When most people think of oxygen, they think of breathing. But scientists are finding that when you breathe extra oxygen in a pressurised chamber — a treatment known as Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) — interesting things happen deep inside your body, especially in how your cells repair themselves.
One fascinating study that caught global attention came from researchers Dr. Hadanny and Prof. Shai Efrati. They published it in Scientific Reports (Nature Publishing Group) in 2020.
What the Researchers Did
The study looked at 35 healthy adults aged 64 and above who received 60 sessions of mild hyperbaric oxygen therapy over 90 days.
Each session lasted 90 minutes in a chamber where the air pressure was about 2 times higher than normal (2.0 ATA) and participants breathed nearly pure oxygen.
Blood samples were taken before and after the three-month period to look for changes in key biological markers linked to aging, inflammation, and DNA repair.
What They Found
After the 60 sessions, the researchers noticed:
A significant increase in telomere length (up to 38% in certain immune cells). Telomeres are protective “caps” on the ends of chromosomes — longer telomeres generally mean younger, healthier cells.
A reduction of senescent cells — these are “aged” cells that no longer divide properly and can cause inflammation or tissue damage.
Improved markers of tissue oxygenation and reduced chronic low-grade inflammation.
In simpler terms, the participants’ blood cells looked biologically “younger” after the oxygen sessions.
Why It Matters
This doesn’t mean HBOT reverses aging — but it suggests that giving your body more oxygen in the right conditions can trigger natural repair mechanisms that slow some cellular aging processes.
Think of it as a reset button for tired cells, helping them function more efficiently again.
A Gentle Reality Check
This was a small, well-designed clinical study, but it still needs to be repeated in larger groups and over longer periods.
The participants were healthy older adults, not patients with disease, so it’s not a medical cure — more of a longevity and resilience study.
Still, the idea that something as simple as controlled oxygen exposure could rejuvenate cell biology is both elegant and exciting.
Reference
Hadanny A, Efrati S. (2020). Hyperbaric oxygen therapy effects on markers of aging, telomere length, and senescent cell clearance: A prospective trial. Scientific Reports, 10: 19202. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33206062/.