Biochemistry: The Elixir-of-Youth Effect

For years, food manufacturers have used a chemical called butylated hydroxytoluene, or BHT, to prolong the storage life of fats in a variety of products—from shortening to salad oil to potato chips. Now researchers are beginning to wonder if the preservative cannot also be used to prolong the life of man. That possibility is suggested by Biochemist Denham Harman of the University of Nebraska medical school. With regular feedings of BHT, he was able to lengthen the life span of a strain of laboratory mice by 50%. "In human terms," says Harman,...