In society today you can take a pill for many things. You can take a pill to increase your vitamin levels. You can take a pill to increase your energy levels. You can even take to increase your happiness levels (St John’s Wort, in case you’re wondering).
In a study published in Nature Metabolism, scientists found in experiments with mice that by injecting them with a grape-seed extract that this increased their longevity by 60 percent.
The chemical is known as PCC1 and flushes out senescent cells that play a role in ageing.
By engaging with these cells PCC1 extended the lifespan of the mice.
Dr Yu Sun from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that the chemical “has high potential as a clinical intervention to delay, alleviate or prevent illnesses”.
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However, not all senescent cells are bad, but the scientists found that PCC1 only attacked the unhealthy cells.
Whilst these results are incredibly positive there are a couple of caveats to bear in mind.
Firstly, these are just initial tests.
Whilst Jerry might live for a bit longer, don’t expect to see these available in chemists any time soon.
Secondly, there are serious moral considerations to consider if a fountain-of-youth pill really was conceived and made available.
The existence of a pill to help people live for much longer would put pressure on health systems around the world.
Take the UK for example, the average life expectancy is 81.2 years.
If the average person’s lifespan was increased by 60 percent, it would take the average life expectancy up to 129.92.
That’s a mammoth increase and whilst the ageing process would be delayed that requires a significant re-thinking of society.
Also, if we think about how unequal our society already is, the reality is that this pill wouldn’t be available to everyone.
It would most likely be taken by the super-rich hoping to live forever; this again raises the moral question.
With the world in its current state, though, that question is for tomorrow, rather than today.