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Comment by alwillis | Hacker News Reader

I first learned about Spermidine on David Sinclair's Lifespan podcast last year [1]; it's one of the supplements he takes daily [2].

[1]: https://www.lifespanpodcast.com/nmn-nr-resveratrol-metformin...

[2]: https://fastlifehacks.com/david-sinclair-supplements/

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IMHO, Sinclair is making a mistake by taking spermidine directly since it will probably deplete riboflavin (B2) because the excess spermidine will be metabolized my Spermine oxidase which uses B2 as a cofactor

https://www.uniprot.org/uniprotkb/Q9NWM0/entry

IMO, a better way is to trigger your own body to make spermidine by getting enough Arginine and taking Manganese, B6, and keeping your methylation cycle flowing.

The pathway is as follows:

Arginine -> (Arginase, uses manganese as a cofactor) -> Ornithine -> (Ornithine decarboxylase, uses B6 as a cofactor) -> putrescine -> (Spermidine synthase which needs SAMe and Pyruvate) -> Spermidine

https://www.mdpi.com/metabolites/metabolites-12-00344/articl...

Shouldn't the patient take more B2 in that case?

In my opinion, yes. But I still feel the better route to increasing spermidine is finding out if you are deficiency in arginine, manganese, B6 or one of the several cofactors for the methylation cycle.

Though, will having more Arginine, Manganese and B6 automatically trigger your own body to make spermidine? Isn't there maybe a limit when the body stops producing spermidine?

How about chlorella powder? That is what Bryan Johnson uses.

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