Long before longevity became a global industry, humanity had dreamed of prolonging life or even living forever.
European folklore imagined vampires sustaining eternal life by drinking blood, while alchemists searched for the mythical Philosopher’s Stone and the “elixir of life”, substances believed to preserve youth, cure disease and grant immortality.
These ancient aspirations still shape popular culture. J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone draws on the mythology of alchemy, while Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist presents the elixir of life as a universal cure that prevents ageing.
Yet Coelho’s novel also suggests that life’s real treasure lies not in immortality, but in fulfilling one’s “Personal Legend”, which is your life purpose and the deep dream you have always wanted to accomplish.
Today, that ancient quest has become a measurable and marketable pursuit.
“We may be the first generation that won’t die,” reads the Instagram bio of technology entrepreneur Bryan Johnson, who has attracted worldwide attention for his radical anti-ageing protocol, Project Blueprint.
His regimen has included frequent blood tests, numerous supplements, strict dietary rules, constant biological monitoring and experimental therapies. In one of his most controversial experiments, Johnson received plasma from his teenage son.
He is no longer searching for an enchanted stone or mythical water; he relies on biomarkers, algorithms, supplements and medical procedures.
Access to this vision of the future comes at a considerable price, though.
Biological-age tests, personalised nutrition plans, advanced screening, private longevity clinics and experimental treatments are increasingly marketed to those who can afford them.
The promise of a longer, healthier life is compelling. But as longevity becomes a lucrative global market, it raises urgent questions about inequality, scientific evidence and the commercialisation of ageing.
Newest global status symbol
“Life expectancy has increased, but the goal should be to build a society in which people age healthily, remain free from chronic illness, continue to be productive, participate actively in life and retain their vitality. Preventing illness is the most cost-effective approach,” Specialist Physiotherapist Hakan Ozdemir, Vice Chairman of MUSIAD (Independent Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association)’s Health Sector Board, tells TRT World.
Today, we are more exposed to one another’s lives than ever before. As modernisation reshapes the world, our understanding of wealth is also changing, increasingly embracing the idea of “quiet luxury”.
The ultimate status symbol is no longer simply what you own or display, but your health and well-being. Reflecting this shift, global luxury brands are investing in pharmaceuticals, anti-ageing technologies, high-end wellness centres and exclusive book clubs for their affluent clients.
But longevity is about more than preserving the body.
“Longevity today is not only about physical longevity; it is also about mental longevity,” Merve Cetinkaya, an interdisciplinary psychiatrist and applied sociologist, tells TRT World.
“People want a good quality of life, not merely a longer one. Protecting mental health also helps protect physical health, and both are closely connected to life expectancy.”
She notes that the lifestyles promoted on social media represent only one possible model and do not need to be adopted unquestioningly.
“We can create our own ways of living better. The most important thing is to understand our needs, enjoy our lives and develop a sense of meaning.”
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Cetinkaya also highlights a less visible dimension of longevity: spirituality.
“Spirituality can offer a way of connecting with others, with oneself and with transcendence. It can help people discover who they are and find meaning in life.”
The rise of longevity reflects a broader lifestyle movement that is rapidly gaining momentum in Türkiye.
To meet and formalise this growing demand, the country has taken significant legislative steps, most notably through the publication of the Wellness Centres Regulation on July 4.
Ozdemir notes that, as average life expectancy in Türkiye has risen to approximately 76 years for men and 78 years for women, the country’s priorities must evolve accordingly.
Ozdemir says the newly regulated centres are intended to promote longevity, understood not merely as extending lifespan but as making an active commitment to healthy living and ageing.
This transition from reactive medicine to preventive well-being will also shape how the centres operate. Ozdemir highlights the potential integration of these services into Türkiye’s tourism infrastructure.
“Türkiye has significant hotel capacity that operates for only part of the year. If licensed clinical, wellness and longevity services can be offered within hotels, this could open a new dimension in health tourism, one focused on protecting people’s health before illness develops rather than only treating disease.”
Ethical concerns
As longevity science advances, so do questions about who benefits from it—and who gets left behind.
Dr Orhan Onder, a physician and ethicist specialising in healthcare technology, says breakthroughs in genomics, artificial intelligence and advanced imaging have transformed how scientists measure ageing.
Instead of relying solely on chronological age, researchers can now use sophisticated “biological clocks” to estimate how quickly a person’s body, individual organs, and even specific cell types are ageing.
These tools could help identify disease risks earlier and assess emerging therapies, such as senolytics and epigenetic reprogramming. However, Onder warns that better measurement does not automatically lead to better medical decisions.
“The fundamental question is no longer simply, ‘Can we measure biological age?’ but ‘Should we, and for whom?'” Onder tells TRT World.
He argues that biological clocks are not yet reliable enough to guide individual clinical decisions, given unresolved questions about their accuracy and validation.
“As the science progresses, our ethical frameworks must evolve in parallel,” he says. “The pursuit of longer, healthier lives should not come at the cost of equity, autonomy or a nuanced understanding of what it means to age well.”
