New studies have shown that a little-known molecule present in certain foods might be the secret against age-related diseases. Garden peas, blue cheese, corn, and soybeans all contain a compound called spermidine. In a nutshell, spermidine keeps the body "younger" as it has a direct link to the reversal of the body's circadian rhythm, the Daily Mail UK reported.
These spermidine-packed foods boost the body's circadian rhythm which follows a 24-hour cycle. Deviations from the natural body clock because of age are known to worsen certain diseases like cancer and Alzheimer's and can cause physical, mental, and behavioral changes.
"This discovery demonstrates the tight intertwining between circadian clocks and metabolism and opens new possibilities for nutritional interventions that modulate the clock's function, Dr. Gad Asher of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel said.
He adds, "Impaired circadian rhythmicity has been linked to a wide variety of age-related diseases, including cancer, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and inflammation."
Spermidine has been observed to regulate vital cell processes such as cell growth and reproduction. So far, the tests have been limited to experiments on mice. In humans, the supplementation of polyamine through spermidine could have far-reaching effects.
Dr. Asher says, "If [the findings] hold true in humans, they will have broad clinical implications. The ability to repair the clock simply through nutritional intervention, namely polyamine supplementation, is exciting and obviously of great clinical potential. I do envision testing polyamines in clinical trials as a tool against a wide variety of age-related diseases."
He also says that "There is evidence polyamines extend lifespan." There is additional evidence that polyamines activated through spermidine are the secrets to youth. Express UK reported that another study published on Cell Metabolism seems to agree. The study found that spermidine increased the lifespans of yeast, flies, worms, and most importantly, human blood cells.
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