Biohacker Bryan Johnson spends millions of dollars each year trying to cheat death — but he knows that’s not realistic for the average person.
In an exclusive sit down interview with DailyMail.com, the controversial longevity expert revealed the things regular people can do to add years to their lives.
Mr Johnson, who is chronologically 47 years old but has the body of a man in his 30s, said one of the number one factors that will age you is bad air quality, detailing how people should use high-grade air filters and monitor the quality of air they breathe.
Exposure to plastics is another aging contributor, with Mr Johnson saying plastic items are one of the first things that should go straight into the trash.
Meanwhile, Mr Johnson is a self-confessed sleep fanatic, claiming he has the world’s best sleep score and achieved ‘perfect sleep’ for eight months. He goes to bed and wakes up at the same time every day, making sure to get his nine hours.
But he doesn’t expect people to become a pro like him overnight, instead, he details a simple method to slowly build up habits.
The entrepreneur has spent the past four years establishing his anti-aging protocol called Project Blueprint.
Bryan Johnson sat down with DailyMail.com to talk about his extensive longevity routine and give advice on how others could live forever
Some of his routine involves experimental medical treatments and radical lifestyle habits all in an effort to find out the best way to break the 120-year ceiling of the human lifespan.
He said: ‘We measured every single thing we could about my body, and so in that process, I became the most measured person in human history and we said, this evidence worked in me or it didn’t work in me.’
CHECK YOUR AIR QUALITY
While Mr Johnson said this is a ‘non-obvious’ aspect of longevity, air quality is one of the most important.
Earlier this month, Mr Johnson walked away from an interview in India because of the poor air quality.
He said breathing in the air there was equal to smoking three to four cigarettes a day.
He told this website: ‘I would say call your building manager and I would ask them what air filter is in the system in the building.’
Air filters are rated according to a Merv scale from Merv 1 (which filters less than 20 percent of air pollutants) to Merv 20 (which filters 100 percent of air particles).
Mr Johnson said Merv 13 is a good starting option as it filters between 75 and 90 percent of harmful air particles.
However, he said you should strive for Merv 17 – which is a HEPA filter – as it clears the air of 99.97 percent of harmful particles.
For most homes, a MERV rating of 8 to 13 is typical, while HEPA filters are commonly used in hospitals.
Toxic air pollution levels in the US are at the worst levels in the last 25 years, raising health concerns for more than one-third of Americans.
The American Lung Association (ALA) revealed in a 2024 report that 39 percent of Americans are living in regions with unhealthy air pollution levels, including Mr Johnson’s hometown of Los Angeles.
Multiple studies have shown the dangers of air pollution, including an increased risk of autism and an increased risk of miscarriages.
And a 2022 study found air pollution can accelerate biological aging and cause DNA damage.
‘So this is just a good question of how healthy is the air I breathe all day every day?’ Mr Johnson added.
‘Now I raise this because most people think about health and wellness as “I will eat a salad” or “I may stand up and walk around for a few minutes.” We kind of know those things. Air quality is one that we don’t really think about.
‘So I’d say that what you want to do, and what I’ve tried to do, is you want to evaluate your environment and [ask] “What things make me age faster?’ Bad air will do that.
‘If you do that, then it invites awareness of other things in your environment which may produce health or not.’
TOSS YOUR PLASTICS
To increase his life expectancy, Mr Johnson receives transfusions of his son’s blood, takes about 50 supplements a day, follows a vegan diet and has even traveled to an island to undergo gene therapy
When it comes to your home, one of the first things Mr Johnson said should go is plastic.
Mr Johnson told DailyMail.com: ‘I’ve recently done this in my home. It’s really surprising that plastic is everywhere once you start looking for it. You just find endless amounts of plastic.’
Plastic pollution is in nearly every facet of life – from cosmetics and clothes to cookware and food containers. Not only is avoiding single-use plastic better for the environment, it could also improve health.
Studies have shown microplastics can infiltrate the brain and testicles and they’ve even been found in placenta. A 2024 study found high levels of microplastics in the human brain could potentially be linked to the global rise in Alzheimer’s disease.
Another study found microplastics in sperm could also be contributing to the decline in fertility rates.
But Mr Johnson doesn’t want people to ‘get overly upset about this,’ as it is possible to make small effective changes.
Carry a reusable water bottle to avoid plastic ones and don’t reheat food in plastic containers. Replacing plastic kitchenware, such as a plastic cutting board, utensils and dishware, are also realistic changes people can make.
Mr Johnson added: ‘So if you just become aware of plastic in your life and start trying to remove it, a steady methodical process works.
‘I don’t think it’s necessary for people to get overly upset about this. There’s a lot of things in our environment that can be upsetting, and we certainly don’t want… to be so worried we can’t sleep – we need our deep sleep – and so I’d say slowly start removing plastic from your daily routines.’
GO TO BED CALM
Sleep deprivation can lead to obesity, memory loss, diabetes, heart disease, heightened and unstable emotions, impaired ability to learn and a reduced immune response, leaving you vulnerable to disease
Mr Johnson said sleep is the ‘most fundamental part of being human’ – and it’s not just how long you sleep, it’s how well you sleep.
While it was once ‘in vogue’ to brag about how little you slept, sleep has now become ‘cool.’
He said: ‘I would say the most surprising thing that has happened over the past few years is that sleep has become cool.
‘So when I started doing this, it was very much in vogue to brag that you had slept under your desk, that you had gone two or three nights without sleeping, and that was something that I would tell my friends.
‘So they’d say “Oh, isn’t he amazing because he just worked so hard?” And now I think it’s increasingly seen as foolish.’
To get better sleep, the longevity expert advises people to track their resting heartrate.
Mr Johnson said: ‘The thing that predicts sleep with the greatest power is your resting heartrate just before you go to sleep.’
Whether it is through a fitness tracker or just using your own fingers, it’s vital to figure out your resting heartrate – 60 to 100 beats per minute is considered a normal range for adults.
Then, you can begin to implement habits that lower that rate, including having your last meal of the day earlier and reducing screen time and nighttime stress.
Mr Johnson explained: ‘So let’s say your bedtime is 10 pm and normally you finish up your snacks and wind down by 9 pm – try to at least have [eating] be done by 8 pm… then work your way back so by the end of the week you’re [eating] three to four hours before your bedtime.’
After making this a habit, you’ll see your baseline heartrate decline and ‘when you make that small adjustment your sleep will improve.’
Bryan Johnson (with his son and father) spends millions of dollars a year trying to de-age himself so he can live forever
Not only does a good night’s sleep help the body function better, but it also leads to healthier choices when it comes to diet and exercise, Mr Johnson added.
Sleep is crucial for nearly every bodily function, like regulating hormones, repairing tissues and maintaining a healthy weight.
Studies have long shown a chronic lack of sleep can increase the risk of a range of conditions, like obesity, memory loss, diabetes, heart disease, and a reduced immune response, leaving you vulnerable to infections.
A lack of sleep could also lead to a higher risk of cancer, Mr Johnson said, as the body ‘shuts down [the] critical functions’ of your natural killers – or NK – cells, which play a crucial role in fighting off disease.
He continued: ‘We really have seen a shift in the perspectives of health and wellness, where before it was a badge of honor to skip sleep and now it’s seen as foolish.
‘And I’d say that’s been probably the most significant accomplishment of this project.
‘I think there’s been remarkable progress in a very short period of time.’
