Age-reversing Bryan Johnson leaves Nikhil Kamath's podcast midway due to air pollution: 'My eyes, throat...'

Bryan Johnson’s comments sparked debate on social media, with reactions ranging from support to criticism.

American tech entrepreneur and longevity advocate Bryan Johnson ended a podcast interview prematurely during his recent trip to India, citing severe discomfort caused by the country’s air pollution. Johnson, who spends over $2 million annually on health and wellness, shared his experience on X (formerly Twitter), expressing concerns over India’s air quality and its long-term impact on public health.

Johnson had been recording an episode of "WTF is", a podcast hosted by Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath, when he was forced to end the session early due to the poor air conditions inside the studio.

“When in India, I did end this podcast early due to the bad air quality. @nikhilkamathcio was a gracious host and we were having a great time. The problem was that the room we were in circulated outside air, which made the air purifier I'd brought with me ineffective,” he wrote.

Johnson detailed the air quality levels inside the studio, stating, “Inside, the AQI was 130 and PM2.5 was 75 µg/m³, which is equal to smoking 3.4 cigarettes for 24 hours of exposure.”

By his third day in India, Johnson said he was already experiencing the effects of air pollution. “The air pollution had made my skin break out in rash and my eyes and throat burn,” he revealed.

The entrepreneur expressed astonishment at how accustomed locals seemed to be to the hazardous air quality. “Air pollution has been so normalised in India that no one even notices anymore despite the science of its negative effects being well known,” he wrote.

He highlighted the widespread exposure, particularly among vulnerable groups. “People would be outside running. Babies and small children exposed from birth. No one wore a mask, which can significantly decrease exposure. It was so confusing,” he added.

Johnson also questioned why air pollution was not treated as a national emergency by the Indian government. “The evidence shows that India would improve the health of its population more by cleaning up air quality than by curing all cancers,” he stated. “I am unsure why India’s leaders do not make air quality a national emergency. I don’t know what interests, money, and power keep things the way they are, but it’s really bad for the entire country.”

When in India, I did end this podcast early due to the bad air quality. @nikhilkamathcio was a gracious host and we were having a great time. The problem was that the room we were in circulated outside air which made the air purifier I'd brought with me ineffective.Inside, https://t.co/xTkpW567Xv
Bryan Johnson /dd (@bryan_johnson) February 3, 2025

After returning to the United States, Johnson reflected on how normalisation of public health crises is not unique to India. He compared the country’s air pollution crisis to America’s obesity epidemic.

“When I returned to the U.S., my eyes were fresh to see what is normalised to me. I saw obesity everywhere. 42.4% of Americans are obese,” he noted. “In many contexts, obesity is worse than air pollution in the long term.”

Johnson’s comments sparked debate on social media, with reactions ranging from support to criticism. Some users dismissed his concerns, with one writing, “Bro, just chill out. Stop measuring the air quality everywhere you go and start enjoying the place.”

Others pushed back against his claims, with one user remarking, “With what you have stated... every Indian would have died by the age of 30 itself. Don’t over exaggerate!”

However, some agreed with his concerns and asked, “What steps are needed to improve air quality, especially in metro cities?”