A lot of the most effective types of natural therapy that help boost long-term wellness involve the targeted implementation of compounds and ingredients derived from the human body and the natural world more broadly.
One of the most interesting developments in the world of biohacking is the powerful effects IV treatments can have that are not available via injectables or oral supplements.
In particular, the compound spermidine has a range of functions and effects in the body that biohackers have started to swear by as a way to slow down the ageing process, reduce the damage the free radicals can do, and reduce the effects of cell ageing.
To understand why it is so popular, it is important to explain what it is, how it works to reverse the ageing process, when it is most effective and when it does not work.
What Is Spermidine?
Spermidine is a polyamine compound found in all organisms that is a core part of the body’s cell development, cell growth and cell protection processes.
Whilst there are many other compounds used in natural therapy that are also found in the human body, what is amazing about spermidine is how many processes spermidine levels affect because of the work it does to preserve homeostasis at the cellular level.
It affects cell growth, stabilisation of both DNA and RNA, regeneration of tissues and affects enzymes, alongside featuring anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-ageing properties.
It is a remarkably broad set of benefits that it has, targeting nine of the 12 main hallmarks of the ageing process, including positive effects on cardiovascular health, immune regulation and even greying hair.
It manages all of this primarily because it acts at a cellular level, which has a remarkably broad span of effects, but whilst its effects are remarkably broad, the method of action is beautifully simple and relies on a process known as autophagy.
What Is Autophagy And How Does It Affect Ageing?
The body is in a constant state of destruction and rebirth on a cellular level. Whilst the urban legend that the body replaces itself entirely every seven years is rather more complex in reality, what is important to encouraging good health is the healthy destruction of unhealthy cells.
This is where autophagy comes in. Literally translating to “self-consumption”, autophagy is the process of destroying old, damaged cells ravaged by toxins and free radicals to replace them with newer cells.
It works similarly to exfoliation of the skin; many old skin cells drop off naturally, but some linger, and the best way to promote skin growth is by gently and carefully encouraging the processes that destroy and renew.
Internal autophagy, through compounds like spermidine, works in the same way but at a cellular level, destroying old cells and maintaining healthy cell renewal in the process.
The problem is that, as human beings age, we lose spermidine over time, but replacing it is not exactly easy.
Why IV Therapy For Spermidine?
Spermidine does not tend to increase if taken orally, similar to other medicines that are simply destroyed when they encounter stomach acid.
This means that an alternative entry point is necessary, which usually comes in the form of intravenous (IV) treatment, which skips the digestive system entirely and allows for more vital nutrients to be completely absorbed.
