Autophagy, Fasting, Exercise, Spermidine, and What These Crazy Words Can Do For You
Our bodies are capable of some pretty incredible things...
But we rarely embrace the amazing things our cells and organs are doing for us! Every moment of every day (yes, even right now!), our cells are working extremely hard to keep us at a state of homeostasis, which basically means that our bodies are functioning without any problems; think of your body as a company whose sole goal is to keep you alive and happy, and your cells are all important employees in that company! Now, when it comes down to it, how often do you thank these employees for the hard work they’re doing? It’s time to recognize one of these important processes- autophagy- and discuss how we can make sure this process keeps happening.
What is autophagy?
Autophagy means, quite literally, "self-eating"... which isn't as weird as it sounds. Autophagy is actually a self-preservation method the body uses to get rid of damaged cells; the parts of these destroyed cells are then used to repair and clean healthy cells. So, if your body is still the company I mentioned earlier, think of autophagy like this: the boss has recognized that certain employees are trying to ruin the company, so they need to be fired and replaced. This process removes debris from cells and helps keep your body running smoothly.
As weird as “self-eating” might sound, it's actually an incredibly important cellular process. As for the benefits, autophagy...
Removes toxic proteins that are related to neurodegenetive diseases from the cells!
Prompts cellular regeneration and healthy cellular function.
Provides energy and building blocks for cells that benefit from repair.
May help prevent or treat cancer (this is still being researched, but seems to be supported by current findings!)!
Promotes longevity and healthy aging.
Yep, autophagy is pretty essential…
But here’s the bad news.
Unfortunately, autophagy begins to happen less frequently as we get older, which is one of the reasons why aging can sometimes take a toll on your health; your cells begin to age because their organelles (aka, the little parts that make up a cell) are not being replaced by autophagy. I’m sure this is news to no one; this just in: aging STILL sucks!
HOWEVER… I do have some good news for you: we have discovered that there are several things you can do to induce autophagy, so you can reap the rewards no matter your age!
Fasting
I'm already a huge fan of intermittent fasting for so many reasons- reducing insulin resistance FTW- but fasting has also been shown to induce autophagy! Fasting, or going hours (or days) without eating, causes your cells stress due to the lack of calories; in response, your cells have to learn to function more efficiently, so they begin to clean out damaged or unnecessary cells.
Now, it's important to note that normal caloric restriction can also induce autophagy, but most people find that fasting can be easier to implement, particularly intermittent fasting. The most common form of fasting is the 16/8 method, which involves fasting for 16 hours straight, while meeting all of your caloric needs in the remaining 8 hours of the day. This method usually involves skipping breakfast and eating only lunch and dinner. Other methods include fasting for 24 hours twice a week or eating only 500-600 calories two days out of the week.
Exercise
Unsurprisingly, fasting and caloric restriction aren't the only things that put cells under stress- Exercise does the same thing! When we exercise, especially when the exercise involves progressive overload, our cells become damaged and inflamed; this causes autophagy to be triggered as the body attempts to strengthen existing cells, or get rid of those damaged cells altogether!
We’d recommend HIIT or weight training in order to trigger autophagy, as the intense movements caused during anaerobic workouts can do a great job of putting stress on your cells and inducing cellular regeneration. So yes! You have yet another incentive to exercise- as if you needed another reason!
Supplementation
It might be unsurprising that exercise and fasting can help induce autophagy (and help you age better!), there is a supplement entering the health and fitness world that might be a surprise to you! Spermidine, which is a natural polyamine occurring in every living creature, has been shown to affect countless biological processes, including cell growth, tissue regeneration, DNA and RNA stabilization, and many others; in addition, it’s also been proven to induce autophagy! This substance (which has also been shown to exhibit antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties) is created by the body, but spermidine production declines with age, so it’s important to take in this polyamine through supplementation. Check out this remarkable supplement (and the research that stands behind it) and enjoy the benefits of helping your body perform as it should.
The bottom line is...
Autophagy is an incredible process that proves that our bodies are trying to keep us healthy… They just need the proper tools! Fasting, caloric restriction, exercise, and supplementation are great options for inducing autophagy, and while it's already a good idea to regularly exercise, you should always check with your primary care provider before beginning a fasting regimen. I also encourage you to not just choose one of these options: implement several of them if they seem like they’d fit your lifestyle! In fact, choosing to supplement with spermidine, exercise daily, and occasionally fast might benefit you in more ways than you realize. Your body is already trying to look out for you; now it's your turn to return the favor!