Bryan Johnson suffers from autoimmune gastritis: Why his body can't process iron

US tech entrepreneur and longevity advocate Bryan Johnson, known for his 'Project Blueprint' through which he aims to reverse biological ageing, recently revealed he is unwell. The multi-millionaire said that he has been diagnosed with a condition called autoimmune gastritis (AIG), which makes his body attack its own stomach lining. The 48-year-old said that his 'stomach is eating itself.' "We found this out last month when we did a bidirectional endoscopy (a procedure that checks the entire gastrointestinal tract)," Bryan says in the video. 

The entrepreneur, who is 48 years old now, was diagnosed with the condition initially when he was 21 years old. Apparently, he was first diagnosed with hypothyroidism. He was taking hormones to handle his thyroid, and the condition started affecting his stomach too. "It changes my stomach acidity, so I can't process certain things like iron. My body can't process food or supplements with iron. This leads to nutritional deficiencies, anaemia and can even create a cancer risk." 

Johnson says that, though he has been testing himself extensively for the Project Blueprint, this condition was tough to spot. "I have had low iron for 11 years. It's very common in medicine for doctors to see this. But, they see your other markers like haemoglobin and say that 'Those are normal, so you are not anaemic.'" However, he had recently revamped his medical team, and they pointed out the condition to him after a detailed analysis. 

What is autoimmune gastritis?
AIG is a chronic inflammation that damages a person's stomach's ability to absorb nutrients like iron and Vitamin B12. According to many experts, it is a widely underdiagnosed condition as it doesn't always have clear symptoms. 

Symptoms of autoimmune gastritis
a) Feeling full after having small meals
b) Frequent nausea
c) Gas and bloating
d) Heartburns
e) Iron deficiency

f) Restless legs syndrome
g) Brittle fingernails
h) Hair loss
i) Pale skin
j) Fatigue
k) Pins and needles feeling in limbs
l) Brain fog
m) Palpitations
n) Unexplained weight loss

Can autoimmune gastritis be treated?
According to the Global Autoimmune Institute, AIG has no cure, and all that can be done is to manage symptoms and replace missing nutrients. A patient will need to take lifelong Vitamin B12 injections or oral supplements, as well as iron and folic acid. They will also have to keep monitoring calcium and vitamin D levels. Doctors also advise them to eat small, frequent meals and avoid spicy foods and alcohol to avoid digestive distress. 
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