A team of scientists discovers that a molecule can extend life for up to five years

A team of scientists has discovered spermidine, a molecule that can extend human life for up to five years. The substance is found naturally in living organisms, some of the foods that contain it are cereals, apples, lettuce, mushrooms and nuts, ingest them helps to strengthen the presence of this molecule.

An international team of scientists has shown for the first time that spermidine, a polyamine molecule of natural origin, known for its effect of prolonging life in cell cultures and animals, also has an anti-ageing effect in humans.

According to the conclusions of his study, which has followed the diet of 829 individuals from 1995 to 2015, those who have a diet rich in spermidine will be able to prolong their healthy life up to five years. "The amount of spermidine that our body produces decreases as we age, especially if we do not follow an adequate diet," explained Stefan Kiechl, research leader and Doctor of Neurology at the University of Innsbruck.

The substance, which is found naturally in living organisms, is especially present in humans in sperm, intestinal bacteria and some cells. Some foods rich in this molecule are cabbages, peas, cereals, apples, lettuce, mushrooms, nuts, potatoes or cured cheese.

After approximately 40 years, the human body reduces its natural production, so we must reinforce its presence in the diet. "The recommendations are the same as always: eat a lot of vegetables, fruit, nuts and whole foods, which contain high doses of the molecule," Kiechl added.

From the aforementioned Austrian university point out that the anti-age effect of spermidine is mainly due to its ability to stimulate autophagy, a process of self-cleaning of cells by which their defective components or that are no longer needed are decomposed and recycled.

"The increase in spermidine intake tells the cell to start the self-cleaning process and thus protects against deposits and premature ageing," the scientists said in the statement explaining their discovery. The research is part of a larger study, Project K of the Vascular Aging Research Center of Excellence (VASCage) of the Medical University of Innsbruck, which seeks to determine how much food components can influence the processes of inflammation and ageeing in humans.

Specifically, as indicated in the statement published by the institution, the study showed that people who absorbed minimum 80 micromoles of spermedine per day showed a significantly lower risk of dying in the observation period of 20 years.

Source: La Sexta