Longevity Science: The World According to Bryan Johnson

An age-defying quest...

‘Anti-aging’ used to be a concept reserved for skincare treatments and cosmetic procedures. The anti-aging industry has always been rich in solutions to defeat aging… from the outside. From the use of radioactive active ingredients in the early 1900s to the discovery of retinoids in the 1970s- the pursuit of the proverbial “fountain of youth” is long and continues today.[1] Now, we’re understanding more and more that the science of anti-aging, the root of the matter- really lies within. Cellular senescence, telomere length, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial dysfunction- aren’t just fancy-sounding terms. We now understand these biological processes are indicators of age- inside and out. But what if science is finding a way to slow and even reverse these once inevitable markers of aging?

Meet anti-aging frontman Bryan Johnson. What started as unyielding self-experimentation has grown into an empire he calls simply “DONT DIE”. Netflix just made a documentary about him with the same name. By overhauling his entire life- obsessively measuring biometrics of his own body, and making correlating changes- he’s successfully achieved younger status. At least that’s what the numbers say. This is evidenced through near perfect “biomarkers”. He is now 5.1 years younger than his numeric age, biologically speaking. And he’s on a mission to help me, you and all of mankind, really - so we too can conquer the clock. His approach is controversial and divisive. People seem to love or hate the guy. But we can’t deny that he may just be onto something. The science is showing that a lot of chronic disease, premature aging, and well aging in general can be dialed back. 

"This guy's somewhere between off and... very interesting." - Ashlee Vance- Journalist/Author

Bryan’s Guide

Bryan’s anti-aging protocol is guided by “Longevity Consultant” Dr. Oliver Zolman. Zolman specializes in longevity science- down to the organ level. He believes it is at that deepest level, that we can truly measure (and reverse) biological age. His goal? To make 80 the new 60 by 2030, in all 81 organ types. He’s developed a Longevity Framework consisting of 3 levels of interventions, learn more about his groundbreaking work on his website here.

Bryan’s Manner of Living

Of all the extreme interventions and extravagant machinery, Bryan’s lifestyle may be the most awe-inspiring. This shows up in his unrelenting self-discipline. He has his sleep down to the minute. His bedtime routine has no room for fluff. His food regimen, zero room for indulgence. His workouts, perfectly optimized. This sort iron-fisted, sticking to the rules is not for the faint of heart. He’s doing it for science but if it weren’t his newfound career and he didn’t have a devoted (and growing) following; some might consider it unhealthy. Certainly unrealistic for most- both in financial and personal cost. But we can take pointers. We can be inspired by his sheer devotion to the cause. For him, there is no room for error. He’s got the whole world watching, waiting to see what death-defying discoveries he makes next.

Hitting the Hay

Bryan goes to bed at 8:30 pm. He declares sleep as priority numero uno. All else is under this “good sleep” umbrella. He views sleep as a job; one where you’re on time, consistent, and always aiming for peak performance. He’s up at 5:00 am and touts a 100% sleep score.

USER FRIENDLY TIPS:

• Be consistent with your bedtime

• Aim for 7-9 hours

• Avoid caffeine 10 hours before bedtime

• Avoid tech in the bedroom or in your bedtime routine

SELF-MEASURING: Option to invest in a tracking device that will help keep metrics on your sleep score, sleep quality, and HRV (heart-rate variability- which is in indicator of health resilience). A few options are the Oura ring and the Whoop band.


Food is Medicine

According to Bryan’s website, he’s vegan by choice. But  an exhaustive list of things he doesn’t consume? 

“Sugar, junk food, fried food, highly processed food, gums, high-fructose corn syrup, aspartame, sucralose, dairy, pasta, bread, hydrogenated oils, canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil, trans fats or alcohol.”

He also practices “calorie restriction” and Intermittent Fasting having his last meal at… 11 am any given day! This is EXTREME to say the least. He created the ideal diet and created his signature Blueprint Protocol which sells many of his tried and true (and highly purity-tested) products on his website.

Caloric Restriction CR & IF- Intermittent Fasting- Evidence is mounting that these approaches can help improve markers of aging. Intermittent Fasting is typically periods of 12 hrs or more without calorie intake. 

USER FRIENDLY TIPS:

• Try to have your last meal at least two hours before bedtime. Experiment with three hours before bed and see if it makes a difference in sleep quality.

• Picking just a few things from his "NO" list to omit from your diet is a great starting point.
  

Take Your Vitamins- Supplementation

Bryan has a youtube video called, “I take 100+ supplements a day.” So there’s an idea of how much supplementation he utilizes. He has said he is aware the jury is divided on the efficacy of supplements. However, he tests the results, measures the difference they make, and concludes the results speak for themselves. So here he says he “follows the data.”

Bryan takes creatine and collagen, electrolytes, multivitamins, NAC, NAD and other antioxidants. As well as more exotic sounding Ubiquinol, Fisetin, Luteolin. He pretty much takes it all- across the board with vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that might be absent from our daily diet or deficient in production by our own bodies.

Fortunately, when it comes to supplementation, there are many that fall into the category of "healthy aging".

USER-FRIENDLY TIPS: It might be helpful to consult with a Naturopath to identify nutrient deficiencies to know where best to begin. Most of us can benefit from supplementing common deficiencies like Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Omega 3's, and Magnesium. We love Cymbiotika- a high-quality line that leads the way in innovative supplementation. We carry much from their "Healthy-Aging" section including the following:

Exercise- Move Your Body

Bryan recommends 6 hours of exercise a week. This includes:

• 3 days of strength training

• 3 days of cardio

• Include flexibility, balance, and mobility

USER-FRIENDLY TIP: In the infamous Blue Zones that are known for living well- longer, they don’t utilize structured exercise. Instead, they encourage “moving naturally”. This includes movement every 20 minutes or so, and doing everyday activities like housework, gardening, and walking to destinations. [2]

Biohacking Modalities

There doesn't seem to be a limit to Bryan's experimentation. With essentially unlimited access to the science available, he gets to try some of the latest longevity technology to hit the market. These include things like Red Light Therapy, HBOT (Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy), HRV Therapy, and even gene therapy!

Bryan has two towers of red light panels for full-body benefits. Red Light Therapy has a range of health benefits including promoting wound healing, tissue repair, and skin rejuvenation.[3] He also utilizes a red light ball cap for targeted support of hair and scalp rejuvenation. We sell Higherdose which offers a few targeted approaches.

Conclusion: The Inevitable End

The irony of Bryan’s pursuits, is in his “Dont Die” mentality, he has created a die-hard ethos. An all-or-nothing rule set, with zero forgiveness for being… well, human. Just how effective his extreme regimen, treatments, and self-experimentation to be the perfect human specimen- has yet to be determined. In the long run- can he really defeat aging (and death) by doing everything just right? How much of our timeline is really in our control is an existential quandary (and perhaps for an entirely different blog). But if we simmer down Bryan’s un-dying devotion to the cause to tenets of “living well while you can”, this becomes a more digestible methodology. If we can feel better, longer as we age- with less pain and better cognition- that is the ultimate life hack.