan tracks his blood sugar with a continuous glucose sensor. The aim is to prevent type 2 diabetes mellitus and its precursor, insulin resistance.
Gadgets
To complement his diet and measurement routine, Johnson undergoes a slew of rejuvenation treatments. Every day he “bathes” in red light to activate his mitochondria and promote recovery after intensive training sessions. A laser cap, which looks like a helmet on the outside, should work in conjunction with a specially formulated tincture stimulate hair growth and give color back to individual gray hairs.
Bryan Johnson's team also pays a lot of attention to his skin. A specially tailored phototherapy, microbotox, microneedling and much more are intended to make the skin youthful again. You sleep on a special mattress that regulates the temperature and prevents nighttime stress caused by temperature fluctuations.
Bryan Johnson's community “Don't die”
Bryan Johnson is now a well-known personality not only in the longevity scene. His radical lifestyle and provocative videos/posts on social media have made the American an internet phenomenon.
He has long been selling his own olive oil and his famous “Nutty Pudding” at proud prices. On Instagram you can see him with some world-famous stars, such as DJ Steve Aoiki, Andrew Huberman or the Kardashians. He invited the latter to his “Don’t die” dinner.
Under this saying (in German: “Don’t die”) he unites a community of like-minded people. On his website he describes the beliefs of this community. It almost seems like a religion with Bryan Johnson as the savior at the center.
Did you know?
Bryan Jonson comes from a Mormon community in Utah. After graduating from school, he spent two years as a Mormon missionary in Ecuador. Until his 34th. He was a member of the church called the “Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints” when he was a year old. At the same time as he left the church, he divorced his then-wife and sold his company for $800 million.
Cerebrolysin – better than coffee?
On Bryan Johnson's Instagram you can find a video of the tech millionaire sticking a more than 3 centimeter long syringe into his butt and injecting himself with a cloudy liquid. The molecule in this syringe is Cerebrolysin. In that same video, the American raves that this molecule is better than coffee and that he feels clearer than ever.
Cerebrolysin is a neuroprotective drug composed of hydrolyzed porcine brain proteins. It contains a mixture of peptides and amino acids that have potential neurotrophic and neuroprotective effects. The drug has been studied to treat neurological diseases such as stroke, Alzheimer's disease and traumatic brain injury. The researchers suspect various pathways through which cerebrolysin can work, including protection against apoptosis, improved metabolism in the brain and also increased neurotransmission, i.e. improved communication between the nerve cells.
What is behind the claim?
Should we all give ourselves an injection of Cerebrolysin instead of coffee? Not too quickly. The Cochrane Collaboration , a global network of scientists and physicians that summarizes systematic reviews evaluating medical therapies, has compiled the evidence a closer look at cerebrolysin. It was about a specific question: Does the use of Cerebrolysin after a stroke have an advantage over standard therapy? The clear answer here was that Cerebrolysin offers no advantage. However, Bryan Johnson refers to other animal studies and experimental approaches. Ultimately, everyone has to decide for themselves whether it pays off.
Did you know?
In some pictures on Instagram, Bryan Johnson can be seen with painted fingernails. According to his own statement, this is his protest against the Mormon Church, of which he is a member until March 34. year of life was. There, any form of beautification of the body was considered a blasphemous sin. Painting his fingernails is part of his “religious liberation.”
Bryan Johnson and Blueprint – all the power of AI
If you're wondering how Bryan Johnson decides what he'll try next to prolong his life, you might be surprised to know that, when in doubt, he doesn't decide for himself. Rather, the tech millionaire believes that AI is superior to humans. Rather, he sees himself as a test subject for artificial intelligence in order to get the best possible out of his cells. However, he is no longer alone. Some time ago, Bryan Johnson jokingly created a profile of his dream woman. These included some absurd regulations (every day at 8 p.m.30 go to bed, sex only with an appointment). Bryan Johnson doesn't have a new girlfriend (as of June 2024), but pictures of a female with Bryan Johnson keep popping up. The woman behind Blueprint is Kate Tolo, 27 years old and responsible for Blueprint's marketing. She is also the first woman to take part in the Blueprint project and for this reason she is jokingly called Blueprint Project XX .
Hormone therapy – not without controversy
Besides his nutritional supplements, strict diet, exercise plan and all his gadgets, there are other ways Bryan Johnson uses to stop aging. Some of them are not without controversy.
This is how the American substitutes testosterone. Potential benefits of this therapy include improving sexual function, increasing muscle mass and bone density, improving mood and well-being, and increasing cognitive performance. According to his website, his testosterone level is more than 700 (although there is no information about the unit).
A blind increase in male sex hormones is not without risks. A possible increased rate of heart attacks, strokes and red blood cells should be mentioned. Bryan Johnson also takes 17-alpha-estradiol because it has prolonged life in mouse studies.
Did you know?
Bryan Johnson wears a so-called Adam Sensor every night, with which he can measure the duration of his nightly erections. According to his own statements, he was able to increase the duration to an average of 2 hours and 12 minutes per night using shock wave therapy. His goal is more than 3 hours a night.
Gene therapy: Another step for Bryan Johnson
For one of his most daring attempts, the American flew to Roatan, Honduras to undergo Follistatin gene therapy to undergo. According to our own statements, this method is in 7th place among life-prolonging measures. But what is it about??
Follistatin is a protein that occurs naturally in the body and plays a role in the regulation of muscle growth by inhibiting myostatin. Myostatin, in turn, is a protein that slows down muscle growth. Gene therapy with follistatin aims to increase the expression of this protein to increase muscle mass and potentially slow aging.
Follistatin gene therapy involves introducing the follistatin gene into the patient's cells using a viral vector. This vector transports the gene into cells, where it begins to produce the follistatin protein. Increased production of follistatin inhibits myostatin, which may result in increased muscle mass and potentially improved overall physical function.
Follistatin – not without risk
The therapy with Follistatin is a very experimental one that is not approved in either Europe or the USA. As with any gene therapy, there are potential risks and side effects with follistatin gene therapy:
- Immune reaction: The body could react to the viral vector that carries the gene with an immune reaction, which could lead to inflammation and other immunological problems.
- Uncontrolled muscle growth: Excessive inhibition of myostatin could lead to uncontrolled muscle growth, which could lead to further health complications.
- Tumor formation: There is a theoretical risk that the introduction of foreign genes could promote the growth of tumors.
- Accuracy of gene integration: If the follistatin gene is integrated into undesirable locations in the genome, this could lead to genetic mutations and undesirable effects.
Bryan Johnson (and his father) still decided to undergo therapy and he proudly presents his results on Instagram:
- His aging rate has dropped to 0.64
- His muscle mass grew by 7%
- And his blood follistatin levels were 160% higher after gene therapy
Results
Cracked days, strict vegan diet, over a hundred supplements daily, numerous anti-aging treatments, expenses in the millions - Is it all worth it? In any case, Bryan Johnson would probably say. Let's let the numbers do the talking:
According to his website, all blood markers are in the absolute ideal range - regardless of whether liver values, blood sugar, kidney parameters or blood lipids. Initially he was able to reduce his biological age by eight years (from 44 to 36). The density of wrinkles on his skin corresponds to that of a 10-year-old, while his physical performance (measured using VO2max ) corresponds to the capacity of 18 year olds . The body fat percentage is comparable to 16 year olds and its current aging rate ( measured with Dunedin PACE) is just 0.69. More clearly, this means that it only “ages” 277 days per year (365 days). As a reminder: The American is currently 45 years old.
We would then no longer be able to see whether all his efforts actually lead to eternal life. Or maybe it does?
