A study carried out by researchers at Texas A&M University (USA) suggests that there may be a simple way to help reduce the risk of liver cancer and extend our lifespan : to consume aged cheese, as well as mushrooms, soybeans, corn, and other foods rich in a compound called spermidine.
The experts, through an experiment with mice, found that rodents fed an oral spermidine supplement were less likely to develop liver fibrosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (the most common form of liver cancer), compared to rodents that did not receive spermidine. supplement. As if this were not enough, spermidine increased the life expectancy of the mice by up to 25%.
Previous research has suggested that dietary spermidine may have health benefits. Thus, a study published in Nature Medicine in 2016 found that taking oral spermidine supplements was associated with better heart health and longer longevity in mice, while a more recent study linked the compound to lower blood pressure.
In the present study, the scientists wanted to find out whether spermidine might have anti-cancer properties. To do this, they administered an oral spermidine supplement to mice predisposed to developing liver fibrosis, which can lead to liver cancer. The results showed that the mice were not only less likely to develop liver fibrosis but also lived much longer , compared to the rodents in the control group. The mice took the supplement for their entire lives.
“This is a dramatic increase in the lifespan of animal models, 25%. In human terms, that would mean that instead of living around 81 years of age, the average American could live to be over 100 years old, ” he says. Leyuan Liu, co-author of the work.
More studies are needed to determine the safety and efficacy of spermidine supplementation in humans, but the authors believe it could offer significant health benefits.
“Think about it: if we add spermidine to every bottle of beer, it could balance the alcohol and help protect the liver. It’s still early days, but maybe one day this approach will provide a novel strategy to prolong life, prevent or reverse liver fibrosis, and prevent, delay or cure hepatocellular carcinoma in humans “, Liu says.
The study has been published in the journal Cancer Research.
