Living for longer is something scientists have been working on for decades.
But now one company reckons it has the answer — in the form of a £2.45 berry-flavoured drink.
The manufacturer of uda, backed by researchers from Oxford and Harvard, claims it contains a potent cocktail of ‘longevity-promoting ingredients’.
These include a blended version of medicinal herb ashwagandha, amino acid l-theanine and anti-oxidant curcumin.
It boasts that these ingredients can ‘slow and potentially reverse the ageing process at a cellular level’.
uda, which costs £2.45 per can, is packed with ‘longevity-promoting ingredients’, such as medicinal herb ashwagandha, amino acid l-theanine and anti-oxidant curcumin. The drink, which is backed by scientists at Oxford and Harvard, claims to ‘slow and potentially reverse the ageing process at a cellular level’
The Office for National Statistics predicts the life expectancy of men born in 2070 in the UK will reach the age of 85 on average, while women will be nearly 88 when they die
Dr Avi Roy, the biomedical scientist behind the beverage, says his drink brings the ‘latest longevity technology to the masses’.
But experts told MailOnline they are ‘quite sceptical’ and don’t find the anti-ageing claims convincing.
There is no proof that the drink itself expands lifespan, as it has only been available for a matter of months. And robust studies would be near impossible, due to the number of factors that influence lifespan outside of the drink.
The company promises ‘instant access’ to ingredients that ‘target the core pathways of ageing’ to make ‘healthy longevity available to all’.
The drink, which first became available last year, is packed with seven ingredients which studies have found to aid anti-ageing effects.
It is backed by Professor Richard Barker, professor emeritus of medical innovation at the University of Oxford, and Professor George Church, head of genetics at Harvard University, who are on the company’s board.
These include ashwagandha, a medicinal herb found in India, Africa and the Middle East, that has been used for thousands of years under the belief it can ease stress, fatigue and insomnia.
The drink, which can only be bought as a pack of 24 on the company’s website for £59, also contains quercetin.
The compound, which is abundant in citrus fruits, tea and red wine, is known for its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties — which prevent cell damage.
Studies suggest quercetin may reduce cell damage — a hallmark of ageing — and remove harmful older cells from the body.
Alpha-ketoglutarate (AKG), a molecule produced by the body, is also contained in a can of uda.
Levels of AKG drop-off with age and studies have suggested that supplementing this molecule can reverse biological ageing.
In studies, mice that received a supplement of this molecule lived a tenth longer than those who did not and their healthy years lasted 40 per cent longer.
The other ingredients are L-theanine, an amino acid found in green tea, curcumin, an antioxidant found in turmeric, and a molecule called nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN).
Collectively, are thought to boost focus and attention, reduce cellular damage and boost the immune system.
uda contains vitamin D, which is made in the skin in response to sunlight and found in oily fish, red meat and eggs, encourages healthy ageing in the bones and muscles.
Dr Roy believes ageing is ‘modifiable’ and that people have the power to change their biological age — that which their body appears to be.
He says it is this age, rather than the one on our passport, that determines how old we really feel and determines the risk of age-related illnesses.
‘uda aims to make improving one’s biological age accessible for all,’ Dr Roy says.
Dr Roy’s told MailOnline: ‘At uda we believe that the biological degradation that comes with ageing is the single greatest cause of suffering for humans.
‘Our bodies naturally break down over time, leading to age-related diseases.
‘That’s why we decided to create uda longevity drink – to offer a revolutionary solution to slow and potentially reverse the ageing process at a cellular level.’
He said in just three to seven days, ‘many’ customers report better gym performance, cognition, concentration, mood and motivation to exercise.
‘Some have also reported better sleep and improved skin health,’ Dr Roy said.
Professor Gunter Kuhnle, an expert in nutrition at the University of Reading, told MailOnline the drink company provides ‘a lot of data on their website which is helpful — but I don’t find it convincing’.
NMN has long been a popular anti-ageing compound but studies of its effects in humans have been small and ‘don’t show any effect on actual ageing’, he said.
Professor Kuhnle said: ‘The studies they quote for the other compounds don’t really look for ageing in humans but mainly in model systems — or very specific parameters in humans (such as anxiety) or are rather small.
‘Apart from ashwagandha, of which I was not aware, these compounds have been around for some time and might have some effects in the body — but none that would really reverse ageing.’
He noted that there is a lack of information on the composition of the drink — which would be important to assess the claim — so it is unclear how much of each compound there is per can.
Professor Kuhnle said he is ‘quite sceptical’ about the company’s longevity claims as they also don’t provide ‘any evidence for an actual effect in humans’.
‘It’s about £10/L — a good bottle of wine is probably more value for money,’ he added.
Dr Duane Mellor, a registered dietitian and researcher at Aston Medical School in Birmingham, told MailOnline that only vitamin D and NMN — which is a basically a type of B vitamin — ‘have approved claims’.
He said: ‘It is important that consumers do not accept what can look like a large number of research papers as proof a supplement or product like this works.
‘Instead, it is important that they look for approved health claims based on a number of studies and evidence of biological effect.’
