Oxford Healthspan®

While we can’t speak directly about the formulation of other spermidine products, here are some of the main differentiators of Primeadine®/Oxford Healthspan.

• We source our raw materials from Japan, which is known for its Nobel Prize winning scientific leadership on autophagy, or cell renewal. Japan has one of the most rigorous quality control and testing policies in the world, meaning our ingredients have the most advanced extraction process and meet the incredibly high standards of the Japan Health Food and Nutrition Food Association. They are tested for heavy metals, mold, fungi, and bacteria at the Japan Food Research Lab (JFRL), a third party independent testing lab.
• Every single batch is tested for its amount of food-derived spermidine so we ensure it contains the minimum effective dose of 1mg stated on our labels.
• Primeadine® is manufactured in Japan in an FDA-registered and -inspected facility with ISO22000 standards, the highest in food quality control. It is then encapsulated in an FDA cGMP facility in the USA and undergoes purity testing there as well at Eurofins or Delta.
• Our capsules and tablets do not contain any synthetic ingredients, whereas other supplements typically contain magnesium stearate (of which circa 80% has hydrogenated fats in it; the supplement industry is not legally required to get rid of hydrogenated oils the way the processed food industry has been mandated by law to), shellac, talc and glycerin. Our products are all suitable for vegans. Learn more about our sourcing, quality, and testing standards.
• The Primeadine® Original formulation includes a special type of prebiotic fiber, called FOS (fructooligosaccharide), that selectively feeds the friendly, spermidine-producing bacteria in the gut biome. The idea is to increase both supplemental, or 'exogenous' spermidine, as well as encourage your own body's natural ability to produce 'endogenous' spermidine in your gut biome.
• Primeadine® GF comes from a sub-strain of chlorella singled out from over 100 others because it alone contains a high level of spermidine and also contains putrescine, the precursor polyamine to both spermine and spermidine. Our chlorella is grown in the nutrient-abundant longevity islands of Okinawa, Japan, and exposed to sunlight to increase the chlorophyll and other nutrient content, such as vitamins D and K, which together help drive calcium to the bones. We combine the chlorella with two other anti-inflammatories and autophagy inducers, Okinawan turmeric and nobiletin (from Okinawan "Shikuwasa" citrus lime peel). Find out more about our ingredients.
• We do not use liposomes in Primeadine® because this is unnecessary for absorption and would prevent the benefits that happen when spermidine is exposed directly to the gut lining. There is no evidence that spermidine cannot be taken up by the cells on its own. Similar to amino acids, polyamines do not need a liposome to cross into the cell or to be taken up with epithelial cells. The process of creating a liposomal version also creates unnecessary expense.
• We do not synthetically enrich our product with synthetic spermidine. Be wary of labels that say "wheat germ with spermidine" as this indicates that the wheat germ has been soaked in synthetic spermidine, thereby increasing the overall amount of spermidine but meaning it is no longer a natural source.
• We do not use doses beyond what the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has mandated as safe for human consumption, which is 6mg daily. Please note that this is related to food-derived spermidine. Synthetic spermidine and synthetically enriched spermidine have never been tested in humans for safety or efficacy and are being sold without regulatory oversight. 
• We work closely with our scientific and clinical advisers at the University of Oxford and abroad, all of whom take our product and share it with their loved ones. Learn more about our scientific advisory board here.
• We are also the only non-Japanese member of the Japan Autophagy Consortium, whose Senior Adviser is the 2016 Nobel Prize Winner in Medicine or Physiology, Prof Yoshimori Ohsumi, and whose Director is Prof Tamotsu Yoshimori, Osaka University. Prof Yoshimori conducted all of the mammalian research in autophagy that helped underpin Prof Ohsumi's work in yeast cells. Find out more about our story here.

Synthetic spermidine is a 2-dimensional chemical mimic, but we should never forget that molecules are 3-dimensional. Humans have co-evolved with plants over millenia and our bodies recognize the 3-dimensional molecules made by plants. Our bodies can recognize some elements of 2-dimensional mimics, but they are akin to the mirror images of your hands when you put your palms together - 2-dimensionally identical, and yet your right hand cannot wear a left-handed glove. 

