Scientist who broke record for living underwater claims it de-aged him
A scientist believes he's extended his lifespan by about 20 percent after breaking the record for spending the most time living under the sea.
Retired naval officer Joseph Dituri has spent 93 days living in a 100 square foot pod beneath the surface of the Atlantic Ocean as part of a study into what a pressurized environment does to the human body.
On top of that he broke the previous record for the longest amount of time someone had spent living underwater, with the target to beat being 73 days.
He's planning to spend 100 days down there but he reckons it'll have been time well spent because it could have done wonders for his lifespan when he gets back up here.
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Dituri told the Daily Mail that the effect living under the sea has had on his body really proved The Little Mermaid right when they said it's better down where it's wetter.
By that we mean that since he entered the underwater pod in march his health has improved in a number of significant ways.
Tests being done on his body while he's down there have found that his telomeres, compounds at the end of his chromosomes which shorten with age, are now 20 percent longer than they used to be.
On top of that he's got more stem cells, is having deeper sleeps and his cholesterol has dropped significantly which all sounds pretty darn good news.
That's in part because the pod the 55-year-old is living in under the sea is like a hyperbaric chamber with the levels of pressure.
Scientists have previously tested time spent in hyperbaric chambers and what it does to the body, finding that it can re-lengthen a person's telomeres and theoretically expand their lifespan as it slows down the aging process.
Pressurized chambers like the one Dituri is currently living in under the sea are seen as a key component in anti-aging trials which test to see whether human lifespans could be increased or the aging process staved off.
"You need one of these places that is cut off from outside activity," Dituri told the Mail as part of his recommendation into how his home for 100 days could bring some health benefits.
"Send people down here for a two-week vacation, where they get their feet scrubbed, relax and can experience the benefit of hyperbaric medicine."
Having more stem cells is also a very good sign for health and longevity, so maybe we should all start thinking about living under the sea.
You can learn more about his incredible undersea living on his Instagram page.
Joe Harker