Spermidine is a biogenic amine for chemistry. For longevity research, the micronutrient is a beacon of hope. For us, spermidine can be a way to take our healthy future into our own hands. For all the things spermidine can be, one thing it is not is new. Quite the opposite. As early as 1870, Philipp Schreiner isolated the base spermine from male seminal fluid. This is where the somewhat bizarre name of the molecule comes from. Even though it is now known that spermidine occurs completely naturally in every cell and in every organism, the original name has stuck.
Occurrence of spermidine
Our body can produce spermidine itself in moderation. When metabolism speeds up (e.g.: during sport), the production of spermidine in the body is boosted. Conversely, the concentration decreases when the metabolism slows down. However, the amount produced by the body is not sufficient to cover the demand. The cells are dependent on food supply here. Spermidine is found mainly in whole grains or wheat germ, soybeans (about 200 mg/kg) or legumes. Mushrooms and mature cheese are also rich in the molecule. For comparison: the spermidine content in the eponymous human ejaculate is 31 mg/L on average.
The good news for all those who immediately suspect the worst: Spermidine-containing food supplements are not produced from human or animal sperm, but from wheat germ or soy products. In contrast to the wheat germ origin, soy-based spermidine is also gluten-free.
What does spermidine do?
The effect attributed to the body's own substance is not only useful, but has even been of noble importance for a few years. In 2016, the Japanese professor Dr. Yoshinori Ohsumi received the Nobel Prize for Medicine for basic research on autophagy.
So what is meant by this term, which has its origins in ancient Greece?
Autophagy - the cell's own waste disposal system
When cells break down their own components, this is called autophagy or autophagocytosis. Colloquially, we like to speak of self-digestion. Not to be confused with this is phagocytosis, where substances are taken up into the cell from outside ("eaten") and digested.
Self-digestion is important above all because cell metabolism constantly produces some kind of by-products that are superfluous or damaged. With the process of autophagy, these can now either be disposed of or, even better, reused. However, not only metabolic products are autophagized, but also entire cell organelles - for example the mitochondria. Be it damage, aging, or even planned loss - sooner or later our cellular power plants start to sputter. To prevent this from having a negative effect on the performance of the entire cell, the mitochondrion is digested internally. The fact that new power plants are formed from the individual parts is all the more beneficial. Basically, autophagy is the cell's own waste disposal and recycling station in one.
According to Prof. Ohsumi, the process is always stimulated when conditions are unfavorable for our cells. If, for example, there is a lack of nitrogen or food, this is a start signal for the autophagy machinery. But even the best system eventually runs out of steam. As we age, both the spermidine concentration and the activity of our self-cleaning program decline.
According to studies, such dysfunctions can lead to metabolic diseases, infections or neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer's, Parkinson's). In the latter, disease-relevant deposits of proteins occur in cells. This once again underlines how important it is to preserve this ability.
Fasting brings it
Besides spermidine, (interval) fasting can also get our recycling system going. The most common rule of thumb is 16:8 - fast 16 hours and eat 8 hours. The principle behind this is as simple as it is logical: if nothing new comes along, the old is reused. In addition, the body is not constantly busy breaking down new food, but can use the time to clean up. If only we were as consistent in our everyday cleaning.
The benefits of fasting range from positive effects on cardiovascular diseases to increased performance. So in this case, less really is more. Unfortunately, this does not apply to house cleaning.
Summary
In the end, we want to hit the nail on the head again. The theories surrounding spermidine can be summarized as follows: The molecule is supposed to suggest a fasting state to our body and thus make the benefits of fasting, i.e. increased autophagy, usable without real food deprivation.
The divided basis of reproduction could thus in future give its name to the basis of prevention and health maintenance. Somehow fitting, since both are a kind of birth - once for the first and once for the second spring.
Literature:
Atiya Ali, Mohamed, et al. "Polyamines in foods: development of a food database." Food & nutrition research 55.1 (2011): 5572.
Madeo, Frank, et al. "Spermidine in health and disease." Science 359.6374 (2018).
Eisenberg, Tobias, et al. "Cardioprotection and lifespan extension by the natural polyamine spermidine." Nature medicine 22.12 (2016): 1428-1438.
Madeo, Frank, et al. "Spermidine: a physiological autophagy inducer acting as an anti-aging vitamin in humans?" Autophagy 15.1 (2019): 165-168.
Pietrocola, Federico, et al. "Caloric restriction mimetics enhance anticancer immunosurveillance." Cancer cell 30.1 (2016): 147-160.
Soda, Kuniyasu, et al. "Polyamine-rich food decreases age-associated pathology and mortality in aged mice." Experimental gerontology 44.11 (2009): 727-732.
Graphics:
The graphics were acquired under licence from Shutterstock and marked accordingly.
