Eternal founder Deepinder Goyal pushes theory that gravity ages the brain

Eternal founder Deepinder Goyal says upright posture reduces blood flow over decades, proposes inversions as countermeasure

Deepinder Goyal, the food-delivery entrepreneur, has turned his attention to a more existential question: Can gravity make us age faster?

 

Goyal, the chief executive of Eternal (the parent company of Zomato and Blinkit) and founder of longevity startup Continue Research, unveiled what he calls the ‘gravity ageing hypothesis’ in a series of posts on X this week. The theory posits that decades of upright posture gradually reduce blood flow to critical brain regions that regulate ageing—hormones, inflammation, metabolism—potentially shortening human lifespan. His proposed approach: daily sessions on inversion tables, which tilt users upside down.

 

"I am saying gravity shortens lifespan," Goyal wrote, framing his hypothesis as an open-source contribution to longevity science rather than a corporate pitch. He said the theory connects three established facts in a novel way: that standing upright restricts cerebral blood flow; that neurons controlling ageing processes are especially vulnerable to reduced circulation; and that these brain regions govern systemic ageing.

 

The 42-year-old executive, who co-founded Zomato in 2008 and expanded it into India's largest food-delivery platform, has increasingly focused on health and longevity through Continue Research, his research venture backed by a $25 million fund. In his posts, Goyal acknowledged that gravity itself is essential—astronauts’ health deteriorates in low-gravity environments—but argued humans haven't learned to "live longer and better at 1G."

 

According to Goyal, preliminary research by his team found that six weeks of daily inversion-table use for more than 10 minutes increased average daily brain blood flow by 7 per cent, which he said could "possibly nullify 10 years of loss" associated with ageing. He added that passive inversions—tilting on a table—proved nearly 50 per cent more effective than active inversions like yoga headstands.

 

"Brain flow is highly correlated to age, and an important biomarker for ageing," Goyal wrote. "However, we don't pay much attention to brain flow."

 

The hypothesis has drawn interest from some scientists, though Goyal provided no peer-reviewed studies or institutional backing in his posts. He said "eminent scientists from around the world" have supported the theory and called it potentially groundbreaking, but emphasised the need for empirical proof. Continue Research is working with scientists to test and challenge the hypothesis, he said.

 

“Our commitment: We’ll ‘continue’ to fund and support work that proves or disproves it,” he said.

 

Goyal included a disclaimer that his statements don't constitute medical advice and urged readers to consult physicians before attempting inversions. He also clarified that gravity isn't being presented as the sole cause of ageing, but rather as "a key, fundamental, and overlooked driver" that may limit human longevity.

 

"Even if we learn to live better with gravity, we won't defy death," Goyal wrote. "But we might just unlock two, three, or maybe even five more decades of healthspan."

 

The posts mark Goyal's latest foray into unconventional territory. In November 2024, he drew widespread criticism for a job posting seeking a chief of staff willing to pay Zomato Rs 20 lakh for the role, which he later defended as a filter for passionate candidates. More recently, he has championed longevity research through investing $25 million of personal funds into Continue Research, a longevity research venture he started two years ago. It aims to extend healthy human function through open-source biological research. The food-delivery billionaire framed short human lifespans as civilisation's "core bug," arguing that 80-year lives make people "reckless" because they won't face long-term consequences of decisions. Continue will operate as a research team and seed fund rather than a commercial company.

 

Whether the gravity-ageing theory gains traction in the scientific community remains to be seen. Goyal positioned the hypothesis as a starting point for rigorous testing rather than a proven fact, writing that Continue Research would fund work that either validates or disproves it.

 

"Nobody has put these 3 pieces together into a single, testable mechanism for ageing," he wrote. "That's the breakthrough."

 

For now, the Zomato chief is asking the public—and the scientific establishment—to weigh in. "Read on, and tell me what you think," he wrote.