Can Deuterium Increase Your Lifespan?

For many centuries, mankind has sought an elusive "fountain of youth," a spring that imparts longevity-even everlasting life. This may be because the Bible refers to life-giving waters in Revelation.¹ Studies have revealed deuterium, an isotope of hydrogen (in the form of water, D₂O), can increase the longevity of lower forms of life. This raises hope that deuterium can increase the human lifespan, as well.

From Russia with Love?

The Daily Mail discusses the science of former Oxford scientist Mikhail Shchepinov in its November 27, 2008 article. He cites earthworms given a deuterium treatment experiencing an increase in their lifespan of 10 percent. In fact, Drosophila melanogaster (the ordinary fruitfly) has its lifespan lengthened an incredible 30 percent!

The article "A Circadian Clock of Drosophila: Effects of Deuterium Oxide and Mutations at the period Locus", in Chronobiology, adds support to his studies. That article says, "Deuterium increased life span, except at high concentrations (40 and 50%)."

Longer Life? - How Does It Work?

Why does this occur? The explanation given involves the attack on body cells by "free radicals." Free radicals, especially oxygen free radicals, are known to damage bio-organisms. Deuterium oxide (which is not radioactive) is heavier than ordinary water and reduces that damage. An article appearing in the New Scientist magazine² informs us,

"One of the worst types of damage is something called protein carbonylation, in which an oxygen radical attacks vulnerable carbon-hydrogen bonds in a protein." Shchepinov suggest this process would be slowed down by increasing the strength of covalent bonding in water molecules. Such covalent bonds are greatly strengthened by the isotope effect when replacing ordinary hydrogen atoms of atomic weight one (protium) with heavy hydrogen atoms of atomic weight two, deuterium.

Not Without a Downside - Yet...

Deuterium is not without its toxic effects, yet it is considered comparatively safe in mammals if the percentage of water replaced is less than 20 percent. Shchepinov suggests 'heavy water' would be best introduced by feeding it to animals and then consuming their flesh. There would be an added benefit to this procedure. The deuterium would largely no longer be in the form of water, but of carbon-bonded deuterium. The deuterium humans would ingest would not be wasted on body moisture, but it would be part of our amino acid makeup.

Even skeptics are fascinated by the possibilities this may afford the human race. While hardly matching the waters of life promised in the Revelation, an increase in life of ten to thirty or more percentage points would hardly be something to sneeze at, even if our lives are full of "trouble and hurtful things." -Psalm 90:10.

¹ Rev. 7:17
² Supercentenarian - Would Eating Heavier Atoms Lengthen Our Lives?