Retired US naval officer Joseph Dituri made headlines by spending 93 days in a pressurised pod at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, an adventure that not only broke records but also seemingly reversed the aging process. Dituri, 56, emerged from his underwater habitat significantly rejuvenated, showcasing findings in human physiology.
Dituri’s ambitious expedition was part of a study aimed at understanding the effects of prolonged exposure to a pressurised environment on the human body. Upon resurfacing, the results were nothing short of astonishing.
Medical tests revealed that Dituri’s telomeres, the protective DNA caps at the ends of chromosomes that typically shorten with age, had lengthened by 20 percent. This biological marker suggested he had effectively turned back the clock by a decade.
This was not Dituri’s only physiological improvement. His stem cell count surged dramatically, his cholesterol levels dropped by 72 points, and his inflammatory markers were reduced by half. Additionally, his sleep quality improved remarkably, with 60 to 66 percent of his nights spent in deep REM sleep, an essential phase for physical and mental restoration.
The remarkable health benefits Dituri experienced can be attributed to the high-pressure environment of his underwater pod, akin to the therapeutic effects of a hyperbaric chamber.
Hyperbaric medicine is known to enhance brain health and cognition, and Dituri’s extended stay underwater provided a unique opportunity to observe these benefits over an extended period.
“You need one of these places that is cut off from outside activity,” Dituri told the Daily Mail. “Send people down here for a two-week vacation, where they get their feet scrubbed, relax, and can experience the benefit of hyperbaric medicine.”
Despite the constraints of his 100-square-foot pod, Dituri maintained his physical fitness by working out with exercise bands for an hour, five days a week.
This regimen helped him preserve his muscle mass and achieve a leaner physique. His metabolism also saw significant improvements, contributing to his overall health transformation.
A biomedical engineer, whose nickname is “Dr Deep Sea”, had also spent a 100 days underwater last year from 1 March when he entered Jules’ Undersea Lodge, an underwater steel-and-glass hotel built 30 feet below the surface of a Key Largo lagoon.
He broke his own world record of 74 days last year and was championed by Guinness World Records for spending the longest time living in an underwater fixed habitat in May, 2023.
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