Spermidine's Role in Cellular Health - Dr. Elizabeth Yurth

Dave Asprey

May 16, 2024

Episode description

In this episode of "The Human Upgrade," you will learn from Dr. Elizabeth Yurth, an expert in orthopedics, cellular medicine, and regenerative medicine, about the significant health benefits of spermidine, a supplement that enhances longevity and supports robust health. Dr. Yurth discusses the crucial role of spermidine in promoting autophagy, the body's natural process for clearing out damaged cells, which can lead to better cellular health and a more youthful body. She also dives into how spermidine supports kidney health and how it can be combined with NAD to maximize anti-aging effects. Additionally, you will discover practical tips from Dr. Yurth on integrating these powerful supplements into your daily routine to maintain energy levels, improve cellular function, and sustain a vigorous and healthy life as you age. This episode provides deep insights into making informed choices about supplements that support long-term health goals. 



Timestamp Highlights: 

  • (00:00:01) Introduction: Background and the inception of biohacking. 

  • (00:01:08) Early biological management and its long-term benefits. 

  • (00:01:57) Misconceptions about fasting and the role of spermidine. 

  • (00:02:43) Dr. Uth's journey from orthopedics to longevity medicine. 

  • (00:06:17) Deep dive into spermidine: benefits, sources, and mechanisms. 

  • (00:10:43) Dietary sources of spermidine and its importance in diet. 

  • (00:16:02) Spermidine as a crucial nutrient for autophagy and its mechanisms. 

  • (00:19:13) Comparing spermidine with fasting and rapamycin for longevity. 

  • (00:22:25) Practical dosing advice for spermidine. 

  • (00:33:24) The optimal timing and method of spermidine supplementation. 

  • (00:41:58) Spermidine's effects on hair growth and its potential as a topical application. 

  • (01:07:17) Discussion on the future of longevity treatments and gene therapy. 



Sponsors:



Resources:

Episode description

In this episode of "The Human Upgrade," you will learn from Dr. Elizabeth Yurth, an expert in orthopedics, cellular medicine, and regenerative medicine, about the significant health benefits of spermidine, a supplement that enhances longevity and supports robust health. Dr. Yurth discusses the crucial role of spermidine in promoting autophagy, the body's natural process for clearing out damaged cells, which can lead to better cellular health and a more youthful body. She also dives into how spermidine supports kidney health and how it can be combined with NAD to maximize anti-aging effects. Additionally, you will discover practical tips from Dr. Yurth on integrating these powerful supplements into your daily routine to maintain energy levels, improve cellular function, and sustain a vigorous and healthy life as you age. This episode provides deep insights into making informed choices about supplements that support long-term health goals. 



Timestamp Highlights: 

  • (00:00:01) Introduction: Background and the inception of biohacking. 

  • (00:01:08) Early biological management and its long-term benefits. 

  • (00:01:57) Misconceptions about fasting and the role of spermidine. 

  • (00:02:43) Dr. Uth's journey from orthopedics to longevity medicine. 

  • (00:06:17) Deep dive into spermidine: benefits, sources, and mechanisms. 

  • (00:10:43) Dietary sources of spermidine and its importance in diet. 

  • (00:16:02) Spermidine as a crucial nutrient for autophagy and its mechanisms. 

  • (00:19:13) Comparing spermidine with fasting and rapamycin for longevity. 

  • (00:22:25) Practical dosing advice for spermidine. 

  • (00:33:24) The optimal timing and method of spermidine supplementation. 

  • (00:41:58) Spermidine's effects on hair growth and its potential as a topical application. 

  • (01:07:17) Discussion on the future of longevity treatments and gene therapy. 



Sponsors:



Resources:

Mindsip insights from this episode:

Leverage spermidine to combat chronic inflammation for better health

Spermidine's benefits for hair, joints, and kidneys may be due to its ability to block the NLRP3 inflammasome, a key driver of chronic inflammation linked to many diseases.

Consider spermidine to extend fertility and delay parenthood

A Fall 2023 study in mice published in Nature Aging found that spermidine extended fertility, suggesting it could be a beneficial supplement for those looking to delay having children.

Enhance skin health with topical spermidine and copper peptides

The brand Young Goose has created a face cream combining topical spermidine with NAD and GHK-Cu copper peptides to improve skin collagen and health.

Combine spermidine and Ribetril for multi-pathway aging support

Spermidine Life has a new product that combines spermidine with Ribetril, a compound that acts as a PDE5 inhibitor (like Cialis), to target multiple aging pathways at once.

Utilize spermidine to manage gluten sensitivity

Spermidine acts as a competitive inhibitor to tissue transglutaminase (TTG), the enzyme that creates an immune response to wheat, which may explain why some gluten-sensitive people can tolerate it.

Ensure adequate spermidine levels to enhance fasting benefits

Rather than just mimicking fasting, spermidine may be an essential nutrient for autophagy, meaning that fasting without adequate spermidine levels might not be as effective.

Understand spermidine's cellular absorption over plasma levels

Recent studies showing spermidine doesn't raise plasma levels are misleading because it's rapidly absorbed into the cells where it works, which is proven by the corresponding rise in its metabolite, spermine.

Cycle spermidine for optimal autophagy support

For a significant autophagy boost, you can cycle a high dose (e.g., 6mg) to 'clean the house' and then return to a lower maintenance dose (1-1.5mg) for daily support.

Block NAD-depleting enzymes while taking NAD precursors for safety

Taking NAD precursors can fuel cancer or senescent cells, so it's crucial to also block NAD-depleting enzymes like NNMT, for which a compound called 1-MNA is a safer option.

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