Critical Health News... These days, most folks are aware that there are good and bad fats. Avocadoes, olives, nuts and seeds containing healthful Omega 3s and 6s are widely recognized as beneficial, while we've been told to avoid fried, hydrogenated and processed fats. For many, dairy is also verboten; Often patients are advised to stay away from milk and cheese, which are considered fodder foods for clogged arteries and heart disease. They are, we're told, high in so-called “saturated fat” (the “bad” kind), and they’re loaded with sodium, blamed for circulatory issues, hypertension and kidney problems. But, as with all subjects that are “common knowledge”, things are not always so simple. Sure, it’s true that homogenized saturated fats are considered a cause of heart disease, the salt they contain may throw off electrolyte balances and swell blood volume burdening microscopic renal capillaries, but these foods also contain quality protein and beneficial minerals that are important for building muscles, bones and blood vessels, for strengthening the immune system, and for optimum functioning of the brain and nervous system.
Now, as it turns out, there’s a new dairy nutrient kid on the block. It’s found to be particularly abundant in cheese. According to a recent article published in the December 2016 edition of the journal Nature Medicine, eating enough of this nutrient may improve heart health and help you live longer too!
It’s called “spermidine”. Spermidine is a natural compound that has been found to extend the lifespan of lab rats even when the supplement was not given to them until middle age. Although scientists have long recognized that the substance can extend the life of simple organisms like fungi and fruit flies, this recent research represents the first time that anti-aging results have been reproduced in complex organisms.
Particularly copious quantities of Spermidine is found in various aged cheeses, including cheddar, gruyere, manchengo, Gouda and parmesan-type cheeses, as well as stronger variations like blue cheese and Roquefort. It is a naturally occurring molecule (scientists call a polyamine) that regulates many crucial cellular processes involving our DNA and genetic coding. It also plays a vital role in something called, "autophagy" (self-eating) . Autophagy is a biological mechanism responsible for the digestion and recycling of waste and toxins. This makes spermidine a biochemical Mr. Clean, helping to eliminate debris and toxins from each of the 100 trillion cells that compose our bodies. Polyamines like spermidine are also considered to be essential for cell growth, function and reproduction.