An antidepressant can actually lengthen the lifespan of an individual, according to a new study. Researchers of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre in Seattle studied Caenorhabditis elegans, a roundworm or nematode whose biology is similar to that of humans and other animals. The researches showed that an antidepressant drug called Mianserin extended the life span of the worm by about 30%.
The study published in the journal Nature said that the drug tricked the brain into thinking that the body is starving. They hoped to find whether the same mechanism could help people to live longer. Three other compounds including another antidepressant have similar effects.
The life-extending benefits of the drugs come at a cost of weight gain and increased appetite.
Source & image:reuters