Desperate for a magical potion to help them live longer, many frantically try a range of new things in the belief it will give them an extra 10 years of life.
But now scientists believe they’ve found out exactly how you can extend your lifespan – but it won’t be an easy change for many.
Refraining from having sex will help you live longer than all of your peers, a study has found.
And experts believe it could explain why nuns – who stay away from the act completely – tend to live longer.
Researchers from the University of Sheffield discovered that mealworm beetles live for longer if they avoid mating.
While those who tried to produce offspring each day passed away at a much younger age.
Mating was found to release a hormone in the insects needed to produce sperm in a male or eggs in a female.
But this was also found to have a negative effect on their immune system, the researchers found.
This makes them vulnerable to potentially deadly infections as their body’s natural ability to fight rogue bacteria is compromised.
Despite the mechanism not being the same in humans, study author Dr Michael Siva-Jothey believes the principle can be applied.
He said: ‘Nuns tend to have a longer lifespan than women with children and most people know of someone with a maiden aunt who seems to live forever.
‘The question is, why? The beetles which mate die sooner than the beetles which don’t mate.’
Humans also have weaker immune systems during sex, which explains how STIs can be easily spread, he added.