According to a recent study conducted at Harvard Medical School, oxygen reduction may extend lifespan and improve neurological function.
- Living in a low oxygen environment prolongs lifespan and improves neurological function in mice.
- Rodents genetically engineered to have abnormally short lifespans lived 50% longer than expected when placed in an oxygen-poor environment.
- The mechanisms behind the protective effects of oxygen deprivation remain to be discovered.
Oxygen is an essential element for our survival… However, creating a slight lack could be the key to living longer, according to the work published by researchers from Harvard Medical School and published in the journal PLOS Biology on May 23, 2023. They assure that oxygen restriction prolongs the life expectancy of mice.
Oxygen: you need it… but not too much to live long
To assess the consequences of a decrease in oxygen levels on longevity, the researchers placed mice genetically modified to have an abnormally short lifespan (3 to 4 months instead of 2 years) in a hypoxic environment with a oxygen concentration of only 11%. This corresponds to an installation in a base camp of Mount Everest. The rodents, subjected to these living conditions, lived 50% longer than expected.
Besides increasing longevity, oxygen reduction could also have beneficial effects on neurological functions. “Mice living in a low-oxygen environment also retained neurological function longer, as measured by their performance in a standard test of coordination and strength”explains the communicated of the American establishment.
Oxygen restriction and longevity: mechanisms to understand
Seeking to understand the mechanisms behind this effect, the scientists first looked at the diet to see if the rodents had eaten less. Indeed, previous studies have shown that a lower calorie intake contributes to the extension of lifespan in several animals.
“To the researchers’ surprise, the mice living in the hypoxic chamber ate slightly more food than those living under normal oxygen concentrations.”, the statement said. The team then put forward various hypotheses, such as the activation of certain metabolic pathways or the modification of the genetic structure of cells. It expects new trials to provide further information on these mechanisms.
Although the results of this study are encouraging, it is important to emphasize that this does not mean that we all have to live in a low oxygen environment. However, these discoveries – if confirmed – could open up new avenues for fighting aging and neurological diseases.
