Bryan Johnson, a 46-year-old American entrepreneur, founded Kernel (a brain activity recording device company), OS Fund (a venture capital firm focused on science and technology), and Braintree (a payment platform acquired by PayPal for $800 million in 2013).
However, Johnson gained media notoriety in 2021 with his ambitious Blueprint Project — an anti-aging program that integrates longevity and rejuvenation protocols related to diet, exercise, sleep, and skin, dental, and hair care, which he tested on himself and shared publicly.
If you haven't yet seen the documentary Don't Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever on Netflix, I invite you to stay until the end of this article—even with some spoilers—so we can analyze Bryan Johnson's protocol in a sober manner.
The documentary centers on Johnson, a millionaire aiming to delay the process of biological aging. Unlike chronological aging, which measures the passage of time since birth, biological aging refers to the negative physiological changes that occur in an individual over time.
To delay his aging, Johnson follows a protocol that includes interventions ranging from simple and safe habits—such as exercising for an hour a day—to unconventional and potentially risky treatments.
The documentary subtly suggests that Johnson conducts these experiments to advance longevity science and guide future research driven by altruism. However, the production downplays that Blueprint also functions as an "online store," selling numerous costly products that its creator—and poster child—considers healthy despite lacking solid scientific evidence.
While nothing inherently wrong with profiting from one’s work, the real issue lies in using a science-like discourse to promote the consumption of substances “deemed” essential for a long and healthy life.
For example, for a measly $185, you receive a kit containing seven supplement capsules and a "longevity drink"—essentially, a shake with amino acids, vitamins, creatine, and minerals— which promises vague and unsubstantiated enhancement muscle performance, support joint health, and strengthen immunity.
This strategy is what RQC [1] editor Carlos Orsi calls a "commercial-documentary" or infomercial - a poorly disguised advertisement for a commercial product.
However, Johnson's lifestyle has genuinely interesting aspects that I believe are worthwhile to examine.
The Blueprint Protocol
The proposed protocol is built on six pillars, each with some evidence-based links to health:
- Avoid smoking
- Exercise for six hours a week
- Follow a healthy diet
- Maintain a BMI between 18.5 and 22.9
- Consume alcohol in moderation or not at all
- Ensure high-quality sleep—preferably at the same time every night.
Additionally, Johnson advocates eliminating harmful habits, such as excessive social media use—something that I find reasonable.
However, alongside this simple formula, Johnson incorporates additional activities and behaviors, including obsessive consumption of dietary supplements (vitamins, minerals, hormones) with weak or nonexistent links to health and longevity.
For example, he begins his day taking two iron tablets and Vitamin C. Then he applies a personalized hair serum based on his genetic testing (Available for purchase on his website at a 10% discount). He takes 54 pills, including vitamins, substances with little scientific backing, such as glucosamine, and even medications, e.g., metformin, used in treating diabetes and considered a “wonder drug” for its putative anti-aging effects. All is washed down with a drink called "The Green Giant," a mix of Chlorella powder, amino acids, creatine, collagen peptides, and cocoa flavonoids.
At the end of Johnson’s day, at 7:30 pm, he begins his nighttime routine. This includes a 10-minute walk, moments of socializing with friends, applying specific facial care products, and the consumption of 300 mcg of melatonin, the scientifically questionable sleep aid.
After following this routine for over two years, Johnson claims to have reversed his biological age by 5.1 years and achieved "perfect" levels (whatever he means by that) for 50 biomarkers. He asserts that he has slowed his aging rate to 0.69, meaning his body ages only eight months for every 12 months that pass
While these results are intriguing, it is essential to emphasize that, despite Johnson and his team presenting the project with a serious, science-backed appearance—as if it were a "live" research study—it is, in reality, anecdotal evidence or, at best, a case study.
Case studies help identify observations that require more formal scientific evaluation; they represent the lowest level of scientific evidence. Consequently, there is no way to guarantee that Bryan's “positive results” are truly the result of the numerous interventions he implemented—or, if they are, which specific ones were responsible.
As reported in 2024, Johnson spends $2 million annually on his routine. Even if the protocol were effective, most people simply lack the resources or time to replicate this lifestyle.
Discontinued Interventions
Some of the protocol’s strategies have proven ineffective or potentially dangerous.
For example, in one scene, Johnson, his son Talmage, and his father undergo plasma transfusions: Johnson donates a liter of plasma to his father while his son does the same for him. Johnson likely based this on “Preclinical Assessment of Young Blood Plasma for Alzheimer's Disease”, which tested whether young plasma could reverse cognitive decline in mice.
Researchers used heterochronic parabiosis—surgically linking young and old circulatory systems—to analyze factors that accelerate aging or promote rejuvenation. After five weeks, older mice receiving young plasma showed improved memory and learning. However, the findings in mice may not directly translate to humans. Plasma therapy remains experimental, with ongoing trials assessing its effects on neurodegenerative diseases, yet its long-term safety is still unknown.
