--- title: "Test Subjects Who Took Bryan Johnson’s “Longevity Stack” Reportedly Suffered Dropping Testosterone, Developed Prediabetes" description: "The New York Times has accused youth-obsessed tech mogul Bryan Johnson of covering up side effects during a trial of his supplements." date: "2025-03-21" modified: "2025-03-21" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/bryan-johnson-trial-side-effects" categories: - "Health & Medicine" - "Studies" tags: - "anti-aging" - "bryan johnson" - "supplements" --- # Test Subjects Who Took Bryan Johnson’s “Longevity Stack” Reportedly Suffered Dropping Testosterone, Developed Prediabetes ![The New York Times has accused youth-obsessed tech mogul Bryan Johnson of covering up side effects during a trial of his supplements.]() *\Image: Bryan Johnson/Facebook/Futurism\* An alarming [new investigation]() by the *New York Times* accuses youth-obsessed tech mogul Bryan Johnson of covering up some unpleasant side effects experienced by participants testing his line of supplements. Johnson — who was an early investor in *Futurism*, but hasn't had any involvement for years — has gone to extreme lengths to slow down or even "reverse" his "biological age" through a series of sometimes extreme self-experiments, like [using his teenage son]() as a "blood boy" and [measuring his nighttime erections](). He's parlayed that hype into a line of supplements and meals called "The Blueprint Stack," bolstered by what the company says were promising study results. But the *NYT*'s reporting makes that study sound very dubious. Out of the roughly 1,700 participants, a whopping 60 percent experienced at least one side effect, according to documents viewed by the newspaper. Blood tests showed that some participants saw their testosterone levels drop or developed prediabetes. The food regimen also reportedly had undesirable side effects. "Longevity mix: A lot of comments about hating this as it is making them sick, vomit, have heartburn, etc.," one Blueprint employee told a colleague in early 2024, as quoted by the newspaper. "TONS of people saying it’s causing nausea, bloating," another employee wrote, referring to allulose, a sugar alternative that Johnson has [previously sung the praises of](). Thanks to a litany of confidentiality agreements employees reportedly had to sign, many felt afraid to speak up. Blueprint executive and Johnson’s longtime longevity doctor Oliver Zolman, who worked on the study, appears to have had a falling out with Johnson. Zolman left Blueprint last summer after raising concerns over the study, according to the *NYT*. The details surrounding his departure are eyebrow-raising, to say the least, with Johnson telling the newspaper that he had resigned "to seek professional help for his serious mental health concerns," though the *NYT*'s sources deny that's the reason Zolman left. Despite having promised to release the results of the study in mid-2024, Johnson has only released some data about a mere 300 participants — less than a fifth of the total — showing positive results in January. Whether the rest of the data could change that final assessment remains to be seen. In a [lengthy tweet detailing the data](), Johnson claimed that after 90 days, depression symptoms "improved" by 23 percent, and blood pressure "improved" by seven percent, among other health markers. The replies, however, quickly appeared to corroborate the *NYT*'s reporting, with users [complaining]() that the regimen "gave me heartburn, gas and bound me up." The *NYT* story also alleges that blood test results showed that Johnson's age had *increased* by as much as ten years, despite a Netflix documentary released earlier this year saying it had been reversed by more than five years (Johnson told the *NYT* that the "decision to highlight the 5.1 year reduction was made entirely by the documentary’s production team" and that "biological age measurements fluctuate." Johnson seemed concerned about the *NYT* story before it came out. Earlier this year, he [accused the newspaper of sensationalism](), describing its reporting as a "hit piece" designed to "construct a narrative about me." **More on Johnson's johnson:** *[It Sounds Like Something Nasty Is About to Come Out About That Millionaire Biohacker Who Used His Son as a "Blood Boy"]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()