Blueprint is a longevity protocol that's been going viral recently due to its controversial founder Bryan Johnson whose stated aim is to live forever. The program contains health advice and also supplements and food products for sale.
But are Bryan Johnson's products well-formulated to support longevity? Have they been proven effective in clinical trials? Do they contain any questionable additives? And what was our experience like trying Blueprint's olive oil?
In this article we'll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in two popular Blueprint health products to give our take on whether or not they're healthy, and whether or not they're likely to support longevity.
We'll also discuss the results (or lack thereof) in human clinical trials, and share our experience trying a Blueprint product.
Key takeaways:
- Essential Capsules contain questionably high vitamin E dose
- Nut Bars are healthy but we take issue with two ingredients
- We do not currently recommend Blueprint
Essential Capsules Ingredient Analysis
The vitamin and mineral blend in Blueprint Essential Capsules is shown below:
We're unconvinced that consumers without a deficiency in vitamins or minerals benefit from their supplementation.
Vitamin E, for instance, may even have a pro-aging effect according to a medical review published in the Gerontology journal.
This vitamin is included at 447% of the Daily Value (DV), and we would strongly advise consumers to speak with a doctor before taking such a relatively high dose of a fat-soluble vitamin for extended periods.
The other active ingredients in this formulation, shown below, are relatively non-standard for a multivitamin:
Nicotinamide riboside is clinically shown to have anti-aging effects in humans, as we documented in our Tru Niagen reviews article.
Spermidine has been shown in research studies to "modulate aging" according to a medical review published in the Aging and Disease journal.
The inactive ingredients in Blueprint Essential Capsules, shown below, should be safe and non-toxic:
Overall, we consider Blueprint Essential Capsules to be better-formulated and more likely to have an anti-aging effect than the average multivitamin in the US.
We don't currently recommend this product due to the vitamin E dose.
We Tried Blueprint Ourselves
As the author of this article, I wanted to try one of Blueprint's flagship products myself, to share my thoughts on its taste and the overall product experience.
I regularly consume extra virgin olive oil for the health benefits, so I wanted to try Blueprint's Snake Oil (which is a funny way to brand olive oil).
The taste is much less rich and pungent than the California Ranch Olive Oil I usually purchase. I actually like the "kick" of my typical olive oil, but for someone who prefers a milder flavor profile, this may be a better option.
This olive oil is better in salads and with bread than taken as a spoonful for this reason.
It arrived in a fully plastic-free package, with an expandable cardboard covering (shown above), which is relatively novel. I'm always more likely to purchase from a brand that eschews plastic.
I didn't notice any differing health effects from consuming this to the olive oil I usually consume, but I wasn't expecting to. Since this is just a food product, it's not really something you can "feel" in the same way as a supplement.
Overall, I'd rate Snake Oil 4/10, and I don't plan to purchase it again.
It's perfectly fine and I don't have any major issues with it, but I like it less than the olive oil I typically purchase locally, and it's around double the cost.
Macadamia Protein Bar Ingredient Analysis
The ingredients in Blueprint Macadamia Protein Bar are shown below:
Nearly all of the ingredients in this formulation are nutritionally-rich whole foods.
Macadamia nuts were shown to have favorable effects on cholesterol levels when consumed, in a 2008 clinical trial.
Cocoa may benefit both physical and mental health according to a 2013 medical review that goes as far as to suggest that this compound may "be used for the prevention/treatment of...cancers."
Inulin is a prebiotic ingredient, as we discussed in our Poppi Soda review article, meaning it can support the growth of healthy strains of bacteria in the gut.
There is only one ingredient we consider to be mildly questionable from a long-term health perspective.
Allulose is a form of added sugar.
While we consider this compound to be somewhat healthier than table sugar, it's still relatively "processed" and doesn't really fit with the whole food ethos of Blueprint in our view.
Natural flavor is another ingredient we recommend avoiding.
This is a broad term that can include solvents and preservatives, according to clinical research. Without knowing exactly which chemical compounds are used to create the flavoring, we cannot ascertain their safety.
Overall, we consider Blueprint Macadamia Bar to be healthier than the average protein or nut bar on the market, but we don't currently recommend it due to the two ingredients highlighted above.
Influencer Tries Blueprint Routine
A YouTube creator named Sierra Clark tried the Blueprint morning routine for 30 days in a video with over 250,000 views:
Is Blueprint Clinically Proven to Work?
While the Blueprint website contains some clinical claims, as shown above, these claims appear to be based on testing done on Bryan Johnson.
While this is certainly a unique and interesting endeavor, this is not standard clinical research involving larger pools of participants, which is better for minimizing potential study design bias.
This is to say that whether or not Blueprint is effective in Bryan Johnson doesn't necessarily mean it will be effective in the average individual.
Only when the protocol is studied in large-scale human trials can it be validated as clinically proven to be effective.
We hope that Bryan Johnson funds such trials in the future.
Blueprint on a Budget?
A YouTube creator named "tylmarple" has a video testing whether or not it's possible to eat the Blueprint diet on only $400 per month:
Blueprint Pros and Cons
Here are the pros and cons of Blueprint in our opinion:
Pros:
- Likely to improve human health
- May have anti-aging effect
- Multivitamin is better-formulated than average
- Nut bar is significantly healthier than average
- Company appears to be funding early-stage clinical research
Cons:
- Multivitamin contains relatively high doses of some fat-soluble vitamins
- Nut bar doesn't contain exclusively whole food ingredients
- Expensive
