Jul 10, 2025
Can Eating More Spermidine Help You Live Longer? Studies Say Yes
How one nutrient found in fermented foods, grains, and cheese may help you live longer.
Longevity
Written by
Mito Team
Emerging research shows that a simple shift in your diet—eating more foods rich in spermidine—might help you live longer and age better. This natural compound supports important processes like cell cleanup, inflammation control, and heart health.
What Is Spermidine and Why Does It Matter?
Spermidine is a natural compound found in your body and in many common foods. It helps keep your cells healthy by supporting DNA stability, cell growth, and repair.
As you get older, your natural spermidine levels go down. That’s why researchers now believe it might become a “conditionally essential nutrient” as we age—something your body still needs but can’t make enough of on its own.
Study Findings: Higher Spermidine Intake Linked to Lower Risk of Death
Two major studies have found that people who eat more spermidine-rich foods live longer and have a lower risk of heart disease.
1. The Bruneck Study (Italy)
This study followed 829 adults over 20 years. Those who ate the most spermidine had about a 60% lower death rate than those who ate the least. The longevity boost was equal to being nearly 6 years younger in biological age.
2. The NHANES Study (U.S.)
This larger study followed over 23,000 people for more than a decade. Those with the highest spermidine intake had a 30% lower risk of all-cause death and a 32% lower risk of heart-related death, even after adjusting for other lifestyle factors.
Together, these studies show a strong link between spermidine-rich diets and better survival.
How Spermidine Helps Your Cells Stay Young
Spermidine works at a cellular level to support health and longevity. Here are some of spermidine’s benefits:
Autophagy: Spermidine helps trigger autophagy, your body’s natural recycling system. This process breaks down and removes damaged parts of cells, so they can regenerate more efficiently. It also tends to slow down with age.
Anti-inflammatory effects: Chronic, low-grade inflammation is a major driver of aging. Spermidine helps lower key inflammatory markers.
Antioxidant support: It helps protect your cells from free radical damage, which contributes to aging and disease.
Improved mitochondrial function: Mitochondria are your cells’ energy producers. Spermidine helps them work better and last longer, especially in heart cells.Immune support: Spermidine may help restore immune function in older adults by reversing some of the effects of immune system aging.
At Mito Health, we test several biomarkers that reflect these same cellular processes. For example, hs-CRP for inflammation and ALT, AST, or eGFR for metabolic health. Tracking these can help you see how your body is responding to lifestyle changes, including more spermidine-rich foods.
Which Foods Are High in Spermidine?
Dietary spermidine is found in a variety of plant-based and fermented foods. You don’t need to take a supplement—just eat smart.
Top Spermidine-Rich Foods (per 100g):
Wheat germ (2 to 5 mg)
Aged cheese (1.5 to 3 mg)
Soybeans (1 to 2 mg)
Natto (fermented soybeans)
Mushrooms, broccoli, green peas
Pumpkin seeds, lentils, chickpeas
Amaranth grain, oats, whole grain bread
Fermented foods like miso, kimchi, sauerkraut
Fruits like durian, pears, and grapefruit
These foods also fit easily into a Mediterranean-style diet, which is already known for supporting longevity.
Should You Take a Spermidine Supplement?
Food-based spermidine is generally safe and well-tolerated. A small clinical trial in older adults showed no side effects from 1.2 mg/day of spermidine from wheat germ extract.
However, more isn’t always better. In certain conditions—like cancer or stroke—high levels of spermidine in the blood may actually be harmful. That’s why it’s smart to focus on whole foods unless your doctor recommends otherwise.
If you’re considering a supplement, testing your biomarkers with Mito Health can help you understand if your current health status makes it a safe option.
What We Don’t Know (Yet)
While the research is promising, most of the evidence so far is observational. We still need more human clinical trials to answer questions like:
What’s the ideal daily intake for long-term benefits?
How much does diet actually affect blood levels of spermidine?
Are supplements as effective as food-based sources?
That’s where Mito Health’s comprehensive blood testing comes in. We help you track changes in inflammation, metabolic health, and other age-related biomarkers over time, so you’re not just guessing what works for you.
The Bottom Line: Spermidine and Longevity
Eating foods that are natural sources of spermidine may help you live longer and stay healthier as you age. The science is still evolving, but the early data is strong, and it supports a food-first approach.
And if you want to see how your diet and lifestyle are actually impacting your body, Mito Health can help you track key biomarkers tied to aging, inflammation, and metabolic stress.