Man who spent 93 days underwater says experiment left him feeling 10 years younger

A man who spent 93 days living in an underwater pod says he now feels 10 years younger.

Retired naval officer turned-scientist Joseph Dituri has spent over three months in his 100sqft pod in the Atlantic Ocean. His time in the water was used as part of a study into the effects a pressurised environment has on the human body.

During the process, he also reached a world record for living underwater - dwarfing the previous holder's 73 days, according to the Mirror. After getting back to dry land, Dituri was assessed by medics who measured his vitals and telomeres - the DNA sequence that attach to the end of chromosomes.

Telomeres usually dwindle as we age, but Dituri's are now 20 per cent longer than when he submerged in March. He added that he also has 10 times more stem cells than at the start of the research.

Other beneficial effects of the deep-sea hibernation were that he now gets 60 to 66 per cent deep REM sleep at night, a 72-point drop in cholesterol and that his inflammatory markers have been slashed in half. The massive changes in his physical health are attributed to the pressure, which is known to have a number of positive effects.

One similar form of treatment is the hyperbaric chamber, which improves brain health, leading to better cognition. Dituri's research allowed him to see how human bodies respond to pressurised environments for a longer period of time.

Dituri waves to a deep sea diver outside the window of his pod (AP)

His pod was similar to what spacemen and women will experience while travelling to Mars. Speaking to the Daily Mail about the pod he called home for 93 days, he said: "You need one of these places that is cut off from outside activity.

"Send people down here for a two-week vacation, where they get their feet scrubbed, relax and can experience the benefit of hyperbaric medicine."

Dituri recorded several improvements to his health (AP)

During the getaway, he worked out for an hour five days a week but could only use exercise bands. He has still maintained the mass he developed down there weeks later.

He added that his metabolism has increased, allowing his body to become "leaner". His stem cells, which are already touted as a way of reversing visible aging, have multiplied by 10.

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