Live Longer, Eat Dirt

Scientists recently announced that a compound found in the soil of Easter Island has been found to extend the life of lab mice. The compound, called Rapamycin, was found in the 1970's and has also been found to have anti-fungal properties and is used to address tissue rejection in transplant patients.

Interestingly, the effect appears to be somewhat gender specific. Female lab rats jad their life expectancy extended by 14 percent after being treated by the drug. Male lab rats had their life expectancy extended by 8 percent. (Other sites report that the drug extended life expectancy by 28-38 percent, proving that reporters can give different numbers given the exact same facts.)

Before you start eating dirt you might want to consider the side-effects. Rapamycin is an immune suppressant, which is why it is used by organ donor recipients. Sure, you might address the effects of aging, but die from the common cold.

Nancy Nadon, of the National Institute on Aging, and a co-author of the study, suggested that other compounds might exist that targeted the same cellular pathway without the harmful side-effect. (Rapamycin works by targeting a cell protein called mTOR.)

Scientists studying aging have also found that restricted caloric intake helps reduce the effects of aging, as does a compound found in Red Wine (Resveratrol). Unlike Rapamycin, Resveratrol only worked to address the effects of aging on obese mice.


Sounds like the secret to immortality is to be obese while on a restricted caloric intake while drinking red wine and eating dirt from Easter island.


(Sources: http://www.latimes.com/news/science/wire/sns-ap-us-sci-older-mice,1,712035.story , http://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2009-07/fountain-youth-found-easter-island )