“Aging Partially Reversed Using Hyperbaric Oxygen”
In a first, scientists say they have partially reversed a cellular aging process in humans. Every time a cell inside your body replicates there is a shortening of telomeres, structures that ‘cap’ the tips of our chromosomes. Now, scientists in Israel say they have been able to reverse this process and extend the length of telomeres in a small study involving 26 patients. In this study, the researchers were able to show that the genetic changes provoked by hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has extended telomeres, and also had a potentially positive effect on the health of the tissues themselves. It is an impressive claim – and something many other researchers have attempted in the past without success. But of course, it is worth noting that this is a small sample size, and the results will need to be replicated before we can get too excited. Researcher Shair Efrati, a physician from the Faculty of Medicine and Sagol School of Neuroscience at Tel Aviv University, said, “After the twin experiment was done by NASA, where one of the twins was sent out to the outer space and the other stayed on Earth, demonstrated a significant difference in their telomere length we have realized that changes in the outside environment may affect the core cellular changes that happen along with aging.”
