Latest news with #OxfordHealthspan
New York Post
07-08-2025
- Health
- New York Post
An ancient Japanese sex scroll's instructions could extend your life — plus a 3/10 climax rule for men
Could a 1,000-year-old Japanese text hold the key to longevity and the secrets of sex medicine? For centuries, the Imperial Family of Japan and its physicians have preserved the 30 precious volumes that comprise the Ishinhō, or the 'heart of medical prescription.' These scrolls provide a holistic approach to staying alive — and getting it on — with remedies drawn exclusively from the holy trinity of herbs, nutrition and sexual healing. Advertisement 5 The overarching theme of the Ishinhō is the belief that all of the body's systems are interrelated in what scholar Denis Noble calls 'an integrated communicative system.' Scroll 28, specifically, includes instructions for the creation and preservation of jingqi (the life force) through sexual energy and expression. The overarching theme of the Ishinhō is the belief that all the body's systems are interrelated in what scholar Denis Noble calls 'an integrated communicative system.' And longevity science suggests the ancients were on to something with their sex medicine. Advertisement To replenish cells, DNA has to be copied into new cells. Each strand of woven DNA is capped with something called a telomere, and each time the DNA replicates to produce new cells, those telomeres get shorter. Researchers use the length of telomeres to measure biological age and have long believed that activating them can help turn back the clock. 5 Longevity expert Leslie Kenny is the founder of Oxford Healthspan. instagram/lesliesnewprime Advertisement 'All we need to do is find something that activates telomeres,' Leslie Kenny, founder of Oxford Healthspan and co-founder of the Oxford Longevity Project, told The Post. 'Well, one of those things is sexual intimacy,' she continued. 'And it's that meditative state that couples can get into when they entrain breath, heartbeat and eye gaze. That actually increases the telomeres.' Kenny noted that sexual intimacy also increases oxytocin, the anti-inflammatory bonding hormone. Advertisement 'Oxytocin reduces an inflammatory marker called IL-6, and it will support wound healing and immune function,' she said. 'So these are all things we want.' Stress is another saboteur in the fight against aging and a direct contributor to and amplifier of myriad diseases. The good news? Sex is an effective de-stressor. 'We can use sexual intimacy as a way to better regulate our emotions,' Kenny said. 'Physical affection triggers a release of endorphins, dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin, all of which contribute to emotional bonding, elevated mood and lower inflammation.' 5 While sex is thought to be a near-universal curative kink, the health benefits tied to ejaculatory frequency are up for debate. New Africa – For the male contingent, Kenny cited a 1997 British Medical Journal study that examined the frequency of sexual intercourse and lifespan of 900 men aged 45–59. Those with the highest frequency of orgasms had a 50% lower premature mortality rate. Advertisement While sex is thought to be a near-universal curative kink, the health benefits tied to ejaculatory frequency are up for debate. Some evidence has linked higher ejaculation frequency to a lower prostate cancer risk, but other research didn't draw the same conclusions. For its part, Ishinhō Scroll 28 recommends limiting ejaculation, suggesting that excessive emission of sperm can deplete a man's life force and lead to premature aging, There is a long-held Taoist belief that keeping sperm in a closed circuit by abstaining from ejaculation allows the energy contained in the swimmers to be redistributed into the body. Advertisement 5 The health benefits of semen retention are still being explored. Pixel-Shot – Indeed, some Taoist teachers recommend that men only ejaculate 20 to 30% of the time they engage in intercourse, roughly two or three times out of every 10 sex sessions. There's no definitive scientific evidence about the health benefits of semen retention or the decidedly less scientific-sounding 'blue balls.' Advertisement Kenny believes that ejaculation can deplete precious resources — and that semen retention can be rejuvenating. 'When a man ejaculates, he actually will deplete his body of testosterone, what the Eastern sages have called a 'man's essence.' There have been studies done that show that immediately after ejaculation, a man will lose testosterone,' Kenny explained in a YouTube video. 'The more that this happens, the more his testosterone levels drop. Another thing he will lose is spermidine.' Spermidine — a naturally occurring compound found in all living organisms — plays a key role in slowing aging, protecting against disease and reducing inflammation by activating autophagy, a process that eliminates damaged cell parts. Advertisement 5 A 2018 study revealed that spermidine improved cardiovascular function in mice, leading to improved health and expanded lifespan. Alexander Raths – 'Sperm also include vitamin C, magnesium, glutathione, which is the body's master antioxidant, and zinc,' Kenny said. 'There are a lot of important minerals and antioxidants that the man is losing, so he needs to top up with these other things to replenish.' To practice saving your masculine essence, Kenny suggests a combination of willpower, breathing techniques and butt-muscle clenching to circumvent ejaculation and fuel an internal orgasm. Better yet, adhering to the practice can help men build up to the ever-elusive multiple male orgasm, Kenny said. For gentlemen who prefer to top up rather than hold off, Kenny recommends consuming food rich in antioxidants, especially avocados, leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cabbage. 'You can supplement with B12, vitamin C, zinc and liposomal glutathione,' she added. 'You can also supplement with spermadine, or you can get it in your diet from things like a fermented soy bean called natto, wheat germ and peas.'
