This story was originally published on D’Marge.

Good news, human being. Scientists have just discovered how to slow down the ageing process and it’s not just a ‘maybe’ this time.

According to the latest research published in Nature Medicine by the University of Minnesota Medical School, the natural progression of ageing caused by damaged cells could be reduced by consuming a product called Fisetin – a product that naturally occurs in fruits and vegetables.

And your mother’s plight to get you to down greens all those years ago? Looks like she was right all along.

‘These results suggest that we can extend the period of health, termed health span, even towards the end of life’

The science behind this astonishing find is rather interesting. When humans age they accumulate damaged cells. Once these cells reach a certain level of damage, they enter a damage phase of their own called cellular senescence. These ageing cells then release inflammatory factors that tell the immune system to clear those damaged cells.

In a younger body the immune system is healthier, thus making it able to clear damaged cells more efficiently. As you age though, this clearing process is less effective and the damaged cells begin to accumulate in the body. This in turn creates low level inflammation which releases enzymes that degrade the human tissue.

Researchers Paul Robbins and Laura Niedernhofer along with Mayo Clinic investigators James Kirkland and Tamara Tchkonia, found that natural fruits and vegetable which contain Fisetin would reduce the level of these damaged cells in the human body.

Their test subjects were older mice heading towards the end of their lives. These mice were treated with the Fisetin compound to determine if there was any improvement in health and lifespan.

“These results suggest that we can extend the period of health, termed health span, even towards the end of life,” said Robbins.

“But there are still many questions to address, including the right dosage, for example.”

Whilst the findings were first revealed earlier this year, its significance was muted due to the fact that researchers couldn’t figure out how the drug affected different tissue types and different cells in an ageing body. Until now.

The team at the University of Minnesota came up with a new procedure and can now say this:

“In addition to showing that the drug works, this is the first demonstration that shows the effects of the drug on specific subsets of these damaged cells within a given tissue.”

In other words, you won’t be immortal like Keanu Reeves but if you eat your fruits and vegetables now, you can still extend your life regardless of your age.

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