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If You Want To Live Forever, Eat Cheese (And Semen!)
By
Nell Casey
Published Nov 22, 2016
Modified Nov 22, 2016
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By
Nell Casey
Published Nov 22, 2016
Modified Nov 22, 2016
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Can't imagine why the Post buried ignored the lede on the fascinating study that may show that the key to longevity lies in consuming cheese and...semen.
A study published in Nature Medicine reveals the results of experiments that point to the anti-aging benefits of consuming a compound called "spermidine." The compound, which naturally occurs in aged cheeses like those in the bleu family, was shown to improve cardiovascular health in mice, leading to longevity over their experiment counterparts not fed the compound.
It's also found in semen, hence the name.
Even when combined with a high salt diet—which could lead to high blood pressure—the mice in the spermidine group still saw an increase in cardiovascular health. The compound "induces autophagy, which causes heart cells to disable parts of themselves that are dysfunctional or no longer necessary."
Researchers caution that their findings are preliminary, and it's unclear how the compound might alter human physiology, but an investigation into the blood serum of centenarians reveals high levels of spermidine compared with their younger counterparts, suggesting those with a diet higher in spermidine may lead to a longer life.
"We are planning a trial where we administer spermidine to humans and measure their cardiac function," co-author Dr. Frank Madeo from Medical University of Graz in Austria told Medical Daily.
We're not here to tell you how to get your daily dose of the Fromage of Youth—the study's co-author suggests a supplement (boring!)—but we like the options [smiling sunglasses emoji].
Tagged
cheese
longevity
semen
shady science but I'll take what I can get
yes semen
Nell Casey
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