A team of scientists may have just discovered a new secret to extend human life span. Making sure that there is the right amount of iron in our blood could guarantee longevity.
The University of Edinburgh research team looked at data on the lifespan of as many as 1,75 million people, an absolutely impressive number.
Among these 60.000 subjects who have reached an unusually advanced age: in their body, scientists have found a clear link between blood iron levels and a longer life. These, in summary, the results one research published Thursday in the journal Nature Communications.
Towards the "pill" of longevity
The peculiarity of the research lies in the fact that the team discovered that more genes capable of regulating iron levels in the blood were often found in long-lived people. Now the team hypothesizes from this new awareness the next development of drugs that prolong the lifespan.
Iron in the blood and longevity: the missing link
The discovery of the Edinburgh team would seem to fill a gap of knowledge and finally explain sensibly the link between life span, diet and disease.
“We are very excited about these results as they strongly suggest that high blood iron levels reduce our years of healthy living. In the near future, keeping these levels under control could prevent age-related harm "
Paul Timmers, one of the main authors of the research, expresses enthusiasm in a press release. "We hypothesize that our results on iron metabolism may explain why very high levels of iron-rich red meat in the diet are linked to age-related conditions such as heart disease."
New bases
Timmers warned, however, that the implications for diet and any potential treatment are speculative for now, and far beyond the scope of this new study.
Even so, in any case, the study lays important foundations for future attempts to understand the mechanisms underlying longevity.
A secret, apparently, kept in iron.
