New Delhi: Zomato founder Deepinder Goyal sparked an online debate after he announced the ‘Gravity Ageing Hypothesis’ on X. The theory suggests that the constant pull of Earth’s gravity could be a driver of human ageing.
“Newton gave us a word for it. Einstein said it bends spacetime. I am saying gravity shortens lifespan,” wrote Goyal on X. “I am not saying ‘gravity exists’ or ‘blood flow matters’. Everyone knows that. The new part is connecting these 3 known facts.”
Goyal’s hypothesis drew criticism from the scientific community, with many highlighting that it lacked evidence. But his supporters on X lauded his willingness to invest private capital in ageing research.
Goyal’s post listed areas central to his theory. First, that our lifelong upright posture reduces blood flow in small amounts to certain critical regions of the brain. Then he added that the neurons in the hypothalamus and brainstem—regions which control ageing—are sensitive to even small drops in the blood flow.
“Nobody has put these 3 pieces together into a single, testable mechanism for aging,” Goyal wrote. “A big part of human aging might be brain-first and gravity driven, and not body-first (like we’ve always believed). That’s the breakthrough.”
Published through Goyal’s new research outfit, Continue Research, the post went on to highlight ‘clues’ that support his theory: Bats live 10 times longer than expected because they spend long durations inverted, over 50 per cent of poses in Yoga involve ‘head below heart’ postures and how shorter people live longer than taller people.
Professors from Harvard Medical School, Boston University and the University of Florida were quoted in support of the hypothesis, which also included a ‘brain flow cheat sheet’—inversion tables and exercise, sleep and nutrition recommendations.
But online, several doctors and scientists called out Goyal’s approach. Dr Cyriac Abby Philips, better known online as ‘The Liver Doc’ called the theory a ‘reductionist, mono-causal hypothesis’.
“This hypothesis is not only unsupported by robust ‘lack of’ evidence studies but is actively contradicted by a substantial body of physiological, cellular, and molecular data,” wrote Philips on X, where he added a table that included scientific explanations for each of the hypothesis’ claims.
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Goyal’s remedies
The hypothesis argues that when humans stand or sit, gravity creates a constant downward pull on circulating blood. Over decades, this slightly reduced “brain flow” contributes to functional decline in regions that are central to hormones, appetite, metabolism, and ageing pathways. The research presented a chart showing a steady decline in Cerebral Blood Flow with age, reducing up to 0.7 per cent per year starting from the age of seven.
“Science already knows that Brain Flow is highly correlated to age, and an important biomarker for aging,” Goyal said.
The proposed intervention is surprisingly simple: Inversions. Drawing from both yoga traditions and modern fitness equipment, he argues that spending a few minutes each day with the head positioned below the heart, whether through headstands, inversion chairs or commercially available inversion tables, can significantly boost “brain flow.”
According to him, these brief gravitational reversals counter decades of subtle under-perfusion caused by upright living. He claims preliminary measurements from his team show that inversions produce a measurable rise in cerebral blood flow, which could translate into long-term benefits for ageing and cognition.
Goyal has housed the project under Continue Research, a $25 million research lab and seed fund to identify and study mechanisms in human biology.
He also isn’t the first tech entrepreneur to dive into anti-ageing with this level of intensity. Bryan Johnson, the American founder who spends millions a year on his “Blueprint” longevity protocol, has already become the global poster child of Silicon Valley’s obsession with reversing age. Goyal’s experiments place him within a growing cohort of founders who believe biology should be engineered just like software.
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A marketing gimmick?
A day before he posted his hypothesis on X, another post drew curiosity for different reasons. Goyal was pictured wearing a metallic device on his right temple. Two days ago, Goyal confirmed on LinkedIn that the experimental device—which he has been using for a year—was being used to calculate brain flow.
“Brain Flow is already well accepted as a biomarker for aging, longevity as well as cognition,” wrote Goyal. “So this device is useful and relevant even if the Gravity Aging Hypothesis turns out to be wrong.”
Goyal was responding to a post on LinkedIn by Shubham Mishra, the founder of Energy AI Labs. Mishra posted a picture of Goyal with the device and linked it to the ‘inversion’ concept proposed in the hypothesis. Mishra also suggested that the device or company be called Temple.
Goyal responded that Temple would be a ‘small cute company, if at all’ and much smaller in size than Eternal, the parent company of Zomato, Blinkit, and District. He also added a post script to his comment, to clarify his intentions behind the hypothesis and the device.
“We didn’t “cook up” the Gravity Aging Hypothesis to sell Temple. Not my game to lose the trust our customers have in me over a marketing gimmick,” Goyal wrote.
(Edited by Theres Sudeep)