Scientists at Tel Aviv University found a way to biologically reverse aging at the cellular level, according to Yahoo News.
Israeli scientists gave humans oxygen therapy in a pressurized chamber to increase telomere length and eliminate senescent cells, the outlet reported.
Chromosomes by ustas7777777. Shutterstock
Telomeres – protective caps at the ends of chromosomes– shorten as humans age, which damages DNA and prevents cell regeneration, according to Yahoo News. Senescent cells – cells that stop dividing but do not die – build up in the body and further prevent regeneration, the outlet reported. (RELATED: Scientists Can Stop Cells From Aging)
The participants sat in a hyperbaric chamber for 90 minutes for five days per week over three months and breathed 100 percent pure oxygen through a mask. They did not change their other lifestyle habits.
Pure oxygen increases telomere length by 20 percent, according to the scientists. In comparison, six months of high-intensity training lengthens telomeres by 5 percent.
Lifestyle habits including smoking, lack of physical activity and poor diet case telomeres to shorten, according to the outlet. Many scientists believe shortened telomeres cause Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, arthritis, cancer and other diseases, Yahoo News reported.
“With this pioneering study, we have opened a door for further research on the prolonged cellular impact of the therapy to reverse the ageing process,” said Dr. Amir Hadanny, chief medical research officer of the Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Research, according to Yahoo News.“After dedicating our research to exploring its impact on the areas of brain functionality and age-related cognitive decline, we have now uncovered, for the first time in humans, biological effects at the cellular level in healthy ageing adults.”