We have tested other spermidine products whose labels state they contain 'wheat germ with spermidine' and noticed that they have a small amount of wheat germ 'cut in' with high amounts of synthetic spermidine. Often, these are high dose, low cost options with no guarantee that they will work, or that they are safe. Synthetic spermidine has not been tested for safety or efficacy in humans, only food-derived spermidine has. 

Synthetic spermidine does not contain the naturally co-occurring and beneficial polyamines, spermine and putrescine, which are present in food-derived spermidine and contribute to the good results found in studies. There is no evidence that synthetic spermidine alone would have the same benefits.

The presence of these extra polyamines make food-derived spermidine highly bioavailable as putrescine is the precursor to spermidine and spermine, creating a virtuous recycling loop that improves your body's natural spermidine production. For this reason, there is no need for the high doses featured in synthetic spermidine since wholly plant-derived products, like Primeadine®, help your body make more on its own.

• We take great care to use the highest quality ingredients available and to keep out the 'nasties' commonly found in the supplement manufacturing process. We take the same approach that we do when baking a birthday cake for our children: we use the highest quality ingredients - no industrial seed oils such as wheat germ oil that oxidizes rapidly and wreaks havoc in our cells, no magnesium stearate to make the powder flow faster through automated encapsulation equipment (approximately 80% of all magnesium stearate used as 'flow agents' contain hydrogenated industrial seed oils), and no talc to make the powder denser and fit more compactly into fewer capsules. 
• We also do not use synthetic spermidine, which is very cheap and often 'cut' into products stating they contain 'wheat germ with spermidine.'  
• We choose food-derived spermidine, sourced and manufactured in Japan, which has one of the strictest food and supplement regulatory regimens in the world. Our products undergo rigorous third party lab testing to ensure they are of the purest and most effective quality. Yes, it is more costly, just as the best cake ingredients for your child's birthday cake would be too. It's a choice and philosophy we wholeheartedly believe in and follow every step of the way.

The US FDA has not ruled on a safe upper limit for food-derived spermidine, but the European Union's European Food Safety Authority has deemed 6mg of supplemental food-derived spermidine to be the safe upper limit.

To date, most studies have been conducted using a daily dose of 1mg of food-derived spermidine, together with spermine and putrescine. 

Synthetic spermidine has not been tested for safety in humans.

Epidemiological studies have correlated higher plant-derived spermidine levels with a longer life.

Supplementation with food-derived spermidine in humans has been shown to support cognition and heart health, promote hormonal balance, improve hair growth and fullness (including eyelashes and brows), and strengthen nails.

This is thought to be because spermidine induces autophagy, the body’s cellular renewal and "clean up" process. It also inhibits 9 of the 12 aging pathways, known as the "Hallmarks of Aging". Some of the hallmarks spermidine acts upon include inflammation, stem cell and mitochondrial dysfunction, and gut dysbiosis.

Inhibiting the aging pathways and inducing autophagy have a whole-body effect and are responsible for the many benefits experienced when consuming plant-derived spermidine.

Other benefits noticed by our clients include deeper, sounder sleep, hair color repigmentation, enhanced energy levels, brighter, more supple skin, and improved gut health.

Spermidine is a naturally-occurring and potent polyamine (a kind of protein) known for inducing autophagy, the body's cellular renewal and recycling process. It also inhibits 9 of the 12 aging pathways, which are known as the "Hallmarks of Aging".

2/3 of the spermidine found in the human body is produced endogenously, or in the body, by the gut microbiota and various tissues. The final 1/3 is found exogenously, or externally, in the food that we eat. 

As we age, our body's ability to produce it declines. To restore youthful levels of spermidine, we have to look externally. Otherwise, our cells' ability to trigger autophagy will continue to decline and the aging pathways will progress.