Bryan Johnson, the founder of Project Blueprint, has gained notoriety for his intense biological age reversal protocol, including young blood infusions, numerous daily supplements, and extreme intermittent fasting. Johnson is now leveraging his optimization journey with his own supplement line. The Essential Capsules are “coming soon” sometime in 2024, but have already faced criticism from longevity experts. This article delves into the Blueprint supplements, examining their ingredients, potential benefits, drawbacks, and expert opinions to help you decide if they are worth trying.
Bryan Johnson's Blueprint Protocol: An Overview
To understand Blueprint supplements, it’s essential to grasp the foundation of Bryan Johnson's approach. In 2020, Johnson started Project Blueprint, a $2 million-per-year experiment to reverse aging by optimizing every aspect of his life. With a team of specialists, he tracked numerous health markers and fine-tuned his nutrition, sleep, and exercise. Johnson's anti-aging methods include both radical interventions and fundamental lifestyle adjustments.
The Essential Capsules: What Are They?
The Essential Capsules contain “clinical trial doses” of 26 supplements that Bryan Johnson currently takes for anti-aging. According to the National Institutes of Health, only 10 of these ingredients-the key vitamins and minerals-are considered essential for the body.
Key Ingredients and Their Purported Benefits
Here's a closer look at some key ingredients in the Essential Capsules and their purported benefits, based on available research:
- Nicotinamide Riboside: A short, placebo-controlled pilot study found that nicotinamide riboside increases blood levels of NAD+. NAD+ is a coenzyme which has been shown to improve brain function in some rodent studies.
- Genistein: This compound is thought to have anti-cancer properties.
- Luteolin: Pre-clinical trials suggest that luteolin may have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
- Curcumin: The beneficial bioactive component in turmeric, which is associated with anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antidiabetic, antidiarrheal, antimicrobial, antiviral, and antioxidant properties.
- Creatine: A compound made from three amino acids-methionine, glycine & arginine-and is naturally stored in the muscles. Creatine is essential for ATP (adenosine triphosphate) production-our body’s energy source. Simply put, the more available energy we have the easier it is for our muscles to perform, repair and build. Typically used as a performance aid, creatine has recently been studied for potential applications in cardiovascular health. Creatine might have benefits for people looking to improve blood sugar levels and cognitive function.
- Fisetin: Fisetin at 100mg daily is an interesting choice.
- Spermidine: Spermidine 10mg is perhaps one of the most promising supplements here due to directly improving lifespan in mice!
- Lycopene, Lutein, and Zeaxanthin: Less excited over lycopene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, but I don’t know anything bad about them.
- Vitamin D: Glad to see a higher amount of vitamin D (2,000 IU).
Other Ingredients
- Ubiquinol
- Lithium Orotate
- Lactobacillus Acidophilus
- B vitamins
- N-Acetyl-Cysteine
- Astaxanthin
- Iodine
- Calcium
- Manganese
- Selenium
Expert Opinions and Concerns
Longevity experts have voiced both interest and concerns about the Essential Capsules.
Read also: Longevity through Blueprint
Criticisms
- Not Always Essential: Sydney Greene, MS, RDN, a registered dietitian and nutritionist, notes that the name "Essential Capsules" is misleading, as only 10 ingredients are considered essential.
- Individual Needs: Dr. Neil Paulvin, D.O., a longevity expert and regenerative medicine specialist, emphasizes the importance of individual lab work to identify specific vitamin and diet deficiencies. He states, “Many people don’t need all of these supplements."
- Potential Backfire: Experts caution that some ingredients may not work well for everyone and could potentially backfire.
- Missing Key Compounds: Paulvin suggests that the supplement is missing some of the big anti-aging compounds and sees it as an expensive multivitamin.
- Bioavailability: Concerns about lower bioavailability here. Does one of the other supplements included notably modify this?
- Estrogenic Effects: Genistein is an interesting choice as it is pretty estrogenic. there are a lot of gender-ambiguous benefits to this, but i’m curious what the specific reasoning was and how the dose of 300mg was decided. it has affinity for α estrogen receptors, but not as much as β. if it was easier to source and include 17α-estradiol, would that have been included instead? was this included for entirely different reasons, of which there could be many? see also: does 17α-estradiol/estrogen extend male human lifespan?
