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Growing old and staying young – who doesn’t want that? While people once dreamed of the source of eternal youth, scientists today are researching intensively to decipher aging in all its aspects. The study of the effects of spermidine on the aging process. With natural cellulose, we have come a long way towards the goal of enabling people to live and grow old healthily. First proven in the 1870s, spermidine The name comes from the place where it is found – semen. However, this should not mislead or deter you. We now know that this valuable vital substance is not limited to men, but can be found in all living beings and body cells. spermidine in plant foods.
objective
With spermidine, the name does not say it all. But what then? The small molecule plays a role in autophagy, the natural process of cell cleaning, plays an important role. In this process, faulty or no longer needed cell components are broken down and recycled. However, with age, the spermidine concentration decreases and with it the ability of our human cells to clean up. Do we remember what happened back then if you didn't put your Lego pieces away after playing? The painful soles of the feet are still witnesses to the chaos and disorder. Unlike in a child's room, there are no toys lying around in the cell, but pathological deposits of cell parts and proteins, which in turn can lead to various diseases. Conversely, several animal models have shown that spermidine administration is associated with increased survival and even reduces age-related mortality.
In a widely acclaimed study by Kiechl and colleagues The aim is to investigate a possible connection between spermidine intake through food 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 Puster Valley. People are rooted in their home region of South Tyrol, and mobility is extremely low. People maintain a healthy lifestyle through traditional nutrition and lots of sport. It is not uncommon to meet 80-year-olds here who are in top shape. At the same time, other health parameters are certainly comparable to other populations in Europe. Factors like these make the town the ideal place to observe age-related health risks over the long term and to research their predictability. No sooner said than done. For 20 years, 829 people between the ages of 45 and 84 were systematically examined for age-related diseases as part of this study. The test subjects were examined in detail every five years. Among other things, a specific diet questionnaire was filled out by professional nutritionists to analyze food intake. This made it possible to draw conclusions about the amount of spermidine naturally consumed.
Food and intestinal flora as sources of spermidine and its possible life-prolonging 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 revealed, spermidine is contained in every cell in the body. However, the natural substance is not only produced by the cells themselves, but also by certain bacteria in our intestinal flora. Around a third of spermidine comes from the body's own production, while the rest - the majority - is absorbed through food. Spermidine is contained in a wide range of foods. Examples include mushrooms, cauliflower, broccoli, pulses, various types of cheese, whole grain products and wheat germ. 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, a lot could be reported in advance about the participants. Surprisingly, the spermidine content of food was higher in women than in men and also decreased steadily with age. The hot favorites among the main food sources of spermidine were whole grain products, apples and pears, lettuce, vegetable sprouts and potatoes. In order to research further effects of spermidine, the participants were divided into three groups based on their daily intake. Participants with less (less than 9 mg), medium (9-11.6 mg) and higher (over 11.6 mg) Spermidine intake.
These groups were compared in terms of overall mortality and mortality risk. This was groundbreaking. It was found that the group with the highest spermidine diet had a significantly lower mortality. Put more simply: 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 bottom third. This reduction corresponded to a reduction in age of a full 5.7 years. Almost too good to be true.
High-dose spermidine from soybean extract and chlorella algae powder.
Discussion and Conclusion
Off to Bruneck! – some over-motivated longevity fanatics would hastily suggest. But the revolutionary results are not location-specific, but are most likely transferable to each of us. Because those who consume a lot of spermidine may extend their healthy lifespan.
In summary, this study provides the first evidence of a link between spermidine-rich diet and increased survival in humans. The current epidemiological data are consistent with preliminary experimental studies pointing to longevity and health-promoting effects of spermidine in animal models and human cells.Intervention studies are still needed to provide definitive proof, some of which have already begun. We look forward to further interesting news!
The study appeared online in July 2018 in the scientific journal American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (AJCN).
