Interview with Germany’s First “Thymonaut,” Ingmar P. Brunken

Ingmar P. Brunken is an entrepreneur, author and in his late fifties. He wanted to find out whether state-of-the-art medicine could enable genuine rejuvenation beyond a healthy lifestyle for ordinary people without special status – and whether this could also be demonstrated with the bioAge Test.

What is really behind the anti-ageing hype?

Supported by exercise and a healthy diet, he achieved an epigenetically measured rejuvenation of around 8 years within a short period of time – almost 3 of those years through a new regenerative treatment designed to help restore the thymus gland, which regresses with age in all humans. Alongside several dozen participants treated in the same way as part of the US “TRIIM/X” study, he has therefore probably become the first “thymonaut” in Germany.

The treatment is considered groundbreaking and a precursor to revolutionary medicine because, for the first time, medically substantiated age-related effects in humans were not merely slowed down but measurably reversed. This marks the beginning of genuine “rejuvenation medicine”.

Together with Germany’s leading anti-ageing physician and president of the German Society of Anti-Aging Medicine (GSAAM) e.V., Ingmar P. Brunken published his experiences and the current possibilities of anti-ageing treatments as co-author of the recently released book “Rejuvenation! – The Self-Experiment”. In our interview, we ask Ingmar P. Brunken about his experiences and his advice for other people who would like to achieve similar rejuvenation and are interested in the latest treatment options available to ordinary citizens.

A self-experiment in the world of anti-ageing

Ingmar, could you give us an overview of your journey into the world of anti-ageing? What originally inspired you to take this path?

“There were three key experiences in my life that led me to the subject of anti-ageing. First, there was the premature death of my father, which doctors said could have been prevented if he had changed his lifestyle early enough to address his excess weight and high blood pressure. A few years later, I was also overweight and had elevated blood pressure. The parallels were a shock to me. I pulled myself together and have paid close attention to my diet and exercised a great deal ever since.

Second, my wife and I had twins when I was already over 50. I want to be able to experience and accompany my children’s journey for a long time. That is why I also began reading health guides and realised that, beyond exercise and nutrition, many credible study results show that certain treatments may have measurable effects on health and lifespan.

The decisive third experience, however, was a report on the new possibilities for measuring biological, or ‘epigenetic’, age. It suddenly became clear to me that this makes it possible to replace belief in a treatment benefit with knowledge. I wanted to do that for myself as well, and I decided to search specifically for effective and medically substantiated anti-ageing treatments.”

Methods and successes: how Ingmar became biologically 8 years younger

What were your main goals when you decided to focus on rejuvenation? Were there specific aspects of your health or lifestyle that you wanted to improve?

“When I started, my goal was to lose the excess weight and lower my blood pressure. That was around 2017, the same year in which my best and oldest friend also died at the age of 54. After only a few months, I had already achieved an important success for myself: I had returned to a normal weight and regained normal blood pressure – completely without medication. A fantastic success. But when reports on epigenetic age tests and the results of the TRIIM study were published, I was electrified. I now wanted to know how old I was biologically and wanted to improve it even further if possible.

My main goal is to enjoy life to the fullest and for as long as possible. To me, heaven is a kind of castle in the air. I am happy here on Earth, and I want to hold on to that for as long as possible.”

Which different methods and approaches did you try during your rejuvenation experiments? Which proved to be the most effective?

“As I said, I began with a healthy diet and exercise. I would always recommend that. There is no need to be dogmatic about it, by the way. I also eat meat, drink alcohol in moderation and go jogging for 45 minutes every other day. So this is certainly not an ascetic lifestyle. But the effect was enormous. All the experts and studies say the same thing: you do not have to become a competitive athlete or a vegan to become significantly healthier. I learned that there are also many false myths in this area. For example, vegetarians and vegans do not actually live longer than meat eaters. They suffer less frequently from certain diseases, but meat eaters suffer less frequently from others. Across the overall lifespan, the effects have been shown to balance out: life expectancy is the same in the groups examined.

