"Transfusing Blood from 23-Year-Old Son to Slow Aging"
Experts Warn... "Safety and Efficacy Not Verified"
A woman in her 40s in the United States is reportedly planning to transfuse her son's blood to maintain her youth. On the 3rd (local time), British media outlet The Sun reported that Marcela Iglesias (47), who lives in Los Angeles, revealed plans to transfuse the blood of her 23-year-old son, Rodrigo, to slow down aging. Iglesias is an influencer with over one million social media followers and is known as the so-called ‘human Barbie.’
The Sun stated, “Iglesias claims that transfusing young blood can promote cell regeneration and improve bodily functions,” adding, “She is especially confident that it will be more effective because the blood donor is her own son.” Iglesias has invested about ?80,000 (approximately 146 million KRW) in cosmetic surgery so far.
Iglesias is planning her first transfusion surgery early this year and is currently looking for a doctor in Los Angeles. Blood transfusions are expected to take between 1 to 4 hours, while plasma transfusions will take about 30 minutes to 2 hours. Her son Rodrigo said, “I am happy to participate in my mother’s plan,” and also revealed that he plans to transfuse blood to his 75-year-old grandmother, Graciela.
Iglesias stated that she is usually very strict about her diet to prevent aging. She said, “I don’t drink sugary soft drinks,” and “I exercise for at least one hour a day and get eight hours of sleep.” She also emphasized, “Not only external factors but internal aspects are very important.”
This is not the first attempt of its kind by Iglesias. Brian Johnson (47), an American billionaire known for various eccentric acts to maintain youth, conducted a blood exchange experiment across three generations in 2023 with his 17-year-old son and 70-year-old father. They each drew about 1 liter of blood from their bodies, and plasma separated from the son’s blood was transfused into Johnson’s body, while plasma separated from Johnson’s blood was transfused into his father.
Johnson became a billionaire after selling his software company ‘Braintree’ to eBay for $800 million (approximately 985 billion KRW) in his 30s. He is known to spend $2 million (approximately 270 million KRW) annually on his ‘rejuvenation project’ to prevent aging. This includes advanced medical technology, strict dietary control, stress management, and consistent exercise, similar to Iglesias.
However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued clear warnings about such blood treatments. They state that treatments using plasma from young donors have not undergone sufficient verification for safety and efficacy. Johnson also stopped his blood exchange experiment due to a lack of noticeable effects.
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