In a recent article by James Chapman - science correspondent of the Daily Mail - it was revealed that two over-the-counter pills might provide the cure for old age. The dietary supplements on sale at health food shops, put the spark back into ageing rats. Now experts believe they may do the same for people.

The pills are Acetyl-L-Carnitine, taken as a therapy for low energy levels and heart disease, and Alpha Lipoic Acid, a fatty acid used to protect the eye. Both contain chemicals normally found in the body's cells.

The supplements, when combined, produced amazing results. Professor Bruce Ames, a molecular biologist at the University of California at Berkeley, who led the research, said: "The brain looks better, they are full of energy - everything we looked at looks more like a young animal."