The WHO’s BMI range has also been medically disproven because it promotes body weights that are far too low as ‘healthy’. In my view, it is a scandal that the global health authority recommends body weights that are in some cases demonstrably unhealthy and that many people follow these recommendations without knowing better. The good news is that the healthy weight range is higher than the WHO recommends, meaning many people considered overweight are actually of normal weight. Unfortunately, we can no longer change our height.

Only then did I begin searching specifically for effective rejuvenation treatments that were also scientifically proven. And I found a surprising number. Listing them all would go beyond the scope of this interview, but I have documented everything in detail for interested readers together with my co-author Prof. Dr med. Bernd Kleine-Gunk in our book “Rejuvenation – The Self-Experiment”.

One particularly notable example, however, is the previously mentioned TRIIM study, which was able to demonstrate a mechanism of action for epigenetically measured rejuvenation and is therefore one of the first regenerative anti-ageing treatments.”

How important was it to you that the treatments and tests you chose were scientifically substantiated? How did you inform yourself about the latest research findings?

“That was essential to me. I am not a physician but an economist, though still a scientist. For example, I have major problems with the idea that preparations can have effects beyond the placebo effect when they no longer contain any active ingredients, as is the case with the highly diluted globules used by some naturopaths. Because I do not believe in them, I unfortunately do not even experience a placebo effect, which studies suggest can still produce an improvement of around 10%. Scientists like me are therefore at a disadvantage compared with people who believe in this kind of naturopathy.

It is important for me to say that I consider naturopathy itself important and valid, for example in the area of medicinal herbs. Their effects are also very well supported scientifically.

My sources of information were initially popular science books, such as the famous book by David Sinclair. Increasingly, however, I also began researching the original studies because the books often presented things too superficially or too favourably for my liking. I wanted to learn more about side effects or verify the claims made in a book myself. By now, that has almost turned me into a kind of ‘study nerd’. Doctors often do not have the time in their daily work to read all of this. I took the time because, after all, it concerned my own body.

And I discovered that once you have read the first ten studies with great effort and understood them reasonably well after days of additional research, the following studies become much easier and quicker to read. The foundational knowledge is simply there. I also enjoyed learning and understanding, for example, what the citric acid cycle is and how it is involved in ageing, that mitochondria have their own DNA – which is why there are now even children with three parents – and how diverse the causes of ageing are. Fortunately, all scientific publications are now available online, very often even free of charge.”

Challenges and insights: what Ingmar learned on his journey

What challenges did you encounter along the way? Were there particular obstacles that were more difficult to overcome than others?

“The biggest challenge, in my view, was finding a knowledgeable doctor who suited me. I found that there are very large differences. I began with my family doctor at the time, who responded to my question about ‘anti-ageing treatments’ by offering that I should simply tell him what I wanted to ‘take’, and if he could justify it medically, he would prescribe it. Other doctors were more focused on globules, which was not my path, as I already mentioned. Still others tried to persuade me to use creams or cosmetic treatments, even though appearance was not what interested me.

After a few months, however, I did find a doctor who accompanied my treatment wishes with genuine empathy, critical thinking and constructive support. Once that hurdle had been overcome, everything became much easier and has now almost become routine. Even acquaintances and relatives were ‘infected’ by the idea and also began taking anti-ageing measures in their own lives.

Another challenge is certainly money. Unfortunately, anti-ageing treatments are still not covered by any health insurance provider. You have to pay for them yourself. Depending on the treatment, this can also be expensive, and not everyone can afford it. In my opinion, the healthcare system also needs to change in this respect because preventing diseases is ultimately much cheaper than treating them later. Vaccination is a good example and is usually covered.

But the good news is that even people who cannot spare much money will find countless effective ways to implement anti-ageing measures: exercise and healthy nutrition cost no more than an unhealthy diet – often even less – and many useful and effective supplements are available for only a few euros.”

