Key points from article :
Raising short-lived species on a low dosage of heavy water appears to modestly slow aging.
May provide greater resistance to oxidative damage or may be the effect of hormesis.
As yeast cells age the overall heavy isotopic content declines in their amino acids.
Studies have shown:
– transient exposure to heavy water at juvenile stages extends lifespan of fruit flies
– deuterated polyunsaturated fatty acids can protect yeast and mammalian cells from reactive oxygen species (ROS) damage to mitochondria
– 25% heavy water normalized high blood pressure in rats
Heavy isotopes are atoms with extra neutrons, for example deuterium (present in heavy water) and carbon-14 (used in carbon dating)
The study was published in the BioEssays journal.
