吃了唐僧肉可以長生不老的故事向來只存在于神話中，然而科技或許能讓這一神話變成現(xiàn)實,。最近一項科學(xué)研究表明,，吃一種經(jīng)過特殊處理的肉類可能讓你增壽十年,。
科學(xué)家表示，食用一種富集了自然同位素的雞肉或牛肉能夠幫助人體抵御衰老的征兆,。這個研究是由牛津大學(xué)的科學(xué)家所做的,。領(lǐng)頭人是米克海爾·什切佩諾夫（Mikhail Shchepinov）。這一成果刊載在3月27日出版的《化學(xué)與工業(yè)》（Chemistry and Industry）雜志上,。
科學(xué)家表示,，多次食用這種特制的肉類能夠讓抵御衰老的優(yōu)點進一步發(fā)揚，因為這種肉類能夠強化人體的DNA,，讓DNA能與致癌的自由基相抗衡,。
這種同位素能夠強化DNA的結(jié)構(gòu)，彌補那些不牢固的鏈接,，這使得DNA能夠與衰老進行對抗,，研究人士說。尤其是,，這種同位素能夠阻止氧化的自由基產(chǎn)生破壞作用,。氧化的自由基能夠破壞DNA，這也被視為是人體衰老的一個主要的原因,。
科學(xué)家們稱這一突破“影響深遠”,。目前什切佩諾夫教授已經(jīng)在蠕蟲身上試驗了這一研究。他們發(fā)現(xiàn),，蠕蟲的壽命延長了10%,。科學(xué)家估計,，如果同樣的作用施加于人體上,，人類的壽命將延長10年，并且沒有明顯的副作用,。
要制造出這種肉類,，只需要在給動物喂食時,，在食料中加入同位素,。這會使同位素在動物體內(nèi)富集起來，從而形成自然的不含添加劑的雞肉牛肉,。這種同位素同樣可以用于寵物食品,。
什切佩諾夫說，人體DNA的分子鏈易受自由基的攻擊,，然而利用同位素來代替普通的原子后,，自由基將很難撼動分子鏈。“由于分子鏈更為牢固,，這能夠延緩人體氧化和衰老的進程,。”
但也有研究人員稱這一想法“異想天開”,。一位研究人類衰老的科學(xué)家表示，“我認為這種想法不可能實現(xiàn),。”
英文原文
Public release date: 25-Mar-2007
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Meat and two neutrons -- the key to a longer life
Long-life isotopes of a different variety
Indulging in an isotope-enhanced steak or chicken fillet every now and again could add as much as 10 years to your life. Scientists have shown for the first time that food enriched with natural isotopes builds bodily components that are more resistant to the processes of ageing. The concept has been demonstrated in worms and researchers hope that the same concept can help extend human life and reduce the risk of cancer and other diseases of ageing, reports Marina Murphy in Chemistry & Industry, the magazine of the SCI.
A team led by Mikhail Shchepinov, formerly of Oxford University, fed nematode worms nutrients reinforced with natural isotopes (naturally occurring atomic variations of elements). In initial experiments, worms' life spans were extended by 10%, which, with humans expected to routinely coast close to the centenary, could add a further 10 years to human life.
Food enhanced with isotopes is thought to produce bodily constituents and DNA more resistant to detrimental processes, like free radical attack. The isotopes replace atoms in susceptible bonds making these bonds stronger. 'Because these bonds are so much more stable, it should be possible to slow down the process of oxidation and ageing,' Shchepinov says.
The isotopes could be used in animal feed so that humans could get the "age-defying" isotopes indirectly in steaks or chicken fillets, for example, rather than eating chemically enhanced products themselves. Shchepinov says an occasional top-up would be sufficient to have a beneficial effect.
Ageing experts are impressed with the isotopic approach. Aubrey de Grey, the Cambridge-based gerontologist, says it could be very relevant to the rates of several chemical and enzymatic processes relevant to ageing 'It is a highly novel idea,' he says. 'But it remains to be seen whether it can be the source of practicable therapies, but it is a prospect that certainly cannot be ruled out.'
Charles Cantor, a professor of biomechanical engineering at Boston University, said: 'Preliminary data indicates that this approach can potentially increase lifespan without adverse side effects. If this is borne out by further experiments the implications are profound.'
Isotopes could also be used in pet food or as a means to protect workers or soldiers from radiation. Deuterium, a natural isotope of heavy hydrogen, having one proton and on neutron, whereas normal hydrogen has one proton and zero neutrons, could be used routinely.
Previous successes in extending lifespan have involved withdrawing food to the point of near starvation, a process called caloric restriction.
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