To what extent did you adapt your lifestyle to support your rejuvenation goals? What roles did nutrition, exercise and stress management play in your programme?

“A very significant role. I am convinced that this is where you have to begin. Anyone who lives unhealthily – for example, smokes, eats too much sugar, is overweight or does not exercise – should not even begin with other treatments. If you are sitting in a sauna and want to cool down, you should leave the sauna instead of eating an ice cream inside it.

In my case, the lifestyle change alone resulted in my being biologically 5 years younger than my chronological age according to epigenetic measurements.

Stress management is certainly also useful if you are affected by stress. Speaking of saunas, I personally enjoy sauna sessions with the sound of the sea. It is relaxing, and regular sauna use has also been shown to have an anti-ageing effect – people who use saunas have demonstrably longer lives than those who do not.

You simply have to understand that a lifestyle change does not mean going on a diet, losing weight and then returning to your previous habits. A lifestyle change is forever. Anyone who is not prepared for that does not need to start in the first place. And then there is no yo-yo effect either. But the good news is that there is an enjoyable way to do it.

Anyone who tries it will notice that if you do not eat for a while – for example during intermittent fasting – your sense of smell and taste suddenly becomes more intense, and you begin to celebrate enjoyment. Anyone who has always drunk coffee with milk or sugar and then switches to healthier black coffee will, after a transitional week with sugar-withdrawal symptoms, during which the coffee temporarily tastes subjectively too bitter, suddenly come to love the new flavour and realise that they perceive the coffee aroma much more clearly than before.

Anyone who used to drink too much wine and then cuts back can instead treat themselves to a more expensive bottle and discover what a leap in quality that can be. And anyone who exercises and then drinks a homemade mint drink – mineral water with sprigs of mint – will discover how wonderful it suddenly tastes. It goes so far that I already look forward to the mint drink after exercising before I even begin. These are small islands of pleasure that I did not have before and that enrich my life in addition to the improved health. So my anti-ageing lifestyle actually means more enjoyment for me than before, not less.”

How did you measure and monitor your progress? Which tools or technologies were particularly helpful?

“At the very beginning, so-called ‘scoring tests’ can be very helpful. You answer a series of questions, receive a certain number of points for your answers and, in the evaluation, get a rough range of what this means for life expectancy in years. One such free test can be found, for example, in the book ‘Live 15 Years Longer’ by my co-author Bernd Kleine-Gunk. These tests are imprecise, but they provide an initial medically grounded indication of your lifestyle and the effects of making changes.

For anyone who wants more precise information, I recommend an epigenetic age test, specifically the blood test rather than the saliva test because the blood test has been shown to be more accurate.

In addition, it is advisable to have a blood panel performed at least twice a year and monitor the development of the most important indicators. Zinc and selenium are particularly important, but so are Q10 and omega-3 fatty acids. Anyone who is deficient should supplement. Without monitoring through a blood test, you do not know whether or where you have a deficiency or even an excessive supply.

Tip from Ingmar Brunken: Very few people know that sunflower oil is extremely unhealthy because of its high omega-6 content, while rapeseed oil is the opposite – it has a very high proportion of healthy, anti-inflammatory omega-3. It is therefore easy to avoid sunflower oil and prefer rapeseed oil, and the price is the same. There is good evidence that an omega-6 to omega-3 ratio below 5:1 promotes health in old age and a long lifespan.

For those who appreciate good food, I would also add that there is particularly aromatic, intensely nutty rapeseed kernel oil, which was a new culinary discovery for me in salads.”

How has this journey affected your mental and emotional health? Have you noticed any mental or emotional changes since beginning your rejuvenation programme?

“I have always been a positive and happy person, but the signs of ageing and declining health associated with my unhealthy lifestyle at the time did shake me. Since becoming fit again and even becoming measurably younger, I feel much more energetic. Many friends have asked me how, with three children in the house, some of them still young, and a demanding working day as an entrepreneur, I was also able to write a book ‘on the side’. First and foremost, of course, I had my wife by my side, and she supported me enormously. But the mental and physical strength resulting from my rejuvenation programme probably also contributed to my being able to manage it without major stress. By the way, the next two books are already in progress.”