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
How to get the anti-ageing benefits of fasting without having to give up eating
Humans have been practising fasts for millennia. Our bodies are built to fast: 'It is literally the reason we carry body fat,' explains Dr Jason Fung, a nephrologist, fasting expert and the author of The Obesity Code. When the body goes into fasting mode it supports cellular rejuvenation and longevity. However, most of us cannot stick to an extended fast, drinking nothing but water, and still live a normal life. Cue a little known molecule called spermidine, found in everything from blue cheese and mushrooms to wheat germ and soybeans, that is rapidly becoming one of most talked-about topics in longevity research. Some scientists even believe it may be one of the key reasons why some people live longer than others because it helps to rid the body of damaged cells linked to ageing. 'There is no other longevity compound on the market that packs as big a punch as spermidine. By activating the body's vital cell renewal and recycling process – called autophagy (which also occurs when you fast) – it targets ageing at the source. This looks like reduced inflammation, rejuvenated cells and enhanced hair growth, all a result of the cellular clean-up occurring within,' says Leslie Kenny, the founder of Oxford Healthspan and co-founder of the Oxford Longevity Project. 'I make a point of eating spermidine-rich food every day – such as lentils, beans, peas and mushrooms. I also add a food-derived spermidine supplement with the minimum effective daily dose (1mg) shown to improve memory in older adults with subjective cognitive decline,' she says. Recent research backs up what she says. And unlike some other longevity trends, spermidine isn't just for lab mice. Human studies, including a 13-year observational trial and several clinical studies in older adults, have linked higher spermidine intake with better memory, lower blood pressure and even a reduced risk of death. Spermidine is a naturally occurring compound found in a variety of foods, especially those from plant sources and fermented products. Plants, animals and microbes produce spermidine naturally during metabolism. So, any fresh or unprocessed food will contain it to some degree. What makes spermidine stand out is its ability to stimulate a process called autophagy, a kind of internal cellular spring-cleaning that clears out damaged cells and helps cells work more efficiently. As we age, this process slows down, contributing to the development of chronic conditions like cancer, cardiovascular disease and neurodegeneration. But spermidine appears to reactivate autophagy even in older cells, offering a drug-free method of slowing ageing. 'Think of it as a molecular amplifier for health,' says Nektarios Tavernarakis, the author of a study in Nature Cell Biology into the health effects of spermidine. 'It helps cells tidy themselves, boosting resilience, energy production and potentially warding off disease.' His research identified spermidine as essential to the longevity benefits of fasting. Fasting naturally increases autophagy, the body's cellular 'clean-up' process, and spermidine mimics and enhances this effect by promoting the same pathways. This cellular renewal helps reduce age-related damage and inflammation. Spermidine and brain health Cognitive decline is one of the most feared consequences of ageing, but spermidine could offer hope. A clinical trial published in Alzheimer's & Dementia found that three months of spermidine supplementation improved memory in older adults with mild cognitive impairment. The SmartAge trial, published in GeroScience, also found improvements in memory and reductions in inflammatory markers in participants aged 60 to 90. So, how does it work? 'Spermidine stimulates autophagy, which breaks down faulty proteins that otherwise accumulate in the brain and are linked to Alzheimer's disease,' explains Tavernarakis. This 'cellular housekeeping' clears the way for neurons to function better. Andrew Steele, who worked at the Francis Crick Institute decoding DNA and author of Ageless: The New Science of Getting Older Without Getting Old, is cautiously optimistic: 'It's likely spermidine provides a general slowing of biological ageing. That may benefit the brain just as much as the heart or gut.' He adds: 'In animal studies, it's helped restore cognitive and motor function. And in humans, we've seen memory improvements.' 'Evidence suggests those consuming more spermidine, mostly in a Mediterranean diet, have better brain (function) and higher life expectancy,' says Dr Stefan Kiechl, a professor of neurology at Innsbruck University, Austria, and one of the world's leading researchers into the health effects of spermidine. How spermidine improves heart health Heart disease remains the world's leading cause of death. New research suggests spermidine could also protect your heart. In aged mice, spermidine supplementation has been shown to enhance heart elasticity, reduce fibrosis (stiffening) and improve mitochondrial function, which supports energy production within cells. 