This diet keeps you young and healthy longer

Spermine-rich nutrition keeps people younger

For centuries, people have been looking for ways to support eternal youth. Last but not least, the cosmetics industry has taken up this desire and promises to use different methods at least to keep it looking younger. However, the key to "youth" extended could be nutrition. For example, a recent study concludes that a diet rich in spermidine keeps younger people longer.

In the International Research Project under the direction of the Medical University of Innsbruck, the anti-aging effect of spermidine was demonstrated for the first time, "Those who consume a lot of spermidine with their food can eventually prolong their life in good health, "according to the Innsbruck MedUni. The researchers published their findings in the journal "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (AJCN)."

In search of life-prolonging mechanisms

For many years, medical research has sought to discover mechanisms that promote health and prolong life. Almost two years ago, scientists at the University of Graz had already discovered that special types of cheese prolonged the relative shelf life and attributed this effect to the contained spermidine. Natural "spermidine" has been shown to prolong life in cell culture and animals, say the authors of this study.

The absorption of spermidine is correlated with life expectancy

As far as spermidine Researchers have now examined data from 829 volunteers from the Bruneck prospective study. In addition, participants' dietary intake was determined based on specific diet questionnaires. Scientists have calculated the extent to which the amount of spermidine absorbed by food correlates with shelf life. They found that a high intake of spermidine by feeding (at least 80 micromoles of spermidine per day) was badociated with a significantly lower risk of dying during the 20-day observation period. years.

Inhibition of Inflammatory Processes and Aging

The survival advantage of spermidine-rich diets in relation to deficient spermidine nutrition (less than 60 micromol per day) was about five years, according to the authors of the study. In current research, we have been able to confirm the effect of spermidine on age-related processes in different model organisms and support its role as an independent factor influencing the lifespan of humans, says the neurologist. Stefan Kiechl from MedUni Innsbruck in a press release. results of the study. The effect is due to the systemic effect of spermidine on inflammatory processes and aging.

Balancing Spermidine Loss Through Food

Naturally, the body's spermidine content decreases with age. Spermidine is found in high concentration in the seminal fluid, but at low concentrations also in other cells of the body. Some intestinal bacteria also produce spermidine. According to the researchers, "the decrease in spermidine in the body can be thwarted by a diet high in spermine such as green vegetables, peas, whole grains, apples, lettuce, mushrooms, nuts, potatoes. or aged cheese. , the two portions of salad and an apple would be in the upper third of the spermidine intake, the experts continue.

Autophagy is stimulated

According to scientists, the effect extending the life of spermidine is mainly due to the ability to stimulate autophagy. This serves to break down defective or unnecessary cell components and use them so that they do not accumulate in the body. Because autophagy loses its effectiveness at an older age, it causes disease-related deposits in cells, which can lead to dementia, diabetes, tumors and atherosclerosis, report the researchers. By taking spermidine – as well as fasting for several hours – the self-cleaning process of autophagy is initiated. "The increased intake of spermidine signals the cell to start the process of self-cleaning and thus protects against deposits and premature aging," says Stefan Kiechl. (Fp)