- Enzyme Inhibition: I’m concerned that some of the supplements may inhibit various enzymes that then cause unknown and/or undesired changes of bioavailability in other supplements or drugs. both curcumin and ginger inhibit CYP3A4 and this may be suboptimal if combined with other longevity drugs like rapamycin (which, similarly, could block astaxanthin which blueprint includes as well).
Praises
- Overall Composition: Overall I’m a fan of most ingredients and the overall composition.
- Time-Saving: It saves you a lot of time, logistics, planning, research, and so on, and a lot of the ingredients are top-notch and actually do things that you won’t otherwise get the effects of from even a good diet.
- Better Than Mass-Marketed Supplements: Compared to most mass-marketed supplement products (e.g. athletic greens/AG1, blueprint basically murders them in cold blood and is probably ‘better for you’ by a factor of 5-10x.
The Blueprint Stack: A Closer Look
The Blueprint Stack is a comprehensive nutrition program that simplifies Johnson's complex routine into pouches of powder, jars of pills, and a bottle of olive oil. It includes recognizable substances like Vitamins D, E, and B12, Calcium, Zinc, Manganese, Magnesium, and others that require more research (N-Acetyl-Cysteine, Curcumin, Lycopene, Astaxanthin).
Components of the Blueprint Stack
- Longevity Mix: Contains ingredients like creatine.
- Blueberry Nut Mix: Includes blueberries, macadamia nuts, and walnuts.
- Snake Oil: High-grade olive oil.
- Nutty Pudding: A protein and chocolate-based formula.
Cost and Accessibility
The full Blueprint Stack currently costs $361 for a month’s supply, roughly $12 per day. Currently, the full stack only accounts for breakfast, and only 400 calories of your daily intake, too.
Considerations Before Trying Blueprint Supplements
Before investing in Blueprint supplements, consider the following:
- Individual Needs: “It’s very hard to say that one person’s supplement is going to be a one-size-fits-all with how incredibly different each one of us is,” says Akhavan. The ingredients were selected with Johnson in mind, as were the dosages; there’s no real way of knowing what the effects and results will be for any individual who takes it.
- Holistic Approach: The Blueprint Stack is only part of Bryan Johnson’s nutrition regimen, and nutrition is only part of his “algorithm” so don’t fool yourself into thinking that simply by taking these products you’re following his (still-unproven) complete health and longevity formula.
- Lifestyle Factors: Even if you aren’t attempting to copy Johnson’s program to the T, know that nutrition is only part of living healthfully with a mind toward longevity. Akhavan stresses the importance of regular exercise and lifestyle interventions like not smoking in improving one’s healthspan.
- Calories: Also, as previously mentioned, the Blueprint Stack only accounts for 400 calories of your daily total. You’ll also have to figure out how many calories per day you should be consuming.
Potential Benefits of the Blueprint Supplements Starter Pack
- Science-Backed Formula: The Starter Pack includes a range of essential micronutrients, antioxidants, and longevity compounds backed by research.
- Tested Ingredients: These capsules undergo rigorous testing for heavy metals, ensuring you get safe nutrition with evidence-precision doses.
- Supports Healthier Living: Supports stress relief, promotes sleep, muscle recovery, cognition, and boosts overall well-being.
- Advanced Daily Nutrition: 24 essential multi-nutrients per serving. Featuring high-quality, carefully sourced ingredients like Ubiquinol, Fisetin, Luteolin, Lithium Orotate, Lactobacillus Acidophilus and B vitamins for comprehensive health.
Potential Drawbacks of the Blueprint Supplements Starter Pack
- Expensive Investment: The Blueprint protocol is not budget-friendly, and the Starter Pack follows suit.
- Results Take Time: Like most longevity protocols, don’t expect overnight changes.
- Not Personalized: While backed by research, the pack isn’t tailored to individual needs.
Read also: The Hoxsey Diet
Read also: Walnut Keto Guide
tags: #blueprint #diet #supplements #review