While most of us struggle to challenge ourselves to hit the gym three times a week, often failing, in 2023, Dr. Joseph Dituri decided to push his limits by spending 100 days living 30 feet (9.1m) underwater in Florida’s lagoon.
A Grand Ambition
Joseph Dituri, a biomedical engineer and former U.S. Navy veteran, undertook a 100-day underwater living challenge to conduct scientific research aimed at breaking the current world record of 73 days set by two biologists in Tennessee in 2014.
According to the plan, Dituri had to reside in the “hotel” Jules’ Undersea Lodge in Key Largo, Florida, which previously held the record. This challenge required the scientist and former naval officer to dive into a room measuring 9m x 9m and monitor his body’s reactions to extreme pressure while living underwater for an extended period, all under the supervision of medical, psychological, and social experts. To prevent water from entering the hotel, air had to be pumped in regularly to create a pressure about 1.6 times that at the Earth’s surface.
Dr. Joseph Dituri lived underwater for 100 days for scientific research.
Dr. Dituri undertook this challenge partly out of curiosity and partly to understand how prolonged underwater living could affect his body. Ultimately, he aimed to research a type of drug that might help supply oxygen to the human body under high pressure by promoting the growth of new blood vessels.
In a press release from last year, experts emphasized: “A crucial part of the experiment will be to monitor the psychological effects he experiences in an environment similar to prolonged space travel.”
“It is an extremely isolating environment with restrictions in every aspect. Humanity is a social species. Isolating an individual from their comforts and connections to their community will undoubtedly provoke certain psychophysiological responses. If we want to explore the vast universe out there, we need to understand the mental obstacles that could impact the journey.”
Surprising Results
Upon returning from his underwater adventure in June of last year, Dr. Dituri announced that blood tests revealed a 50% reduction in all signs of inflammation in his body.
He claimed his health had significantly improved after the 100-day journey, including having longer telomeres—structures on chromosomes often associated with longevity.
Speaking to reporters at WKMG News in Orlando, Dr. Dituri noted: “I am currently 56 years old. My biological age is 44. When I emerged from the water, my biological age was 34. The experiment proves that I was younger after spending a long time underwater.”
Dr. Dituri confirmed that while his telomeres were not as long as when he first publicized the results in June, they were indeed longer than before he began the study.
The Modern “Fountain of Youth”
The fountain of youth is a story, a legend, and also a popular concept associated with humanity’s eternal quest for a source of water or method that bestows everlasting youth and immortality.
And now, the “fountain” has revealed itself…
After living underwater, blood tests indicated a 50% reduction in all signs of inflammation in his body.
Dr. Dituri believes that his remarkable “reverse aging” phenomenon is due to living in a high-pressure environment, often referred to by the term “hyperbaric.”
“Many studies have shown the positive effects of pressure on the growth and survival of cells. My experiment could be the key to unlocking the secrets of human longevity,” he shared.
