14 DAY TRIAL // The quest for the fountain of youth is far from being over. In fact, scientists working with ETC Zurich now say that, according to their investigations into this issue, something as simple and as easily obtainable as vitamin B3 supplements might just do the trick as far as helping people live longer, healthier lives goes.
The researchers explain that, in order to investigate how vitamin B3, otherwise known as niacin, influences the aging process, they carried out a series of experiments on worms.
The species they chose is known to the scientific community as Caenorhabditis elegans. The creatures measures roughly 1 millimeter in length once they reach adulthood, and have an average life span of merely one month.
Therefore, they are quite perfect for research into aging and its impact on the body, the scientists explain.
As part of this investigation, the researchers introduced vitamin B3 in some of the roundworms' daily diet. Others were kept well fed and nurtured, yet weren't at any time administered niacin.
Eventually, the worms passed away of old age and the researcher had the chance to compare the life span of the creatures in the first group to the one of the roundworms that never received vitamin B3.
It was thus discovered that, on average, the worms exposed to both niacin and its metabolite nicotinamide lived 10% longer than their peers, EurekAlert reports.
Given the fact that, as pointed out before, these creatures have a fairly low life expectancy, the researchers were more than thrilled with the results they got.
Specialist Michael Ristow believes that this increase in the worms' life span was due to the fact that their regular intake of vitamin B3 affected their body much like a fitness routine would have.
“Niacin tricks the body into believing that it is exercising – even when this is not the case,” he says.
The researchers now wish to carry out similar experiments on mice and hope that it will not be long until they are able to roll out clinical trials involving human volunteers.