Comparative Analysis of Medieval and Modern Scientific Research on Ageing Reveals Many Conceptual Similarities

Abstract

Ageing is the main risk factors for many degenerative diseases and thesearch for anti-ageing cures has been a quest for humanity since ancient times. It is wellknown that medieval elites were deeply interested in understanding the mechanisms of ageing and in developing anti-ageing interventions to extend healthy lifespan. However, it is little appreciated that many parallels exist between medieval science and current biomedical research on ageing: remarkably, similar aspects of human ageing were deemed interesting and worthy of investigation by both medieval and modern researchers. In this article, I examine the experiences of medieval Europe that have contributed to the formation and historical persistence of long-lasting attitudes about the ageing process. In particular, I highlight similarities between hypotheses formulated by medieval scholars and current research themes and interventions that have been experimentally proven to combat ageing. Specifically, I report how prominent medieval scholars such as Roger Bacon understood that ageing is a process influenced by both intrinsic (hereditary) and extrinsic (environmental) factors, and that hormesis, exercise,blood-derived factors, and dietary restriction can delay ageing. Thus, the experimental evidence recently gathered on the molecular mechanisms of ageing provides answers for longoutstanding questions that were already formulated by medieval scholars.