'It mimics some of the benefits of exercise and caloric restriction,' says Tavernarakis, who has studied spermidine's effects on cardiometabolic health. 'People with high spermidine intake tend to have lower blood pressure and a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease,' he says. A study from Nutrients (2024), using UK Biobank data, reported not only fewer heart attacks but a significant reduction in all-cause mortality for those with high dietary spermidine. 'In our population studies, individuals with higher spermidine consumption, primarily from Mediterranean diets, had better heart health,' notes Kiechl. 'And the anti-inflammatory effects may also play a key role.' Other studies support his claim and a 2024 UK Biobank study also linked higher polyamine intake with fewer heart problems and an 18 per cent reduction in early death. Spermidine and cancer Emerging research highlights spermidine's potential in cancer prevention through several mechanisms. By triggering autophagy, spermidine can lower the chance of cells turning cancerous. A 2018 review in Nature Reviews Cancer found how autophagy can prevent the initiation of tumours by maintaining healthy cells in the body. Spermidine also supports immune function, particularly by rejuvenating T cells, which are crucial for identifying and eliminating cancer cells. A 2020 study published in Nature Communications demonstrated that spermidine supplementation restored T cell function in aged mice, improving immune surveillance against tumours. Spermidine and gut health Another area where spermidine shows promise is the gut, particularly through its influence on the gut microbiome. The gut plays a dual role when it comes to spermidine. It is where spermidine from food gets absorbed into the body. But also many of the beneficial microbes in your digestive system, especially in the colon, naturally produce spermidine as part of their normal activity. 'Because it boosts autophagy, spermidine supports the gut barrier and helps maintain healthy microbial balance,' says Steele. 'This could be important for preventing chronic gut inflammation and related disorders like inflammatory bowel disease or metabolic syndrome.' Although research is still in the early stages, some studies suggest that spermidine may help keep the lining of the gut strong and intact, preventing harmful substances, like toxins, bacteria and partially digested food particles, from leaking into the body and triggering inflammation. There is also evidence that it helps gut-residing immune cells function better, which could be especially beneficial as we age. Adding spermidine to your diet One of the easiest and safest ways to get more spermidine is through your diet. Aged cheese, mushrooms, soy products, whole grains and legumes are all good sources. Wheat germ is especially high in spermidine, which you can sprinkle on your yogurt or cereal at breakfast. A tablespoon of wheat germ provides around 1.2 milligrams of spermidine, and 100g of mushrooms or cheddar can offer up to 10mg. Studies suggest that a daily intake of 5mg to 10mg may support health benefits, which can be achieved through a balanced mix of these foods consumed regularly throughout the week.A large US study found that people with the highest spermidine intake from foods like cereals, vegetables, legumes and cheese had significantly lower risks of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality. Kiechl advises a measured approach for now. 'Evidence is strong but there are no 'gold standard' large-scale intervention trials which are necessary for standard medical recommendations,' he says. As spermidine is naturally found in a wide range of everyday foods, it should be easy to boost intake if you don't want to use supplements. That said, for those who prefer a more targeted approach, there are now a number of spermidine supplements on the market that are specifically tested for purity, safety and consistency. These supplement options provide a potential alternative for those who want to explore spermidine's health benefits in a measured, evidence-aware way, while science continues to catch up. Kenny says spermidine has had a dramatic impact on her health, after she was diagnosed with lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and Hashimoto's thyroiditis in her late 30s. 'The biggest area has been in my hsCRP (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein), a biomarker of systemic inflammation in the body. Mine is 0.3 – the same as a healthy teenager. In addition, my biological age, as measured by the GlycanAge test, which measures many other inflammatory markers, shows my biological age as 21. This matters because at 39, I was told inflammation in my body was so out of control, I had only five years left to live. 