Why I STOPPED Taking Spermidine Supplements?

About this video

• Video Title: Why I STOPPED Taking Spermidine Supplements?
• Channel: The Enhanced Man
• Speakers: [None explicitly named, but the transcript is a monologue]
• Duration: 07:29

Overview

This video discusses the effects of spermidine supplementation, its mechanism of action related to autophagy, and the speaker's personal experience with it. The speaker explains the benefits observed in mice and humans, the potential downsides of over-supplementation such as cancer proliferation and depletion of methyl donors, and their decision to stop taking spermidine supplements due to negative biomarker changes. They also suggest alternative dietary sources and related longevity interventions.

Key takeaways

• Spermidine and Lifespan: In mice, chronic spermidine supplementation can extend lifespan by approximately 10%, primarily by inducing autophagy.
• Mechanism of Action: Spermidine inhibits the acetyltransferase EP300, which normally suppresses autophagy. By inhibiting EP300, spermidine activates autophagy-related genes like FOXO3, enhancing cellular repair processes.
• Human Benefits: Human data shows lower cardiovascular risk and all-cause mortality with higher dietary intake of spermidine. Supplementation in older adults has also been linked to better vaccine response by enhancing T-cell and B-cell function.
• Risks of Oversupplementation: Excessive spermidine, being a polyamine, can promote cancer cell proliferation. It can also strain SAMe, potentially depleting methyl donors, which the speaker experienced as increased homocysteine and red cell distribution width.
• Personal Experience and Adjustments: The speaker's spermidine levels were initially suboptimal. After supplementing with 6.5mg of spermidine and increasing intake of shiitake mushrooms, their "speed of aging" and "omic age" increased. This was linked to a depletion of methyl donors, prompting them to supplement with B12 and folate.
• Dietary Sources: Dried shiitake mushrooms are highlighted as a cost-effective source of naturally derived spermidine. Red onions and butter mushrooms are suggested for their antioxidant (ergothioneine) and quercetin content, respectively, as alternative longevity-focused dietary choices.
• Supplementation Strategy: The speaker found synthetically derived spermidine to be effective in raising levels but decided to stop due to biomarker changes. They suggest that for those who need to supplement, focusing on dietary sources or cost-effective interventions like pulsed fisetin may be more beneficial.