Bryan Johnson admits anti-aging supplement he’s been taking for years has actually made him older

Biohacker Bryan Johnson has revealed how one of the hundred or so supplements he has taken on his mission to never die has actually aged him. 

The 47-year-old, who claims to be more than a decade younger biologically, took rapamycin for five years after lab studies showed it extended the lifespan of mice by 15 to 20 percent. 

However, he now believes the FDA-approved drug, which costs around $2.30 per pill, was having the reverse effect on him and he stopped taking it in September 2024.

He said after taking it for a period of time, he didn’t notice any benefits but he did notice a number of concerning side effects, including ulcers in his mouth, wounds that wouldn’t heal, spikes in his blood sugar and elevated cholesterol.

But he said the ‘most painful’ side effect was that the drug increased his resting heart rate, with a shift from 46 beats per minute to 57.

He said: ‘From watching my videos, [my resting heart rate] is the most important biomarker I track every single day because it’s the most influential thing determining my sleep quality.’

Johnson did not reveal if the rapamycin was in turn impacting his sleep but he is known for taking his sleep extremely seriously, as quality rest is vital for longevity – and the biohacker claims to have the word’s best ‘sleep score.’ 

Despite experiencing these side effects, Johnson said he continued taking rapamycin for several years because he was ‘willing to make the trade-off for the potential longevity benefits’.

However, after tiring of the side effects, he decided to stop taking rapamycin to see if it was behind his declining health. 

He said after he stopped taking the drug, ‘sure enough… my blood glucose dropped, my cholesterol corrected, [and the] soft tissue infections went away.’

Johnson explained on his YouTube channel that rapamycin was first discovered in the 1960s by scientists gathering soil samples in a cave on Easter Island in the South Pacific and it went on to become a ‘wonder drug,’ delaying cancer development and potentially slowing down aging.

In one of the soil samples, the researchers found a bacterium that had powerful antifungal properties and they named it rapamycin. 

Johnson adds: ‘Researchers thought it might be the ultimate cure for many fungal problems such as athlete’s foot but before they could develop that further, they also discovered rapamycin was a powerful immunosuppressant. 

‘In some cases immunosuppressants can save someone’s life but for large portions of the population suppressing the immune system can be a death sentence.’

In 1999, the FDA approved rapamycin’s usage for organ transplant patients because of its immunosuppressant properties, hoping it would prevent organ rejection in the recipient. 

The idea, Johnson says, was that high doses of rapamycin would stop the body’s immune system from attacking the organ that was just transplanted.

But in 2009, a game-changing study published in Nature conducted by doctors across the US found that when the drug was given to mice, it increased the lifespan by 14 percent for females and nine percent for males.

Then, in 2014, pharmacology experts tested the drug in humans and found it actually bolstered their immune systems, prompting a 20 percent greater response to flu vaccines.

A study of 504 adults published in 2023 reported that of 333 people taking it, 65.5 percent believed it had effective anti-aging properties, and nearly half said their health had improved since beginning a rapamycin regimen, typically under the guidance of a doctor.

Over 35 percent said their brain ‘works better’ on the drug, and 38 percent said they felt younger.

Dozens reported a range of other benefits, including lowered anxiety, improved relationships, alleviated arthritis pain, improved quality of sleep and vision, and reduced frequency of menopause-related hot flashes.

The findings were published in Geroscience, a leading journal focused on the biology of aging and the pathophysiology of age-related diseases.

Rapamycin is believed to work by blocking the actions of a protein that regulate cell growth and breakdown. 

Then, a process called autophagy occurs, which entails recycling damaged cells to prevent the buildup of toxins and other harmful substances. 

Think of it as a cellular clean-up crew or quality control for cellular health. 

A growing number of researchers argue it increases one’s lifespan and mitigates the risks of contracting age-related chronic diseases.

The drug’s anti-aging effects have only been tested in fruit flies, mice, and worms.

Still, high-profile longevity experts believe its potential for preventing bodily decay is enormous and worthy of scientists’ attention.

However, Johnson reveals in his latest YouTube update that a recent study flips the claims around rapamycin’s age-boosting benefits on their head. 

He explains that the Yale researchers found that the drug actually accelerated the biological speed of aging in humans across 16 epigenetic markers instead of slowing it.

While these findings have come to light, the health expert says that we have to exercise caution. 

Trying to maintain a sense of optimism, he tells viewers: ‘We have to keep in mind that study was simply flawed for some reason… That’s entirely a possibility…. That is the way science works.’ 

He says he is unsure if the drug has caused lasting damage to his health but that was a risk he was willing to take. 

In conclusion, he tells viewers: ‘A lot of people think that I take excessive risk in doing these things and I always remind them they too are taking risks. 

‘When you eat that fast food meal or you go to bed late, those effects are known. 

‘You are accelerating your speed of aging, you’re causing metabolic disruption in your body. 

‘So, this is a game we’re playing. We’re trying to figure out using science and data which things legitimately slow down the speed of aging and which things accelerated it. 

‘I consider it to be part of the game. I’m fine with the whole outcome, it’s just part of the scientific method.’