Bryan Johnson, 45 years old and tech entrepreneur from Pittsburgh, spends $2 Million each year on innovative longevity treatments that include taking over 100 pills daily and wearing a cap with red light that projects into his brain.
He tracks his body with MRIs, ultrasounds and more invasive blood and stool samples; eating an extremely restricted diet while exercising vigorously.
Biological age
Biological age is a measure of cell and tissue health and functional status. It’s determined by DNA methylation levels – a marker of gene expression and cellular stress. Biological age can be used to predict morbidity and mortality risk as well as lifestyle factors like smoking or drinking alcohol, while living in unsafe neighborhoods can make people less likely to exercise and consume healthy foods due to chronic stressors like environmental pollution.
Tech entrepreneurs are notorious for their audacity, but one 45-year-old biotech CEO is taking his actions one step further in an attempt to reverse aging. Spending $2 million each year on alternative longevity treatments he follows an exhaustive regimen daily that involves body fat scans, routine MRIs, blood and stool samples as well as daily body fat scanning. His efforts have attracted the interest of longevity experts but some remain dubious as to its efficacy.
Doctors report that Johnson has the heart and skin of someone 37 years old, the lung capacity and fitness level of an 18 year old and has achieved low body fat percentage while keeping a healthy weight. Furthermore, Johnson continues to strive to better his health, regularly reviewing his protocol.
Although this approach may seem extreme, it does have its benefits. Researchers have identified promising molecular markers which could serve as biological age fingerprints to help identify individuals who may have reduced resilience to stress-related health challenges as well as use as tools to evaluate anti-aging interventions more accurately.
However, these tests are not clinically validated and should not be used to screen for, diagnose, treat or cure any diseases. The authors hope that their work will stimulate further studies to better understand how biological aging is affected by environmental and genetic factors and can be restored.
Though this study does not provide a comprehensive analysis of age-reversing interventions, it shows that significant biological aging reduction can be accomplished through modification of cell signaling and targeting mitochondrial function. This discovery marks an important milestone in the quest for youth.
NMN or NR?
NMN (nicotinamide mononucleotide) and NR (nicotinamide riboside) are precursors of NAD+, an essential coenzyme used to maintain energy metabolism and protect DNA damage. Although our levels naturally diminish with age, supplementation may help counteract this decline.
While NR has been widely studied and is generally well-tolerated in clinical trials, new research indicates that NMN may be even more efficient as an NAD+ precursor. While prior to now it was thought that exogenous NMN must first be converted to NR before reaching cells, recent research indicates that our bodies can take up NMN directly as it enters cells — this breakthrough represents a huge advancement in NAD+ science that could increase its effectiveness as an anti-ageing supplement.
Researchers discovered that cellular uptake of NMN is assisted by a transporter which recognizes its methyl group. This allows NMN molecules to pass through cell membranes easily, leading to conversion into NAD+ in cells by 22% after just one dose NMN; they believe this increase was caused by decreased mitochondrial stress levels as well as activation of sirtuin pathway activity.
NAD+ is an essential coenzyme in metabolic processes throughout our bodies and its levels tend to decrease with age, leading to various health issues like reduced brain function and accelerated aging. Supplementing with NMN and NR can reverse this trend while also stimulating SIRT1 enzyme and supporting healthier aging processes.
Although many websites and experts promote NR supplements, NMN may actually be better for the human body. Furthermore, while NR is only capable of treating certain symptoms or diseases associated with age and disease progression, while NMN treats a wider array of conditions. Studies have even demonstrated NMN can increase exercise endurance up to 80% while only increasing energy capacity by 35% – both are considered beneficial alternatives.
Bryan Johnson is a multi-millionaire who believes he can reverse his aging process through diet, supplements, and anti-ageing technology. His project, Underline, seeks to be a model of transparency and accessibility in anti-ageing research.
