Scientists are constantly searching for ways not only to extend our lifespan but to ensure those extra years are filled with vitality and health. This drive fuels much of the research in nutrition. Recently, polyamines have emerged as a focus of attention due to their numerous health benefits. In this article, I’ll share with you the effects of polyamines on your health along some of the best sources to incorporate into your diet.
What Are Polyamines?
Polyamines are small, positively charged aliphatic hydrocarbons that have amino groups at both ends of their structure. Their discovery dates back to 1678. Polyamines are indispensable to your cell growth and proliferation; without them, you will die. We can find them in all cells, whether they were mammalian cells or plant cells. Your body can synthesize the major polyamines, but this process decreases with age, and also the amount the body produces might not be enough to meet the demands during growth phases such as wound healing and other periods that require fast cell turnover; it is difficult to regulate its level through biosynthesis, which is why we need to regulate it using external sources and gut bacteria.
There are three main types of polyamines: putrescine, spermidine, and spermine. Polyamines are involved in almost all the steps of cell growth and replication, much to the degree that spermidine is referred to by some as the elixir of life.
Health Benefits of Oral Ingestion of Polyamines
Throughout the century, polyamines have been connected to many diseases, and their health benefits have been studied. Here is some of what we got so far.
1. Polyamines and Heart Protection
When we say anti-aging, we are not talking only about wrinkles on skin and white hair. Aging is a process that involves all your body, including your heart. Aging of the cardiovascular system includes changes in the arteries, leading to an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases; these changes are in the elasticity of the arteries and the appearance of vascular endothelial dysfunction. The first happens because of an increase in collagen disposition, while the second happens due to decreased release of nitric oxide.
In a study, the administration of Spermidine led to an increase in the availability of nitric oxide. It also increases cardiac autophagy (removal of damaged cells), mitophagy (removal of damaged mitochondria), and improved mitochondrial respiration. It improved the mechanical properties of cardiac cells in vivo.
Spermidine has a cardioprotective effect on heart tissues, and this effect was confirmed by many studies, which makes it a potential intervention to prevent age-related cardiovascular diseases.
2. Polyamines and Obesity
Obesity is a significant problem and one of the leading causes of death in the western world. It is connected to many serious and chronic diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases. Diets such as Keto, Paleo, and others, exercises, lifestyle modifications such as clean eating, the Mediterranean diet, intermittent fasting, and dry intermittent fasting can be great for weight loss, but sometimes those methods don't work well and replased weight gain is very likely. All of this calls for additional interventions to control and reverse obesity, such as brown fat activation and polyamines might offer additional non-traditional approaches to treat obesity.
Polyamines play an important role in regulating lipid metabolism. Pre-adipocytes are differentiated into adipose cells, in which lipid is stored. Polyamines suppress the differentiation of pre-adipocytes and thereby reduce the accumulation of lipids in the body.
An experiment conducted in mice who were fed a high-fat diet and then were given intraperitoneal polyamines showed that polyamines have high efficacy in reducing weight, as it caused a 24% reduction in body weight and a 57% decrease in white adipose tissue!
3. Polyamines and Pancreatitis
Pancreatitis is a prevalent and dangerous inflammatory disease of the pancreas characterized by abdominal pain and multi-organ failure and might even lead to death. It is suggested that deficiency of polyamines might play a role in the development of pancreatitis. Those suggestions came because of some studies in which the catabolism (breakdown) of spermidine and spermine caused pancreatitis. The administration of polyamines was demonstrated by a number of studies to not only prevent pancreatitis but also alleviate the complications that appear in individuals who already developed pancreatitis.
4. Polyamines and Wounds Healing
According to a study conducted in 2021, the application of spermidine to wounds promotes skin wounds healing.
5. Use of Polyamines for Diagnosis of Cancer
Polyamines, as I mentioned previously, are involved in cell proliferation and growth; thereby, it is only normal that we find them in high concentration in some rapidly growing tissues. Because of that, detection of polyamines concentration might be used as an early diagnostic tool for some cancers, such as ovarian cancer, in which 70% of the cases are diagnosed at stages three and four.
Polyamines and Their Connection to Certain Diseases
It is noteworthy to mention that polyamines are also connected to a number of diseases in a complex way.
Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer's disease is the leading cause of cognitive dysfunction and dementia in individuals over 65 years. It is one of the most expensive diseases, with a high mortality rate. Until today, there is no cure for Alzheimer's, and all the available treatments just slow the progression of the disease. Putrescine increases GABA levels, and this poses a risk of memory impairment. Intervening through inhibition of the enzymes that catalyze the synthesis of putrescine is an approach that provides a potential therapeutic avenue in control of Alzheimer's disease. Keep in mind that this is not to say that putrescine is involved in the development of the disease.
Asthma
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects 262 million people around the world. The underlying mechanism of asthma is very complex. High levels of polyamines concentrations were observed in the circulation of individuals who are experiencing asthma attacks; also, high levels of polyamines were found in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid that was collected from asthmatic patients. Additionally, increased synthesis of polyamines leads to an increase in airway hyperresponsiveness. Understanding the mechanism by which polyamines affect the progression of asthma give us a pathway for the development of new therapeutic interventions.
Polyamines and Cancer
As I mentioned before, polyamines are found in high concentrations in rapidly proliferating tissues, as they play a major role in cell division and replication. That is why, in some cancers (not all), high levels of polyamines can be used as an early diagnostic test. It also provides a target for therapy in some cases, such as pancreatic cancer, where depletion of polyamines has shown efficacy in suppressing tumor growth and increasing immune response. Again, keep in mind that this does not mean that polyamines are involved in the development of cancer.
Sources of Polyamines in Food
Polyamines are abundant and can be found in plant-based and animal-based foods albeit in different concentrations.
Polyamines in Plants
The plants with highest levels of polyamines, especially spermidine and spermine are:
Cereals
Legumes
Soy derivatives
Mushrooms
Peas
Hazelnuts
Spinach
Cauliflower
Green beans
Polyamines in Animal-based Foods
Polyamines are also available in animal-based foods. Their levels are higher in meat than they are in fish, eggs, cheese, and milk.
The Bottomline
Polyamines, which are small positively charged aliphatic hydrocarbons that have amino groups at both ends of their molecular structure, are essential for cell proliferation. They are obtained from three sources: biosynthesis, gut bacteria, and diet. Polyamines are called the elixir of life because of their anti-aging properties. They can improve the health of your heart and prevent cardiovascular diseases, help with weight loss, and protect against pancreatitis. Targeting polyamines might also be a useful approach in the treatment of asthma, Alzheimer's, and some cancers.
References and Citations
Hirano, R., Shirasawa, H., & Kurihara, S. (2021). Health-Promoting Effects of Dietary Polyamines. Medical sciences (Basel, Switzerland), 9(1), 8. https://doi.org/10.3390/medsci9010008
Xuan, M., Gu, X., Li, J. et al. Polyamines: their significance for maintaining health and contributing to diseases. Cell Commun Signal 21, 348 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12964-023-01373-0
Ito, D., Ito, H., Ideta, T. et al. Systemic and topical administration of spermidine accelerates skin wound healing. Cell Commun Signal 19, 36 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12964-021-00717-y
Muñoz-Esparza, N. C., Latorre-Moratalla, M. L., Comas-Basté, O., Toro-Funes, N., Veciana-Nogués, M. T., & Vidal-Carou, M. C. (2019). Polyamines in Food. Frontiers in nutrition, 6, 108. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2019.00108
Komentarze