The human body is an amazing machine, designed to adapt, resist and evolve in the face of different environments. However, as we explore new frontiers, from ocean depths until the confines of spacewe must understand how these extreme environments affect our biology. This knowledge is essential if we want to expand our planet or venture on interplanetary missions. With this purpose in mind, Dr. Joseph Dituri, known on social media as ‘Dr. Deep Sea’, decided to undertake an unprecedented experiment, live 100 days underwater to study the effects of this experience on the human body.
On March 1, 2023, Dr. Dituri, a professor at the University of Florida and former Navy diver, began the ‘Neptune 100’ challenge at the Jules Undersea Lodge, an underwater habitat just over 9 square meters located at 10 meters underwater in Key Largo, Florida. During his stay, he was subjected to hyperbaric oxygen therapya treatment used for illnesses such as decompression, serious infections and difficult-to-heal wounds.
«A psychologist and a psychiatrist will monitor the effects you experience while in an environment similar to prolonged space travel. It is an extreme, isolated and confined environment. And as humans, we really need to figure out how we are going to live in that environment if we are going to expand our planet, if we are going to travel between planets, if we are going to find all the cures we need,” the organizers explained at the beginning of the experiment.
The surprising effects on the human body after living 100 days underwater
After 100 days under the Atlantic, Dr. Dituri managed to break the world record previous 73 days of stay in an underwater habitat. But the most surprising thing was the biological effects observed on his body. According to his statements to ‘WKMG News’: «I am now 56 years old. My biological age was 44. When I came out of the water, my biological age was 34. Therefore, my telomeres lengthened. “I actually became younger when I was underwater.”
The hyperbaric environment of the underwater shelter stimulated the production of stem cells at a rate 17 times greater than before the experiment, and increased telomere lengthstructures that normally shorten with age. Furthermore, his blood tests showed a 50% reduction in all inflammation markerssuggesting a significant improvement in your overall health.
However, it was not all benefits. In a video posted on his TikTok account, Dituri revealed a curious drawback of the experiment: «In the 100-day underwater mission, we came across a lot of good things. But the bad thing that happened to me was that I lost 2 centimeters. This temporary height loss was due to the constant compression of his body under the water pressurewhich was until seven times greater than that of the surface. Fortunately, his height returned to normal once he returned to dry land.
#lives #days #underwater #explains #happened #body #experiment #bad #happened #that..