How do you view the social and ethical implications of anti-ageing medicine? Do you believe there should be limits to how far we are allowed to go in reversing ageing?

“That is a great question. I often notice that anti-ageing topics are viewed as morally reprehensible and rejected from the perspective of money, their implications for the pension system or fears of overpopulation. And that is before we even get to the question of whether humans are beginning to play God and manipulate genes, as stem cell research, for example, intends to do.

Many opportunities are lost because of these misconceptions. After all, first of all, it is surely legitimate to want to live for a long time and remain healthy for a long time, isn’t it?

And it is not only legitimate but also socially beneficial if we remain healthy longer than before and the costs of treating diseases therefore decrease.

The consequence, however, is that we will probably also die later. That in turn increases costs, for example in the pension system. But these are solvable challenges. I am an economics expert and have seen models, and also calculated some scenarios myself, that make this possible without increasing the burden on society – quite the opposite. It may mean working longer, but if you are healthy and live longer, that can also be enjoyable. There are also many healthy older people who are happy to engage extensively in voluntary work and thereby enrich society. This could increase substantially if older people remain healthy for longer.

Then there are the ethical questions surrounding whether we may manipulate genetic material. First, we have long been doing this with plants and animals, and also with humans, for example when we cure a person with leukaemia through stem cell therapy or intervene in epigenetics with an mRNA vaccination and reprogramme cells so that they can produce defence cells against new viruses. No one objects to that either. Nor is it against ‘God’s will’, because a skilled philosopher would immediately point out that a God who created the world must logically also have created our brain, with which these treatments were invented. It must therefore even be God’s will that we use this organ called the brain, just as hands can be used to make fire.

In my view, it always becomes problematic when third parties are harmed as a result. Using other people as a ‘spare-parts warehouse’, for example, is in no way acceptable. That absolutely must remain prohibited because otherwise suffering would arise, and the resulting bad reputation would also damage good, sensible and morally respectable treatments.”

“There are three essential pieces of advice. First, an enjoyable and healthy lifestyle comes before anti-ageing treatment, or is always the first part of it. Second, everyone should inform themselves thoroughly through books and guides, but also with the help of an open-minded doctor who medically supervises any potential treatment. And third, have an epigenetic age measurement performed to assess success if the budget allows it. There is no better motivation than seeing the results in black and white – in my case, it ultimately amounted to 8 years of rejuvenation. Yesterday I turned 59 chronologically and celebrated my biological 51st birthday. That was fun.”

What are your further plans regarding your health and longevity? Are there new technologies or treatments that you would consider?

“There are several exciting new studies whose results I am following carefully before I might decide on another treatment. After all, I have also gained a few years now in which to wait...

In addition to the follow-up study to TRIIM, called TRIIM-X, the ongoing metformin studies – for example TAME – and an ongoing study led by heart researcher Thomas Thum at Hannover Medical School are also worth mentioning. Ongoing mRNA studies likewise offer great hope.

Everything is now moving towards regenerative treatments, meaning not merely stopping the consequences of ageing but reversing them – the key term is ‘reverse ageing’.

I am convinced that we will see major quantum leaps over the next ten years in terms of life expectancy and health in old age.

Exciting times.”

A look into the future: anti-ageing potential and personal recommendations

What would you recommend to people who are also interested in extending their lifespan and improving their quality of life? Are there specific resources or tips you would like to share?

We hope you can gain valuable insights from this interview for your own personal longevity journey. Our sincere thanks to Mr Ingmar P. Brunken for taking the time to participate in this interview.

You can find more information on the scientific foundations of ageing in our article on the 12 causes of ageing, and more about determining your own biological age in our article What biological age reveals. You can read another fascinating discussion with a longevity expert in our interview with Prof. Henzler.