Stanford Scientists Found A Seafood That Reversed Signs Of Aging

Researchers from Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Stanford University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences found that dietary supplements containing compounds from Ascidiacea, the marine animals commonly known as sea squirts and eaten in Japan and Korea as a raw seafood delicacy, reversed several visible signs of aging in older mice. The compounds in question are called plasmalogens, a type of fat molecule that forms an important part of cell membranes and occurs naturally throughout the human body, particularly in the brain, heart, and immune cells. Plasmalogen levels decline as people age, and reduced levels have been observed in neurodegenerative conditions including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, making them a target of increasing scientific interest. In the experiment, aged mice given plasmalogen supplements performed significantly better on the Morris water maze, a standard test of spatial learning and memory in which animals learn to navigate toward a hidden platform, with treated mice reaching the platform at speeds much closer to younger animals than to untreated aged ones. When the researchers examined the animals' brains, they found that mice given plasmalogens had more synapses, those synapses appeared to be in better condition, and inflammation in the brain was substantially lower than in untreated aged mice.

The finding that caught the widest attention was one the researchers did not initially set out to study: aged mice receiving plasmalogen supplements grew new black hair that was thicker and glossier than that of aged mice not receiving the supplement, a visible and unexpected external sign of what was happening internally. Lead researcher Professor Lei Fu of Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University described the findings as providing the first detailed look at how plasmalogens may influence the aging brain, and said the research suggests that plasmalogen supplements might be a potential intervention strategy for halting and even reversing neurodegeneration. He outlined several possible mechanisms: plasmalogens appear to increase molecules that aid the growth and development of neurons and synapses, may increase the flexibility of synaptic membranes to improve nerve signal transmission, and may also affect the gut microbiome in ways that in turn influence brain health through the gut-brain axis. Fu has such confidence in the results that he takes a plasmalogen supplement himself every day. The research was conducted in mice, and improvements seen in animal models do not automatically translate to humans, meaning additional studies will be needed before any clinical conclusions can be drawn. But edible sea squirts are already part of the diet in parts of Japan and Korea, making the distance between this finding and potential human applications shorter than it would be for an entirely novel compound.

Source:https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260902234518.htm