Background
Getting older, staying young – who wouldn't wish for that? While people once dreamed of the fountain of eternal youth, scientists today are intensively researching how to decipher aging with all its aspects. The investigation of the effects of Spermidine on the aging process has now attracted attention. With this natural cell substance, we have come a significant step closer to the goal of enabling people to live healthily and age gracefully. First identified in the 1870s, Spermidine gets its name from its place of discovery – seminal fluid. However, one should not be misled or even discouraged by this. It is now known that this valuable vital substance is not limited to men but can be found in all living beings and body cells.Furthermore, Spermidine is found in plant-based foods.
Objective
With spermidine, the name is not the program. But what then? The small molecule plays an important role in autophagy, the natural process of cell cleaning. In this process, faulty or no longer needed cell components are broken down and recycled. However, with age, the concentration of spermidine decreases, and thus also the ability of our human cells to clean up. Let us remember what happened back then when you didn't tidy up your Lego pieces after playing? The painful soles of the feet are still witnesses of the chaos and disorder.Unlike in the children's room, there is no clutter of toys in the cell, but rather pathological deposits of cell parts and proteins, which can lead to various diseases. Conversely, it has been shown in several animal models that the administration of spermidine is associated with increased survival and even reduces age-related mortality.
In a highly regarded study by Kiechl and colleagues , the aim was to investigate a possible connection between dietary spermidine intake and mortality in the general population – with exciting results!
Method
An international team of scientists from the Medical University of Innsbruck conducted a prospective long-term study in the South Tyrolean municipality of Bruneck. The advantage: Only a few residents move away from the town in the Pustertal. People are rooted in their South Tyrolean homeland, and mobility is extremely low. They maintain a healthy lifestyle through traditional nutrition and plenty of sports. It is not uncommon to meet fit 80-year-olds here. At the same time, other health parameters are quite comparable to other populations in Europe. Factors like these make the town an ideal place to observe age-related health risks in the long term and to research their predictability. Said and done. For 20 years, 829 people aged between 45 and 84 were systematically examined for age-related diseases as part of this study. Every five years, the participants were thoroughly examined. Among other things, a specific dietary questionnaire was completed to analyze the food intake by professional nutritionists.This made it possible to infer the naturally consumed amount of spermidine.
Foods and gut flora as sources of spermidine and its possible life-extending effect through autophagy in humans
Which foods are rich in spermidine?
This raises the legitimate question of which foods contain particularly high levels of spermidine. In principle, as already mentioned, spermidine is present in every body cell. However, the natural substance is produced not only by the cells themselves but also by certain bacteria in our gut flora. About one third of the spermidine comes from self-production, while the rest – indeed the majority – is obtained through food. Spermidine is found in a variety of foods.As an example, mushrooms, cauliflower, broccoli, legumes, various types of cheese, whole grain products, and wheat germ are mentioned. The valuable substance is particularly abundant in soybean products. However, it must be noted that the amount of spermidine in natural sources can vary greatly.
Results
Let's dive right into the results of the study. In general, some information about the participants could be reported in advance. Surprisingly, the spermidine content of the diet was higher in women than in men and steadily decreased with age. The hot favorites among the main food sources of spermidine were whole grain products, apples and pears, salad, vegetable sprouts, and potatoes. To further explore the effects of spermidine, the participants were divided into three groups based on their daily intake.Participants with low (under 9 mg), medium (9-11.6 mg) and high (over 11.6 mg) spermidine intake.
These groups were compared regarding overall mortality and mortality risk. Here, groundbreaking results were revealed. It was found that the group with the highest spermidine-rich diet had a significantly lower mortality rate. Simply put: The higher the daily intake of spermidine, the lower the overall mortality. Furthermore, the group with high spermidine intake showed a significantly reduced mortality risk compared to the lowest third. This reduction corresponded to a concrete age reduction of a full 5.7 years. Almost too good to be true.
Spermidine capsules high-dose from soybean extract and chlorella algae powder.
Discussion and conclusion
Off to Bruneck! – some overly motivated longevity fan might hastily suggest. But the revolutionary results are not location-based, but most likely transferable to each of us. Because those who consume a lot of Spermidine may possibly extend their healthy lifespan.
In summary, this study provides the first evidence of a connection between a Spermidine-rich diet and increased survival in humans.The current epidemiological data is in line with experimental preliminary studies indicating longevity and health-promoting effects of Spermidine in animal models and human cells. Definitive proof still requires intervention studies, some of which have already begun. We look forward to more interesting news!
The study was published online in July 2018 in the scientific journal American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (AJCN).