'Other places I notice are my hair quality and colour – I am 60 and don't dye my hair, or need any hair treatments, because my hair, lashes and brows are all healthy and growing as they would when I was younger. I also get consistently strong deep-sleep scores (60-plus minutes) on my Oura Ring when I take it before bed. This is important because it's only during deep sleep that the glymphatic system, the brain's 'washing machine', gets to work to remove the rubbish that piles up during the day that is associated with dementia.' Spermidine supplements Primeadine Original spermidine, from Oxford Healthspan, co-founded by Leslie Kenny, is developed in Japan from non-GMO wheat germ and is third-party laboratory tested. Longevity Box offers a plant-based spermidine supplement aimed at supporting cellular renewal and healthy ageing. UK-based Youth & Earth also offers a well-regarded spermidine supplement made from high-grade wheat germ extract. 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Telegraph
22-07-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
How to get the anti-ageing benefits of fasting without having to give up eating
Humans have been practising fasts for millennia. Our bodies are built to fast: 'It is literally the reason we carry body fat,' explains Dr Jason Fung, a nephrologist, fasting expert and the author of The Obesity Code. When the body goes into fasting mode it supports cellular rejuvenation and longevity. However, most of us cannot stick to an extended fast, drinking nothing but water, and still live a normal life. Cue a little known molecule called spermidine, found in everything from blue cheese and mushrooms to wheat germ and soybeans, that is rapidly becoming one of most talked-about topics in longevity research. Some scientists even believe it may be one of the key reasons why some people live longer than others because it helps to rid the body of damaged cells linked to ageing. 'There is no other longevity compound on the market that packs as big a punch as spermidine. By activating the body's vital cell renewal and recycling process – called autophagy (which also occurs when you fast) – it targets ageing at the source. This looks like reduced inflammation, rejuvenated cells and enhanced hair growth, all a result of the cellular clean-up occurring within,' says Leslie Kenny, the founder of Oxford Healthspan and co-founder of the Oxford Longevity Project. 'I make a point of eating spermidine-rich food every day – such as lentils, beans, peas and mushrooms. I also add a food-derived spermidine supplement with the minimum effective daily dose (1mg) shown to improve memory in older adults with subjective cognitive decline,' she says. Recent research backs up what she says. And unlike some other longevity trends, spermidine isn't just for lab mice. Human studies, including a 13-year observational trial and several clinical studies in older adults, have linked higher spermidine intake with better memory, lower blood pressure and even a reduced risk of death. Spermidine is a naturally occurring compound found in a variety of foods, especially those from plant sources and fermented products. Plants, animals and microbes produce spermidine naturally during metabolism. So, any fresh or unprocessed food will contain it to some degree. What makes spermidine stand out is its ability to stimulate a process called autophagy, a kind of internal cellular spring-cleaning that clears out damaged cells and helps cells work more efficiently. As we age, this process slows down, contributing to the development of chronic conditions like cancer, cardiovascular disease and neurodegeneration. But spermidine appears to reactivate autophagy even in older cells, offering a drug-free method of slowing ageing. 'Think of it as a molecular amplifier for health,' says Nektarios Tavernarakis, the author of a study in Nature Cell Biology into the health effects of spermidine. 'It helps cells tidy themselves, boosting resilience, energy production and potentially warding off disease.' His research identified spermidine as essential to the longevity benefits of fasting. Fasting naturally increases autophagy, the body's cellular 'clean-up' process, and spermidine mimics and enhances this effect by promoting the same pathways. This cellular renewal helps reduce age-related damage and inflammation. Spermidine and brain health Cognitive decline is one of the most feared consequences of ageing, but spermidine could offer hope. A clinical trial published in Alzheimer's & Dementia found that three months of spermidine supplementation improved memory in older adults with mild cognitive impairment. The SmartAge trial, published in GeroScience, also found improvements in memory and reductions in inflammatory markers in participants aged 60 to 90. So, how does it work? 