Semen is an elixir of life？
Rumor: Semen is actually an elixir of life. Austrian scientists have discovered that spermidine in human semen has anti-aging effects on cells and can prolong life. After eating this compound, the animals lived significantly longer!
The Fact
This "legendary study" by Austrian researchers is real. The research titled "Induction of autophagy by spermidine promotes longevity" was published in Nature Cell Biology in October 2009 [1]. The researchers were interesting in the specific effects of "spermidine" on the aging and lifespan of organisms. They found that when spermidine added to the culture or diet, yeast in the spermidine group lived four times as long as yeast in the control group, and the flies in the longest spermidine group lived 30 percent longer than the control group. The nematodes lived 15 percent longer. However, changes in lifespan of mice in the spermidine group were not studied.
In fact, spermidine can trigger autophagy in cells. The so-called "autophagy" is the mechanism by which lysosomes formed in cells to digest, recycle, and reuse cell parts or even whole cells. The academic community highly suspects that the disintegration of the whole cell caused by "autophagy" is a kind of "programmed cell death".
In conclusion, autophagy is essential for maintaining the balance between cell growth and regeneration. Previous studies have shown that as cells age, the concentration of spermidine in cells gradually declines. However, a causal relationship between the two has not established. While this study is very interesting and instructive, it is still very preliminary. As can be seen from the results of the study, as the organism becomes more complex, the effect of directly taking spermidine declining. At the same time, the mouse lifespan data, which is the most meaningful for humans, is still lacking.
Conclusion
Rumors debunked. Although it is true that spermidine was first isolated from semen, it is actually a substance widely present in living organisms. Using "semen" as a selling point is purely a "title party". This study also cannot interpreted as "taking semen to prolong life."
References：
[1] Eisenberg T, Knauer H, Schauer A, et al. Induction of autophagy by spermidine promotes longevity. Nature Cell Biology (Published online) October 4 2009
