London: (RightNow) A new study reveals that Earth’s magnetic field can influence the rate of human aging. Scientists at the University of Nottingham conducted experiments on fruit flies, discovering that shielding from the magnetic field could increase lifespan by 20%.

According to the research, avoiding the magnetic field is challenging as it penetrates buildings and bodies. Professor Lisa Chakrabarti states that while we constantly live within the magnetic field, its effects are not well understood.

Scientists placed flies in a magnetic shield that blocks Earth’s field and compared results with flies outside. Flies with a Pink1 gene defect lived 20% longer in the shield.

Experiments on healthy flies showed improved climbing ability when shielded from Earth’s magnetic field, but no increase in lifespan was observed.

It is noteworthy that mitochondria, the energy-providing structures within cells, have previously been identified as affected by the magnetic field.