Do you want the Longevity Pill to Live Longer?
Do you believe that there is a magic potion that can make you live longer? For as long as humans have been able to think, to ponder and to speculate, we have wondered what it would be like to live forever. Well maybe not forever, BUT there are many stories out there about some legendary figures who lived for hundreds of years. Never proven of course, but there are stories and legends about longevity. For thousands of years, there have been fables about the existence of some magic potion, elixir of life, or the fountain of youth. We have all heard of these stories.
Is there such a thing as the Longevity Pill?
Well, if there really is a magic potion of longevity out there, most people would like to find it! So there have always been legends about the fountain of youth, or the elixir of life. I am not sure about the truth of these stories. But in the modern world, I believe that the legends continue, and for the purposes of this article, I am going to call it the Longevity Pill.
Is it possible for people to live forever?
It doesn’t really matter whatever you choose to call it – because the Magic Potion or the Fountain of Youth is a myth! And so are all the other legends about extremely long lived figures in history. Generally speaking, these legends are completely up-proven, and unable to be verified by any documented evidence. Let’s face the facts, before the days of accurate census, it would be fairly easy to change the birth records. There have been proven cases of fathers passing identities onto sons, and so on. Back in the days of hereditary privilege and hereditary power, there was a lot of incentive to retaining ones position of power at all costs. The legends of incredibly long lived deities were just that – legends! And the stories of super long lived heroes make great stories, but that is about all they are good for! There are books written about this subject!
Is there really a Fountain of Youth?
What is the truth about the Fountain of youth, the elixir of life, or some other sort of magical potion? In truth, these claims are up there with Alchemy – sounds good in theory, but never actually been scientifically proven. The only substantiated evidence comes from people who swear by the longevity effects of mineral springs, or some kind of tonic water with health benefits. Perhaps this part of it is true, because there are known facts about the people who live in the Blue Zones of longevity, where they live significantly longer than average. They must be doing something right, and living a long healthy lifestyle.
The search for the Longevity Pill
Despite the problems with the myths and legends, this has not stopped people from continuing the search for the Longevity Pill. Believe it or not, there have been some natural elements that have provided some excitement in the scientific community. There was a lot of excitement around a natural chemical found in a bacteria on Rapa Nui – or Easter Island. Rapamycin was named in honour of the remote island in the Pacific Ocean. Rapamycin gained extreme notoriety When it was found to almost double the life span of primitive life forms such as yeast and worms. When it was also found to extend the life span of mice, scientists thought they had found the mythical fountain of youth. Alas it was not to be, as there are too many side effects. However it demonstrated to scientists that there was a pathway to extending longevity in animals, which was very exciting.
Image courtesy of jk1991 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Metformin and Resveratrol
Another natural chemical derived from plants has been an excellent drug for treating the problems with Type 2 Diabetes is metformin. This drug has also been shown to extend longevity through a combination of avoiding life threatening illnesses, as well as prolonging life span – again very exciting! And then more recently, a chemical derived from the skin of red grapes – one of the polyphenol group of chemicals has been shown to add up to ten years to the average lifespan. This one is known as Resveratrol and it is perfectly safe to take as a supplement. As you can see, these are chemicals derived from natural based sources, and can have some positive effects on our longevity.
So – we come back to the original question – is there such a thing as a Longevity Pill?
At this point in time, I don’t think there is any such thing as the fabled fountain of youth, or magic potion to extend life indefinitely. But there are definitely some exciting areas of research going on out there at the moment.
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