My Stomach Is Eating Itself’: Biohacker Bryan Johnson Reveals Autoimmune Disease That Went Undetected for Years
Tech entrepreneur and longevity advocate Bryan Johnson, who has made headlines for his ambitious mission to dramatically extend human lifespan, has revealed that he has been diagnosed with autoimmune gastritis (AIG), a chronic disease in which the immune system attacks the stomach’s own lining.
Johnson, 48, described the condition in a social media post with a stark statement: “My stomach is eating itself.”
The Los Angeles-based biohacker, known for spending millions of dollars each year on anti-ageing treatments and health monitoring, said the disease had likely been developing silently for years despite his rigorous health regimen. His long-term goal is to push the boundaries of longevity, with hopes of living to the age of 160.
A hidden disease
Autoimmune gastritis is a chronic condition in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the stomach’s acid-producing cells. Over time, this reduces stomach acid production, interferes with vitamin B12 absorption and can lead to iron deficiency, anaemia and, in some cases, an increased risk of stomach cancer.
Johnson said the illness often remains undetected because its early signs are subtle and can easily be overlooked.
According to him, doctors had been unable to explain why his iron levels remained persistently low for more than a decade despite dietary changes and repeated iron supplementation.
“Low iron stores get normalised and are rarely investigated until anaemia appears,” Johnson wrote, adding that this delayed the diagnosis in his own case.
A decade-long mystery
Johnson revealed that he has had abnormally low ferritin—the protein responsible for storing iron in the body—for nearly 11 years.
Despite trying different forms of iron supplements, changing the timing of doses and making dietary adjustments, his body failed to absorb the mineral effectively.
Initially, he believed the problem could be linked to his demanding fitness routine, which includes intense workouts, frequent sauna sessions and hyperbaric oxygen therapy—all of which increase the body’s iron requirements.
However, further medical investigations revealed the underlying cause.
Doctors performed both a colonoscopy and an upper endoscopy before taking multiple stomach biopsies. The tests confirmed early-stage autoimmune gastritis, showing damage confined to the stomach’s acid-producing lining.
Health struggles began years earlier
Reflecting on his past, Johnson said his health had deteriorated long before he became known for his longevity experiments.
He recalled consuming a diet rich in sugary cereals, soft drinks and fast food during his younger years. As he balanced raising three children while building a business, he gained around 40 pounds and eventually experienced chronic depression.
Johnson believes it was during this period that his body began developing autoimmune conditions affecting both his thyroid and stomach.
Mission to find a cure
There is currently no cure for autoimmune gastritis, but Johnson said he intends to use the latest advances in artificial intelligence, biotechnology and precision medicine to explore potential treatments.
Earlier this year, he reiterated his long-term vision of achieving what he calls “longevity escape velocity”—the point at which medical breakthroughs extend human lifespan faster than the ageing process itself.
While acknowledging that his goal of dramatically extending life may not succeed, Johnson said he remains committed to pushing scientific boundaries.
“In the age of AI, multiomics and custom-built DNA, proteins and cells, no condition should be assumed incurable simply because no one has yet tried to solve it with today’s technologies,” he said.
Johnson concluded by encouraging people to pay closer attention to their health, noting that serious conditions can remain hidden for years before being detected.
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