"We are all going to die. No one is happy about that. Today, the internet is full of claims about diets and supplements that will help us live longer. One writer suggested that there are at least 320 longevity clinics operating around the world; some charge $100,000 or more annually for access to their magic elixirs. Unfortunately, the search for a formula that can prevent death, or delay it for a very long time, has a long history of failures."
"210 BCE. Since mercury does not decay or tarnish it was mixed in anti-aging elixirs. Emperor Qin Shi Huang reportedly died at the age of 49 after consuming mercury pills intended to grant him eternal life. 300 CE, Ancient Rome. The blood of fallen gladiators was said to restore youthful vigor. It didn't. The Middle Ages. Gold never tarnishes; drinkable gold should therefore help the human body resist aging. Gold was mixed with nitric and hydrochloric acids. In 1566, Diane de Poitiers, King Henry II of France's mistress, died of chronic gold poisoning."
"Late 1880s, "The Age of Glands and Testicle Juice." Dr. Brown-Sequard claimed greater vigor, mental clarity and improved erections after injecting himself with an emulsion prepared from dog and guinea pig testicles. Other doctors grafted slices of monkey testicles onto the testicles of aging men claiming that this would slow senility and restore strength, memory and sexual function. It didn't."
Death is inevitable. The internet is full of claims about diets, supplements, and clinics promising longer life. At least 320 longevity clinics operate worldwide, with some charging $100,000 or more annually. Historical attempts at life extension have repeatedly failed, including mercury pills for Emperor Qin Shi Huang, drinking gladiator blood in Ancient Rome, and ingesting gold in the Middle Ages. Late-1880s glandular therapies and testicle grafting also failed to extend life. No supplement or anti-aging treatment has ever extended human life in randomized controlled trials. Caloric restriction and eating less remain among the most evidence-consistent strategies.
Read at Psychology Today
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