'Spermidine stimulates autophagy, which breaks down faulty proteins that otherwise accumulate in the brain and are linked to Alzheimer's disease,' explains Tavernarakis. This 'cellular housekeeping' clears the way for neurons to function better. Andrew Steele, who worked at the Francis Crick Institute decoding DNA and author of Ageless: The New Science of Getting Older Without Getting Old, is cautiously optimistic: 'It's likely spermidine provides a general slowing of biological ageing. That may benefit the brain just as much as the heart or gut.' He adds: 'In animal studies, it's helped restore cognitive and motor function. And in humans, we've seen memory improvements.' 'Evidence suggests those consuming more spermidine, mostly in a Mediterranean diet, have better brain (function) and higher life expectancy,' says Dr Stefan Kiechl, a professor of neurology at Innsbruck University, Austria, and one of the world's leading researchers into the health effects of spermidine. How spermidine improves heart health Heart disease remains the world's leading cause of death. New research suggests spermidine could also protect your heart. In aged mice, spermidine supplementation has been shown to enhance heart elasticity, reduce fibrosis (stiffening) and improve mitochondrial function, which supports energy production within cells. 'It mimics some of the benefits of exercise and caloric restriction,' says Tavernarakis, who has studied spermidine's effects on cardiometabolic health. 'People with high spermidine intake tend to have lower blood pressure and a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease,' he says. A study from Nutrients (2024), using UK Biobank data, reported not only fewer heart attacks but a significant reduction in all-cause mortality for those with high dietary spermidine. 'In our population studies, individuals with higher spermidine consumption, primarily from Mediterranean diets, had better heart health,' notes Kiechl. 'And the anti-inflammatory effects may also play a key role.' Other studies support his claim and a 2024 UK Biobank study also linked higher polyamine intake with fewer heart problems and an 18 per cent reduction in early death. Spermidine and cancer Emerging research highlights spermidine's potential in cancer prevention through several mechanisms. By triggering autophagy, spermidine can lower the chance of cells turning cancerous. A 2018 review in Nature Reviews Cancer found how autophagy can prevent the initiation of tumours by maintaining healthy cells in the body. Spermidine also supports immune function, particularly by rejuvenating T cells, which are crucial for identifying and eliminating cancer cells. A 2020 study published in Nature Communications demonstrated that spermidine supplementation restored T cell function in aged mice, improving immune surveillance against tumours. Spermidine and gut health Another area where spermidine shows promise is the gut, particularly through its influence on the gut microbiome. The gut plays a dual role when it comes to spermidine. It is where spermidine from food gets absorbed into the body. But also many of the beneficial microbes in your digestive system, especially in the colon, naturally produce spermidine as part of their normal activity. 'Because it boosts autophagy, spermidine supports the gut barrier and helps maintain healthy microbial balance,' says Steele. 'This could be important for preventing chronic gut inflammation and related disorders like inflammatory bowel disease or metabolic syndrome.' Although research is still in the early stages, some studies suggest that spermidine may help keep the lining of the gut strong and intact, preventing harmful substances, like toxins, bacteria and partially digested food particles, from leaking into the body and triggering inflammation. There is also evidence that it helps gut-residing immune cells function better, which could be especially beneficial as we age. Adding spermidine to your diet One of the easiest and safest ways to get more spermidine is through your diet. Aged cheese, mushrooms, soy products, whole grains and legumes are all good sources. Wheat germ is especially high in spermidine, which you can sprinkle on your yogurt or cereal at breakfast. A tablespoon of wheat germ provides around 1.2 milligrams of spermidine, and 100g of mushrooms or cheddar can offer up to 10mg. Studies suggest that a daily intake of 5mg to 10mg may support health benefits, which can be achieved through a balanced mix of these foods consumed regularly throughout the week. A large US study found that people with the highest spermidine intake from foods like cereals, vegetables, legumes and cheese had significantly lower risks of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality. Kiechl advises a measured approach for now. 