Bryan Johnson’s motives – Supplements

You summarized it quite nicely. Though I wanted to make it clear from the beginning that I am not a hater – which I am not.

Also, I feel that you said it more concisely than I did, so I edited some of your wording into my concluding thoughts – I hope you do not mind!

After reading these sources (below), it appears that senolytics such as Rapamycin do not play as significant a role as it was thought in affecting healthspan. For this reason, I can understand BJ’s rationale for discontinuing rapa. He figures that the sides (in his case) out weighed the benefits, which he probably gets from his strict regimen. Other drugs, such as tnf inhibitors are more effective. But until Isomyosamine becomes available, I will continue to take 6mg weekly rapa, and the once a month D&Q.
In explaining why he ditched rapamycin, Johnson pointed to a recent study that “showed rapamycin increased biological aging according to two [measures], while ineffective according to the others.”

I thought Michael Hall discovered mTOR.

According to Sabatini they discovered it simultaneously in different labs

Rapamycin is a senomorphic and not a senolytic. Senomorphics prevent the formation of senescent cells. Senolytics remove senescent cells when formed. Senomorphics are superior to senloytics IMHO.

Taurine is another effective senomorphic.

I think Johnson spends most of his longevity “investment” on testing. The problem is, the science is not there yet for a truly individualized approach to health maintenance.

Really? Admittedly I hought it was a rather one-sided article. Nothing about the benefits noted in (blood) biomarkers of for example the participants in Fontana’s research about CR. And the conclusions the author drew about the Wisconsin rhesus monkey CR study were overly simplistic, imho – I assume that is the study he was referring to. I believe he also didn’t even refer to the NIH CR study in his article.

Quite a lot of it is general principles anyway.

You know the way Bryan talks about food in his interviews (and the nutty pudding – maybe try it once – but as a staple meal – yuck) … anticipating and being sad at the least bite of the day of his calorie restricted diet… The World’s Most Expensive Eating Disorder – Desmolysium. I am familiar with eating disorders and this makes a lot of sense to me. Wow.

Wow is right, great article. I was too busy to read it the first time through.

I agree with this statement also:

I also think he is sometimes dishonest about where his on-paper results are coming from. He takes potent anti-aging drugs (rapamycin, metformin, acarbose, 17-alpha estradiol), uses a bunch of hormones (thyroid hormones way higher than replacement doses; 17-alpha-estradiol, TRT in the past; growth hormone in the past), and even gene therapies. His nutty pudding has little to do with his results, yet this is what is being fed (and sold) to the masses.

I don’t know if you understand the psychology of guys who get rich on their own. While I don’t know if this is the case for BJ in particular, for many of these guys it is pathological, they are obsessed and even clinically addicted to making money. It is a fundamental part of their identity as well. In short, they can’t help themselves, they are addicts. So, for a psychologically normative person in regards to money such as yourself, it doesn’t make sense as to why a near billionaire would be so motivated by making a few thousand bucks here and there, but trust me, for them they feel a deep need to do so. I work as a substance abuse counselor. I’ve learned it’s the mental wiring of that person that matters most, not the drugs or money they say they need, or people they blame.

So timely. I received this email from Johnson yesterday. I imagine some of you are on his email list. I reproduce it:

“Bryan Johnson
Hi Friend,
I get a lot of hate. It’s a sport to dunk on me. I honestly love it.
Though sometimes in the thrill to poke fun at me, the results of this four year endeavor remain unknown. So if you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to report out to you.

I have the best biomarkers in the world and am the healthiest person on the planet.

I am fitter than most teenagers. My skin is smoother than that of women in their 20s who obsess over theirs. I have more stamina in bed than men in their 20s. I have better health markers than any hater, health influencer and anti-aging doctoor even close.r and scientist.

My mind is sharper than it’s ever been. My mental health is at its peak. My protocol – which is loyal to data and science – is better than any big-money influenced government guideline or pseudoscience social media fad. Blueprint is the new standard. “

So much to object to. I’ll cut it short. I don’t think he is the healthiest person on the planet or even close. I believe some members of this very forum are healthier than he is.
I not only do not believe “Blueprint is the new standard”, but I believe very few if any knowledgeable longevity enthusiasts would like to follow his plan in its entirety, although they will implement the basics and therefore seemingly be in accordance with some of what Blue Print recommends.

It appears to me to be pure marketing hype. He is the greatest and Blueprint is the greatest and you should buy some.

Yeah, I saw that and sigh. I don’t like this new turn he is taking. The never die stuff and I’m THE healthiest person in the world is bunk. Why must he keep making it harder and harder to like him.

For someone getting all those lasers etc and then talking about his smooth his smooth skin is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.

all publicity is good publicity

I think we should be skeptical all suppliers, whether supplement companies or drug / Pharma companies:

Source: x.com

If I had hundreds of millions of dollars, I’d rent a commercial building, hire 20 scientists (I know we’ve got fires, but LA is still a desirable place after all), and start running high-throughput mice lifespan studies.

You could run 100 different interventions in parallel with decent power for 10MM/year. Save money buying the drugs from India or China and analytically confirming them here. You could even outsource antibody synthesis to India and try interventions neutralizing various growth factors and cytokines. None of the hurdles present in academic or federal research—it would be a dream come true.

That would do immeasurably more to accelerate the pace of longevity research than spending obscene money analyzing one person’s biomarkers. He’s supposedly a really smart guy (notwithstanding the fact he spent the first 30-odd years of his life in a polytheistic cult), but he’s instead choosing to spend his time and money doing the latter. Oh and now he wants to do us all a massive favor and sell us his lab-tested supplements? While he discards the drug with the most robust body of data supporting mammalian lifespan extension.

As the kids say nowadays, make it make sense.

Bryan Johnson the entrepreneur. Another business opportunity… longevity.

He has now made this collection of vitamins and supplements [available to buy on Amazon]

While the products tout benefits like focus, stress relief and deep sleep, it’s worth noting that Johnson is not a doctor nor health professional.

And this. The Blueprint cult.

Johnson’s health regimen remain the same, simple and amusing. It’s either that he’s too rich or too exacting in his lifestyle for any regular person to emulate and/or that he’s doing so much to his body in an N-of-1 experiment that the resulting metrics are worthless.

It boils down to – we have no idea if all this effort amounts to anything useful, and Johnson is a rich, vain freak.

I should have known the dinner with the Kardashians was the begining of the end….

Having said that, I still like his supplements

I’ll note that I think it’s much more appealing that he’s selling things as a non doctor/scientist than when Sinclair signed up with a talent agent and did the same.