It’s the ‘golden pill’ people take to live longer

More energy, weight loss, less body pain and discomfort, and even dark hair instead of gray. These are the supposed positive effects it would have rapamycin, better known as the “pill of longevity » which has become popular among those looking to live longer.

One of them is Robert Berger, a 69-year-old American who ensured The New York Times that Take one capsule once a week to live a healthier, longer life.

In fact, a close friend who runs a forum for people experimenting with the drug told him about the benefits of rapamycin and convinced him that he could delay aging and all age-related diseases.

Now that you’re on the pill, Do you really feel like you’re aging more slowly?

Rapamycin is a medicine used in patients who have undergone organ or bone marrow transplants. Usually, this prevents white blood cells from rejecting foreign tissues and organs.

According to the National Cancer Institute , It is a type of antibiotic, immunosuppressant and serine/threonine kinase inhibitor.

However, its use has become popular because some studies have shown that: At least in mice, this can extend lifespan by more than 20%. . This is why it is also called the “golden ingredient” or “the golden pill” for living longer.

Berger assures that he has not felt any extreme change that would make him say “I am a different person”, but he has noticed small details that make this difference: for example, His dentist told him that he had never seen such healthy gums and that he also felt much more energy during the day.

The man and other people interviewed New York Times They stated that, so far, rapamycin had mild but positive effects on their bodies, such as helping them lose weight, relieve pain, and grow dark hair, even when it had already turned gray.

However, There is not enough literature on the actual effects this may have on human longevity, and no data on how many people use this drug to age more slowly.

The evidence so far includes some animal and insect studies. : The first dates back to 2006, when scientists succeeded in extending the life of yeast using rapamycin.

Three years later, It was found that mice given the drug were able to live about 12% longer.

“Rapamycin was the first (of the drugs) to actually make a difference in terms of longevity and health span in both male and female mice.” assured the Dr. Dean Kellogg Jr., professor of medicine and geriatrics at the University of Texas .

It was then tested on worms, flies and other mice, and In almost all, rapamycin was successful in prolonging life.

The most decisive was the test on marmosets, the primates which are the animals closest to man. and that they benefited from the drug as part of a study that is still in force, as they analyze the long-term effects and risks of its use.

From all this, scientists postulate that This medication may increase life expectancy by inhibiting the mTOR complex, a biological pathway in the body involved in cellular health. Basically, it seems to decrease inflammation in the body and speed up the elimination of cellular waste.

This could help people who are aging rapidly due to illnesses, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, which are often linked to inflammation in the body.

It is also believed that can help the body eliminate toxic proteins that accumulate with age. This means it could also prevent Alzheimer’s disease.

As explained by New York Times, Rapamycin enthusiasts believe the strongest evidence for the drug’s effects is a 2014 study in which Adults aged 65 and older took an mTOR inhibitor and were able to boost their immune systems better than with a flu vaccine.

“It really suggests that in humans, these drugs, mTOR inhibitors, can improve something that is getting worse in older people,” he said. Adam Konopka, assistant professor of geriatrics and gerontology at the University of Wisconsin .

This way, Several studies are underway to analyze its safe use in humans.

According to some scientists, Many people are lining up to start taking this medication once research shows its safety, benefits, and risks.

The latest research on this subject has revealed that Some side effects are: nausea, mouth sores, increased cholesterol, and insulin instability.

In addition, how rapamycin is used to weaken the immune system and thus prevent the rejection of organ transplants, some scientists fear that Its consumption increases the risk of infections and diseases.

Nevertheless, Matthew Kaeberlein, former researcher at the University of Washington who published the first study on rapamycin, stated that “With the way people use rapamycin off-label these days (i.e. usually once a week, in low doses), the risks are pretty low.”

What yes, that’s it those with underlying health conditions may be more affected you must therefore in all cases be careful when using it, especially if there is no medical support behind it.