'Evidence is strong but there are no 'gold standard' large-scale intervention trials which are necessary for standard medical recommendations,' he says. As spermidine is naturally found in a wide range of everyday foods, it should be easy to boost intake if you don't want to use supplements. That said, for those who prefer a more targeted approach, there are now a number of spermidine supplements on the market that are specifically tested for purity, safety and consistency. These supplement options provide a potential alternative for those who want to explore spermidine's health benefits in a measured, evidence-aware way, while science continues to catch up. Kenny says spermidine has had a dramatic impact on her health,after she was diagnosed with lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and Hashimoto's thyroiditis in her late 30s. 'The biggest area has been in my hsCRP (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein), a biomarker of systemic inflammation in the body. Mine is 0.3 – the same as a healthy teenager. In addition, my biological age, as measured by the GlycanAge test, which measures many other inflammatory markers, shows my biological age as 21. This matters because at 39, I was told inflammation in my body was so out of control, I had only five years left to live. 'Other places I notice are my hair quality and colour – I am 60 and don't dye my hair, or need any hair treatments, because my hair, lashes and brows are all healthy and growing as they would when I was younger. I also get consistently strong deep-sleep scores (60-plus minutes) on my Oura Ring when I take it before bed. This is important because it's only during deep sleep that the glymphatic system, the brain's 'washing machine', gets to work to remove the rubbish that piles up during the day that is associated with dementia.' Spermidine supplements Primeadine Original spermidine, from Oxford Healthspan, co-founded by Leslie Kenny, is developed in Japan from non-GMO wheat germ and is third-party laboratory tested. Longevity Box offers a plant-based spermidine supplement aimed at supporting cellular renewal and healthy ageing.
Business Upturn
26-06-2025
- Health
- Business Upturn
Food-Derived Longevity Supplement Primeadine® GF Launches at Erewhon
SHERIDAN, Wyo., June 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Oxford Healthspan , a female-founded company dedicated to bringing food-derived longevity compounds to market, announces the launch of Primeadine® GF, its gluten-free spermidine supplement for healthy aging, at Erewhon, an independent, family-owned Certified B Corp and Certified Organic retailer with 10 locations across Southern California . Spermidine is a naturally occurring molecule that activates autophagy — a mechanism that mimics the effects of fasting by clearing out damaged cells and encouraging the regeneration of healthier ones. It also targets other key drivers of aging, including chronic inflammation, mitochondrial and stem cell dysfunction, and gut microbiome imbalances. As we age, the body's natural production of spermidine declines, making us more reliant on plant sources in our diet. Sourced from the longevity islands of Okinawa, Japan, Primeadine GF is a first-of-its-kind, gluten-free spermidine supplement sourced from a unique strain of Okinawan chlorella. It also contains two other autophagy-activating ingredients, nobiletin (from 'Shikuwasa' citrus lime peel) and curcumin (from turmeric). 'We're thrilled to bring Primeadine GF to Erewhon, where customers are deeply intentional about what they put in their bodies,' said Leslie Kenny, CEO and founder of Oxford Healthspan. 'This partnership is especially meaningful because both Oxford Healthspan and Erewhon are rooted in Japanese wellness traditions, from the macrobiotic movement that inspired Erewhon's founding to the Japan-sourced ingredients that power our supplements. We share a commitment to aging well through food-based approaches that honor both science and nature.' Primeadine GF delivers a range of science-backed benefits: Supports cellular renewal Promotes cognitive clarity, hormonal balance, and immune resilience Enhances skin, hair, and nail vitality from the inside out Backed by Oxford scientists and recommended by leading clinicians and nutritionists Tested for pesticides, heavy metals and toxins, and free from fillers and flow agents Primeadine GF is now available at all Erewhon locations across Southern California. Learn more about Primeadine GF at . About Oxford Healthspan Oxford Healthspan is a women-led, science-backed longevity supplement company dedicated to helping people age on their own terms by delivering premium, food-derived longevity supplements that harmonize Eastern wisdom with modern longevity science. With a mission to revolutionize healthy aging, Oxford Healthspan sources only the highest-quality ingredients from Japan to ensure purity, potency, and safety. Learn more at and follow @oxfordhealthspan on Instagram. About Erewhon Erewhon is an independent, family-owned Certified B Corp and Certified Organic Retailer with 10 locations across Southern California. Since 1968, Erewhon has been providing organic, ethically-sourced foods to the communities it serves. It's committed to sourcing healthy, nutrient-dense products, backing local growers and brands, and supporting the environment. Recognized for its uncompromising quality standards and customer service, Erewhon sustains a community centered in caring, curiosity, and positive change. For more information, visit MEDIA CONTACT:Lisa Lazarczyk, LAZ PR Tel: 617.838.7327 or [email protected]
