Biohacking tech exec Bryan Johnson is selling $37 'longevity' olive oil. Experts say store-bought stuff is just as good.
Longevity-obsessed tech exec Bryan Johnson is selling extra virgin olive oil for $37 a bottle.
He claims it has been specifically designed to support health and longevity.
An olive oil expert said the ingredients don't look different to other good quality oils.
Longevity-obsessed tech exec Bryan Johnson is selling extra virgin olive oil for $37.50 a bottle, but an olive oil expert said it seems no different to other fresh and good quality oils that are cheaper.
Olive oil is known to have health benefits but the Braintree founder, who spends $2 million a year on anti-aging treatments, claims that his Blueprint Premium Extra Virgin Olive Oil has been "designed for health and longevity." It's available on his site at $75.00 for two bottles.
The 45-year-old, who claims to have the heart of a 37-year-old and the lung capacity of an 18-year-old thanks to his "biohacking" experiment Project Blueprint, consumes three tablespoons of EVOO a day, according to a detailed protocol on his website.
In a YouTube video shared on June 14, the multi-millionaire said that EVOO accounts for 15% of his daily caloric intake.
Talking about Blueprint olive oil, he said: "we found in the scientific evidence that specific kinds of extra virgin olive oil matters a lot in terms of the health benefit you're going to get.
"We've sourced from both hemispheres of the planet. It's been such a challenging thing for us to solve ourselves that we've decided to source this and make a brand available for you."
Johnson said people can either buy olive oil that matches the criteria on the Blueprint website or his product when it's available.
It contains higher levels of polyphenolic compounds, natural minerals, and vitamins that improve cardiometabolic health, according to the Blueprint website.
Experts have not found a strong link between olive oil quality and price
Evidence suggests that consuming polyphenols, which occur naturally in plants, is linked with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and is a key contributor to the heart health benefits associated with olive oil, Richard Hoffman, associate lecturer of nutritional biochemistry at the University of Hertfordshire, UK, wrote for The Conversation.
However, commenting on the ingredients list of Blueprint olive oil featured on Johnson's website, Dr. Selina Wang, an olive oil expert and associate professor in the Department of Food Science and Technology at University of California, Davis, told Insider: "I don't see anything on this list that's different from other fresh and good quality EVOO with a cheaper price tag."
She said that the levels of phenolics in Blueprint oil is "decent," and the levels of oleic acid , which is linked to good heart health, was average compared to most olive oils. But it meets the criteria to be graded as a fresh and good quality EVOO, she said.
Wang and her team, who have researched olive oil quality, have not found a strong link between the price and quality of olive oil. She recommended buying oil that is fresh and consuming it as quickly as possible to get the health benefits because over time it loses antioxidants, which are thought to protect against certain diseases.
Registered dietitian Nichola Ludlam-Raine told Insider: "I would say that unless you are a multimillionaire or billionaire with more money than you know what to do with, to give this expensive olive oil a miss. What matters most with regards to health is what you are eating the majority of the time."
She said she would prefer her patients to buy regular olive oil from the grocery store and spend more money on fruits and vegetables, which might be lacking in their diet, or nuts and seeds for healthy fats as well as micronutrients, protein, and fiber.
Blueprint did not respond to Insider's request for comment.
Johnson spends $2 million a year on reversing his 'biological age'
As well as consuming olive oil, Johnson goes to great lengths to "hack" his "biological age," including taking 100 pills a day and getting "penis rejuvenation" treatment in the form of shockwave therapy three times a week.
The meaning of "biological age" is disputed within the medical community, with some scientists saying it can differ from your chronological age.
The National Institute on Aging wrote in 2021: "Biological age means the true age that our cells, tissues, and organ systems appear to be, based on biochemistry."
Research suggests that olive oil has anti-aging effects
There are real benefits to eating olive oil, and it is a feature of the Mediterranean Diet, which is widely considered the healthiest way to eat.
The findings of one study suggested that the fats in olive oil activate cell pathways in the body that are linked to a longer life.
A separate study by the American Heart Association found that consuming more than half a tablespoon of olive oil daily was associated with a 15% lower risk of having any kind of cardiovascular disease. While another large study found that daily olive oil consumption is linked to a significantly lower risk of dying from dementia.
Ludlam-Raine recommended using two types of olive oil: extra virgin or cold pressed for drizzling on pastas and salads, and a refined version, which will usually be yellow in color, for cooking. The latter is more heat stable and won't smoke or go rancid when used for cooking, she said.
But we shouldn't be having large quantities of olive as it is still a source of fat, Ludlam-Raine said. "Just one tablespoon of olive oil contains around 120 calories, which can really add up if consumed in large amounts," she said.
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