Dr Joseph Dituri spent a record-breaking 100 days under water (Picture: AP)
The secret to de-ageing yourself on a cellular level has apparently been revealed by a Florida scientist.
It’s a simple enough trick – just live underwater.
Retired Navy diver Dr Joseph Dituri spent a record-breaking 100 days in an undersea lodge, situated at the bottom of a 30ft-deep lagoon in Key Largo, Florida – a high-pressure environment.
He credited this trip to reversing his body’s age on a cellular level, which he claims is now more than 20 years younger than his actual age.
Blood tests reportedly showed a 50% decrease in every inflammatory marker in his body, and 17 times the number of stem cells than he would expect to have.
‘So basically, [I have] stem cell proliferation, reduction in pain, reduction in inflammation and toxins inhibition,’ said Dr Dituri in an interview with WKMG News in Orlando.
‘I’m 56 now. My extrinsic [biological] age was 44. When I got out of the water, my extrinsic age was 34. My telomeres lengthened. I actually got younger when I was under the water.’
Dr Dituri claims his stint offered multiple health benefits (Picture: AP)
Telomeres are structures made from DNA sequences and proteins found at the ends of chromosomes. Every time a cell divides, they get shorter.
Once they’re gone, the cell dies – so by lengthening the telomeres, the cells will live for longer, and the ageing process slows down.
The scientist claimed that his telomeres are not as long as they were when he first came out, but they are still longer than they were before. He does not appear to have provided any additional information or evidence about his research or measurements.
Dr Dituri believes that this age reversal was due to living in a high-pressure environment – also known as a ‘hyperbaric’ environment.
These chambers, which are filled with pressurised air, have been around since 1662, and the health benefits have been well documented, although through anecdotal evidence rather than high-quality clinical trials.
Now Dr Dituri has suggested research should be conducted looking into the ‘mechanisms of action’ – what is going on on a molecular level that leads to health effects.
However, he did shrink three-quarters of an inch while underwater (Picture: Youtube/News6WKMG)
He said hyperbaric therapy is something worth exploring for diseases such as ulcerative colitis, a chronic bowel disease linked to inflammation.
Dr Dituri also claimed to have 17 times the number of stem cells he had before his underwater stay. Stem cells can develop into any other cell type in the body and are associated with regenerative medicine.
However, the high-pressure environment had also led him to shrink a considerable amount – in a reverse way to how astronauts grow when they’re in space.
‘I shrank by three-quarters of an inch, I had some significant problems, I cracked a tooth while I was down there,’ Dr Dituri told reporters.
During the interview, he said that he fasts until 3pm, drinking nothing but water, around a gallon a day, and bone broth until its time to eat.
Fasting is also thought to have anti-ageing benefits, but in the case of hyperbaric therapy, he said: ‘The science isn’t done, but we’re working on it. There’s a whole bunch of things that it can’t cure, but there’s some good uses for it.’
Metro.co.uk has contacted Dr Dimuri’s office for further information regarding the results.