Acid peels
A peel involves the application of chemical solutions to the face or other parts of the body. These chemical peels contain acids which penetrate deep within the skin’s layers to stimulate new cell growth and help improve scars, sun damage, age spots and wrinkles among other conditions. There are various chemical peel options with various degrees of intensity and recovery times available for purchase.
Your doctor will select the type of peel best suited to treat the area being treated and take into account any specific medical conditions or issues you are seeking to address. Furthermore, be prepared to discuss any past keloids, cold sore outbreaks or skin conditions which make you susceptible to scarring as part of this discussion.
Superficial chemical peels remove only the outermost layers of skin and are used to address fine lines and wrinkles, discolouration or rough skin texture issues, acne breakouts and improve acne overall. AHAs such as glycolic acid, citric acid, lactic acid and tartaric acid are often employed during superficial peels due to their small molecular sizes that penetrate deep into dry and mature skin types – an AHA’s small molecular size makes this solution especially ideal.
Jessner’s peel, mandelic acid and retinol are also popular superficial peels used to reduce melasma, hyperpigmentation and fine lines and wrinkles, as well as helping resolve acne scarring or improve scar tissue.
Medium chemical peels use chemical solutions to peel away both the outermost layers and upper parts of the middle layers, leaving your skin smoother with an overall more vibrant complexion. Common medium-depth peels include phenol, TCA (Trichloroacetic Acid), Croton oil and the Baker-Gordon solution.
Deep chemical peels go deeper, penetrating both epidermal and dermal layers to effectively address fine-to-moderate lines and wrinkles, dark spots/hyperpigmentation, rough skin/sun damage/acne scars as well as acne scars. They may also help improve enlarged pores/sagging skin/uneven skin tone issues as well as other skin concerns; deeper peels however can be more invasive – leading to swelling and downtime issues that require additional recovery time.
Although Bryan Johnson has achieved great success at combatting signs of aging, complete reversal may not be possible. Eating healthily, exercising regularly, taking supplements such as vitamins C, D3, E3, Ashwagandha Root Powder or Nicotinamide Ribosome and using sunscreen daily are all helpful ways to slow the aging process and extend lifespan.
Blood transfusions
Bryan Johnson is a tech millionaire on an experimental quest to turn back biological time. To this end, he has assembled a team of specialists — nutritionists, physiotherapists and MRI specialists among them — who monitor every aspect of his body; this includes nutritionists, physiotherapists and MRI specialists providing him with supplements while performing daily body fat scans as well as conducting extensive blood and stool tests; they even use him as their test subject in some of their most promising anti-ageing experiments.
One such experiment involves plasma infusions. One liter of Talmage’s blood is removed and broken down into its component parts (plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets), before being transfused to patients as part of a procedure designed to make sure it matches with their blood type; healthcare teams take measures to ensure compatibility. They may administer antihistamines such as diphenhydramine to avoid adverse allergic reactions.
Johnson supplement his plasma infusions with various other supplements. These include eating a low-calorie diet, engaging in hour-long daily exercises and brushing his teeth using an Eagle Tree Oil and Antioxidant Gel Rinse to ensure as much sleep as possible during his wakeful nights. Johnson keeps to a strict sleeping schedule to get maximum restorative benefits from each slumber session.
Longevity experts are intrigued by Johnson’s anti-aging efforts; however, they remain wary of them given genetics and luck play such a pivotal role in how long we live. Furthermore, his annual budget of $2 Million on anti-ageing treatments would likely not be affordable by most.
Though his experiment may raise eyebrows, Johnson’s experiment is nevertheless fascinating and inspiring. He is candid about his journey, providing details on his website or speaking publicly at events like DeSci & Longevity Biotech 2023 Summit about it. Johnson is dedicated to showing that the aging process can be reversed by 2030, which Harvard geneticist George Church recognizes with praise; Johnson’s research could potentially lead to groundbreaking gene therapies which extend human lifespans further than ever imagined before.
