If you were to spend 100 days underwater, you might anticipate emerging looking a bit different. You could become slimmer due to less physical activity and perhaps have dark circles under your eyes from lack of sleep, but that might be about it. However, Dr. Joseph Dituri claims his time underwater resulted in more substantial changes, suggesting he experienced a form of ‘de-aging.’
Last year, Dr. Dituri embarked on a mission to live underwater for 100 days in a habitat located 30 feet below a lagoon in Florida. This wasn’t merely a recreational endeavor; he aimed to investigate how prolonged exposure to extreme pressure would affect his body. During his stay, he not only set a world record but also identified a ‘brand new species.’
His primary objective was to research a medication intended to enhance oxygen delivery to the body under high pressure by stimulating the growth of new blood vessels, and he was taking this medication during the experiment. The former naval officer lived in a nine-meter by nine-meter room at the bottom of the water, which could only be accessed via scuba gear.
When Dituri wasn’t monitoring his health, he received assistance from medical, psychological, and psychosocial experts. Additionally, he taught lessons to school children through video link on his laptop.
According to a press release from last year, “Part of the work involved a psychologist and a psychiatrist evaluating the effects of living in an environment similar to long-term space travel. It’s an isolated, extreme environment that is critical for understanding how humans will adapt to interplanetary living and make significant medical discoveries.”
Upon completing his underwater mission in June, Dr. Dituri reported a 50-percent decrease in all inflammatory markers based on blood tests. He noted various health improvements, including longer telomeres, which are associated with longevity.
Recently, in an interview with WKMG News in Orlando, Dr. Dituri remarked, “I’m 56 now. My extrinsic [biological] age was 44. After coming out of the water, my extrinsic age was 34. So, my telomeres lengthened. I actually got younger underwater.”
While Dituri acknowledges that his telomeres aren’t as long as they were immediately following the mission, they are still longer than before he began his research. He attributes this remarkable ‘age reversal’ to living in a high-pressure or ‘hyperbaric’ environment.