Biohacking billionaires like Bryan Johnson and Tim Gurner could spend fortunes trying to reverse their age, but this is probably the one hack that they could never do.
Latest research from Yale University shows that popping out a whole foetus actually reverses a woman’s biological age.
In an article published by Nature, Yale University scientists first collected blood samples from 119 participants at different stages of their pregnancy. Next, they analysed “epigenetic” changes in those pregnant women’s cells. In simple terms, they examined how external factors — like behavioural and environmental — affected pregnant women’s bodies.
The scientists then studied DNA-methylation patterns of pregnant women to determine their biological age instead of their actual age.
They found that although carrying a whole unborn child in your body increases one’s biological age by up to two years, giving birth reverses that. Over half of the blood samples — 68, to be exact — saw their biological age reduced by three to eight years just months after giving birth. Women who exclusively breastfeed their babies, unfortunately, might see less obvious age reversal.
So, maybe being preggers is the ultimate age reversal method. We cheer! Perhaps it’s time to ditch those anti-ageing creams in exchange for a babe in your arms?
Biohacking: Why and how?
The study’s findings are especially interesting if you consider the growing “biohacking” movement in tech circles, mainly championed by billionaire men including Sergey Brin, Bryan Johnson and Dave Asprey.
The ultimate goal of biohacking is to live as long as possible, and do so in peak physical condition. In short, they want to be forever young!
Thus, they are known to go to extreme and often expensive lengths to reverse their biological clock. “Superhuman” diet and workout regimes, sophisticated machines to monitor their health 24/7, penis rejuvenation therapy — you name it, they’ve *probably* already done it.
In Australia billionaire property magnate Tim Gurner is also a proud biohacker. He even runs a private social club in Melbourne for his wealthy biohacking mates, offering a range of anti-ageing services including red light therapy, IV drips and hyperbaric oxygen chambers. These anti-ageing packages can cost up to AU$250,000.
Uhhhh, have they ever tried getting pregnant? Oh, wait… being a woman is not so bad after all, I guess. *Shrugs*
However, while this research is intriguing, Stanford University epidemiologist Andres Cardenas told Science that this perinatal study is not an entirely reliable measure of health. External factors such as lifestyle, diet and environment play a role in our biological age.
The research doesn’t indicate whether the decrease in biological age post-pregnancy would impact health, or lifespan, later in life. So, more in-depth research is needed, said Yale University’s Kieran O’Donnell, a co-author of the study.
Finally: only have a baby when you’re mentally and financially ready and able to.
Image: Kelvin Murray/Getty Images