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Why ‘old people smell' happens — and the superfood you can eat to help prevent it
There are few odors more immediately recognizable and absolutely off-putting than 'old people smell.' Eau du elderly is characterized by top notes of mothballs and wet cardboard coupled with basement, expired canned goods and dead leaves. Long thought to be an inevitable, olfactory consequence of aging, a longevity expert explained how the smell develops — and how one superfood can help banish it. 'Old people smell comes from lipid peroxidation on top of the skin. And if you don't have enough antioxidants, that smell builds up, and because we don't get a lot of cellular turnover as we age, it lingers,' Leslie Kenny, founder of Oxford Healthspan and certified Bulletproof coach, told The Post. Kenny likens lipid peroxidation to the body rusting. 'It's a whole body thing,' she explained. 'The smell comes from a compound called 2-nonenal. It's basically sebum that has rusted.' Our skin's natural antioxidant defenses decline with age. This results in increased oxidation of skin lipids and the production of 2-nonenal, a byproduct of the breakdown of omega-7 fatty acids on the skin's surface. Kenny maintains that, unlike body odor, old people smell cannot be disguised or washed away. 'You can't mask it with perfume. The perfume simply layers on top of it, and it gives it a sort of musty smell,' she said. 'You can't get rid of it through bathing more because the cells are not turning over rapidly enough, and the lipid fats are not so easy to break down, so the scent will still be there.' The scent-sible solution to senior stank? 'What you want to do is get rid of it from the inside out.' Kenny explains that nutrition, specifically a diet dense with mushrooms, is key to this inside-out approach to staving off the scent. Mushrooms are packed with the amino acid ergothioneine, a powerful antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties that stops lipid peroxidation before oldie odor can accumulate. Ergothioneine can reportedly make you smell fresh and think straight, as research suggests that diets rich in mushrooms can cut the risk of cognitive impairment in half. Mushrooms are also an excellent source of spermidine, an organic compound that activates autophagy, the regenerative process that removes damaged cell components and recycles them to support cellular renewal. Autophagy plays a critical role in slowing aging, protecting against disease, maintaining metabolic efficiency and mitigating mature muskiness. Kenny notes that while all mushrooms aid and abet smelling more like a spring breeze than a caved-in root cellar, shiitake and oyster shrooms are the best bet for nutrient delivery. According to the expert, the lipid peroxidation that causes old people smell is the stank result of two conspiring conditions: hormonal drops and a lack of cellular turnover. 'As our hormones go down, that smell is more likely to build up, and as we age, we don't get a lot of cellular turnover, so that smell lingers for long term,' she said. With ergothioneine halting lipid peroxidation and spermidine supporting autophagy, Kenny calls mushrooms 'the perfect food to eat to combat this smell.' Kenny told The Post that mushrooms are a preventative and curative medicine. 'As we go through perimenopause and menopause, we want to try to include more ergothioneine-rich foods like mushrooms to prevent the onset of that smell,' she said. 'And if you are older and you want to get rid of the smell, mushrooms are a great choice because, again, they've got the spermidine that's going to help with the faster cell turnover.' In addition to helping us smell more like spring chickens than old crows, mushrooms have been shown to slow cancer progression, lower blood pressure, improve insulin resistance, shield against brain damage and help keep bones healthy. Other research has found a link between eating mushrooms and a lower risk of prostate cancer and breast cancer. The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center notes that mushroom extracts have routinely complemented cancer care in Japan and China because they are rich in vitamin D, which is critical for the immune system.
