Foods for cellular revival: Wheat germ-based spermidine found to improve organelle “recycling”

15 Feb 2023 --- GoodMills Innovation is helping brands position foods for cellular and cognitive benefits with its wheat germ concentrate ingredient SpermidineEvo. The nutraceutical ingredient is high in spermidine, a natural polyamine that can support cell renewal and the “slowing down of the aging process.”

The ingredient is characterized by a harmonious, slightly nutty taste and is available as a raw germ for extraction or in powder form. It has applications in everyday functional foods, such as granola bars, protein bars, smoothies, cereals, wheat germ milk or bread. 

“The uses of SpermidineEvo in the healthy aging market are diverse, ranging from hard capsules and tablets to instant powders, beverages, sachets and new dietary supplements such as gummies or chewing gum,” explains Max Weber, product manager of health and nutrition at GoodMills Innovation.  

“We all age. However, we can influence how and at what pace, and spermidine can play an important role in this.” 

Part of the GoodMills Group, GoodMills Innovation develops clean label F&B and nutraceutical ingredients based on cereals and pulses. Scientific backing for spermidine Studies show spermidine may have beneficial effects for age-related neurological dysfunction and reduce the risk of cognitive impairment in old age.

Eating spermidine-rich foods has a positive effect on cell regeneration. In the process known as autophagy, damaged organelles are recycled and used for the biosynthesis of a new generation of cells. 

As a result, the health of the cell is sustainably improved, making a significant contribution to a healthy aging process. This “recycling” mechanism is naturally triggered during fasting. 

Increasingly, autophagy is coming to the fore in the scientific community. In 2016, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded for research on mechanisms of autophagy. 

Thanks to this and a number of other scientific papers, cell renewal is gaining importance as a research topic and an opportunity for the functional F&B industry.  

Reducing cognitive decline
In addition to promoting cellular renewal, spermidine appears to have beneficial effects on age-related neurological disorders and cognitive impairment. 

Corresponding findings were demonstrated in a scientific study published in the journal Cortex, during which the effect of spermidine on the memory performance of older adults with dementia risk was investigated. 

The spermidine group showed improvements in memory performance compared with the placebo group. 

These findings are reinforced by the 2021 study “Dietary spermidine improves cognitive function,” in which researchers describe a link between higher spermidine intake and the prevention of age- or disease-related cognitive decline.

Dairy ingredients have also been explored for their ability to reduce age-related cognitive decline. Kirin Holdings’ beta-lactolin targets Japan’s aging population in milk and yogurt applications. 

Meanwhile, Valio is positioning milk phospholipids as a healthy aging ingredient, as it has shown the potential to reduce cognitive decline.

By Missy Green