Johnson himself made conflicting claims about the therapy. He initially stated that his father’s aging slowed after receiving his plasma but later admitted it was unclear whether this was due to Johnson’s "super plasma" or simply the removal of his father’s “old” plasma. Ultimately, after six plasma exchanges with his son, he saw no benefits and abandoned the intervention.
Bryan Johnson also discontinued the use of growth hormone (GH) use. After a 100-day trial, he reported stopping due to side effects such as increased intracranial pressure, headaches, and elevated blood glucose.
His goal was to regenerate the thymus—a gland crucial for immune function that shrinks with age— based on the Thymus Regeneration, Immunorestoration, and Insulin Mitigation Study (TRIIM), conducted between 2015 and 2017 that tested recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) in ten men aged 51–65. To counteract GH’s increase in insulin production (hyperinsulinemia), it was combined with DHEA, a hormone that produces sex hormones, metformin, vitamin D3, and zinc. The study reported:
- There are a few mild side effects, such as joint pain and anxiety.
- Thymus regeneration, as observed through magnetic resonance imaging.
- An average reduction of 2.5 years in biological age after 12 months of treatment, based on epigenetic analyses.
The study was limited by its small sample size and the restriction to men aged 51 to 65 limited its generalizability. Four of the ten authors have financial ties to Intervene Immune Inc., a company focused on reversing thymic involution, while two are executives involved in a related patent application. While this presents a potential conflict of interest, it does not inherently invalidate the findings.
Johnson also abandoned rapamycin, an immunosuppressant used for transplants and cancer treatment and one of the leading candidates in longevity research. Interest in the drug grew when scientists discovered it blocked the TOR protein in yeast and its mammalian counterpart, mTOR, a key regulator of cellular growth and metabolism.
Longevity studies in invertebrates prompted the National Institute on Aging to test rapamycin in mice through the peer-reviewed Interventions Testing Program. Conducted across three labs, the research found that rapamycin, administered at 600 days of age, extended lifespan by up to 48% in females and 52% in males. Although there were variations in the diet at some centers, at Jackson Laboratory, where the diet was uniform, benefits were observed without weight loss—unlike calorie restriction, which reduces weight and offers limited benefits when started late.
Although 14 studies confirm rapamycin’s life-extending effects in mice, its application in humans remains uncertain. Transplant patients on rapamycin face an increased risk of diabetes, underscoring the need for further research. Three months before the release of his documentary—in which he appears taking 13 pills of the drug—he announced the end of an experiment that had lasted nearly five years, citing side effects such as lipid changes and elevated blood sugar levels.
Longevity Strategies
In June 2023, a review published in the Annual Review of Biomedical Engineering provided an overview of the current state of aging research, examining specific interventions under investigation and the models used to assess their effectiveness.
Anti-aging therapies are generally divided into three main categories:
- Gero protection – Preventing damage over time.
- Rejuvenation – Restoring youthful characteristics.
- Regeneration – Replacing tissues after injury.
Among Gero protective strategies, physical exercise, and dietary modifications stand out. One of the most studied interventions is calorie restriction (CR), which has been shown across various organisms to induce metabolic changes linked to increased lifespan.
Similarly, growing evidence, particularly in rodents, suggests that intermittent fasting triggers metabolic shifts similar to those seen in CR, potentially aiding in disease prevention and cellular health. However, these studies are typically short-term and rely on metabolic biomarkers rather than direct evidence of increased longevity. Additionally, many involve overweight individuals, raising the question of whether the observed benefits stem from weight loss and disease mitigation rather than aging itself.
Another gero protective strategy involves senolytics, drugs designed to selectively eliminate senescent cells, potentially preventing age-related conditions. However, data on their effectiveness remains limited.
When it comes to rejuvenation strategies, one promising approach is cell reprogramming, which uses induced pluripotent stem cells to reverse age-related characteristics. In mice, partial reprogramming has been shown to delay aging, extend the median lifespan (from 18 to 24 months), and reduce age-related traits.
Another approach involves modulating the stem cell environment, as demonstrated in animal studies using parabiosis and plasma exchange with albumin-rich saline.
Johnson’s Blueprint Protocol is the perfect cocktail of tech-bro optimism, selective science, and good old-fashioned marketing. Some of his habits—exercise, good sleep, not mainlining Doritos—are undeniably solid health advice. But it's fair to be skeptical when a self-experimenting multimillionaire sells you longevity supplements with about as much scientific backing as your horoscope. With continued advancements and more robust research, we may one day develop therapies that extend lifespan and reverse key aspects of aging-related diseases. The most effective (and affordable) strategies for a long, healthy life remain stubbornly simple: move your body, eat reasonably well, don’t smoke, and get some sleep. No $185 “longevity drink” required.
[1] RQC is a digital publication of the Instituto Questão de Ciência (IQC), as part of its mission to identify and correct the falsification and distortion of scientific knowledge in the public arena, promote scientific education, and support the use of evidence in public policy-making.
