Spermidine: Memory Trial, Absorption and Safety | Dose Track
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Spermidine: half-life, strengths and approval status

Amounts studied · Approval status · Half-life notes

What is spermidine?

Spermidine is a polyamine, a small molecule that plays a key role in the body's metabolism. Because spermidine levels fall with age, it is sold as a supplement to prevent or delay age-related disease.

Also known as: spermidine trihydrochloride, wheat germ extract.

Amounts studied

The 12-month SmartAge trial used a wheat germ extract supplying 0.9 mg of spermidine a day (Schwarz 2022). A blood-level study used 15 mg a day for 5 days (Senekowitsch 2023). These are study protocols, not a recommendation.

Approval status and how it is used

It is sold in the US as a dietary supplement. Under the 1994 dietary supplement law (DSHEA), FDA does not approve dietary supplements before they are marketed, and the maker, not FDA, is responsible for safety and labeling.

What studies show: in the SmartAge trial, 100 people aged 60 to 90 with self-reported memory decline took a spermidine-rich wheat germ extract (0.9 mg a day) or placebo for 12 months. Memory did not change compared with placebo, and neither did the other planned outcomes; exploratory analyses hinted at effects on verbal memory and inflammation that the authors say need testing at higher doses (Schwarz 2022). The trial was mainly government-funded, but several authors held equity in or advised The Longevity Labs, the company that makes the extract, and the company funded the extract's development.

Absorption: in a placebo-controlled study of 12 healthy adults, 15 mg a day for 5 days did not raise spermidine in blood or saliva; it raised spermine instead, which suggests spermidine is converted before it reaches the blood. The authors say doses under 15 mg a day are unlikely to have short-term effects (Senekowitsch 2023).

Safety: side effects were balanced between the spermidine and placebo groups over 12 months (Schwarz 2022). The sources here do not describe drug interactions.

Spermidine half-life and time to peak

  • Half-lifeNot listed
  • Time to peak (Tmax)Not listed

We could not find a published half-life or time to peak for spermidine taken by mouth. In the one blood-level study, 15 mg a day for 5 days did not raise blood spermidine at all; blood spermine rose instead (Senekowitsch 2023).

How to track spermidine in Dose Track

  1. Add spermidine as a custom compound. Start typing its name and Dose Track fills in the details from its research library for you to check, and it sits next to everything else you take.
  2. Log each dose when you take it so your history shows exactly what you took and when.
  3. Set reminders on your own schedule, whether that is daily, weekly or every few days.
  4. Your log is stored on your phone and no account is needed. Data only leaves it for features you choose, like AI answers and lab reading.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the half-life of spermidine?+
We could not find a published half-life or time to peak for spermidine taken by mouth. In the one blood-level study, 15 mg a day for 5 days did not raise blood spermidine at all; blood spermine rose instead (Senekowitsch 2023).
Does spermidine improve memory?+
Not in the largest trial so far. In 100 older adults with memory complaints, 12 months of a spermidine-rich wheat germ extract did not improve memory compared with placebo.
Does spermidine get into the blood?+
One study suggests not as spermidine. In 12 healthy adults, 15 mg a day for 5 days raised blood spermine, not spermidine.
Can I track spermidine in Dose Track?+
Yes. Spermidine is in Dose Track's research library, so when you add it as a custom compound its details are filled in for you to check. You can then log each dose next to your other compounds, set reminders on your own schedule, and see your history next to your lab results. Your log is stored on your phone and no account is needed. Data only leaves it for features you choose, like AI answers and lab reading.

Sources

  1. Senekowitsch S, et al. High-dose spermidine supplementation does not increase spermidine levels in blood plasma and saliva of healthy adults: a randomized placebo-controlled pharmacokinetic and metabolomic study. Nutrients. 2023;15(8):1852.
  2. Schwarz C, et al. Effects of spermidine supplementation on cognition and biomarkers in older adults with subjective cognitive decline: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2022;5(5):e2213875.
  3. FDA. Questions and answers on dietary supplements.

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