Autophagy

Autophagy or autophagocytosis (from autogamous "self", phagein "eat" and cytos "cell") is one of the most important processes in the human body to keep cells healthy and efficient. It is a kind of self-digestive program that cleanses and detoxifies the cells. With this process, our body cells breaks down their own unusable components, such as misfolded proteins and damaged cell components. Our cells use these to generate new building blocks or use them as fuel, similar to the energy recovery from fat reserves in a caloric deficit. Without autophagy, this cellular waste settles in the cell and sooner or later impedes the smooth functioning of the cell. On the one hand, autophagy is an emergency system during periods of starvation and at the same time an essential process for the cleansing and renewal of cells. This process is also what one means when speaking of "purification". On 3 October 2016, Japanese cell biologist Yoshinori Ohsumi was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 'for his discoveries of mechanisms for autophagy'; autophagy being an intracellular degradation pathway that helps maintain cytoplasmic homeostasis.

What boosts autophagy in our cells?

To induce autophagy, your liver glycogen needs to be low, you need to suppress mTOR, which is the pathway that signals your cells to grow and replicate; you need to upregulate AMPK, which is the fuel sensor that gets released in energy deprivation and fat burning; and you need to be in this depleted state for at least a day or even more.

• Periods of fasting (from about 14 to 17 hours)
• Calorie restriction : Caloric restriction can definitely increase autophagy to some degree. In fact, caloric restriction increases longevity and it’s one of the few known ways of doing so.
• Eat a high-fat, low-carb diet : Low carb dieting is naturally going to lead to more frequent fasting and low glycogen states, which in turn will elevate autophagy more often as well.
• Go on a protein fast : Once or twice a week, limit your protein consumption to 15-25 grams a day. This gives your body a full day to recycle proteins, which will help reduce inflammation and cleanse your cells without any muscle loss. During this time, while autophagy gets triggered, your body is forced to consume its own proteins and toxins
• Sport (both strength and endurance sports)
• Some foods and substances stimulate autophagy: Graz researchers have been able to identify foods and substances that turn on cellular garbage disposal, even though the organism eats. Certain foods like coffee, green tea, turmeric, ginger, ginseng, medicinal mushrooms, berberine, wheat germ, fresh green pepper, mushrooms, soybeans (especially fermented), citrus fruits (especially grapefruit) and elderberries stimulate autophagy :
  • Coffee, for example, is an autophagy trigger, the scientists confirm.Studies show that coffee has very positive effects on various metabolic diseases such as diabetes or lipid metabolism disorders.
  • Spermidine is a substance that has been discovered by scientists from Graz to trigger a wave of anti-aging studies worldwide. Spermidine occurs in all living organisms and plays a very important role in cell growth. The concentration of endogenous spermidine decreases with increasing age, so the reduction in human skin begins at about 30 years. Spermidine was found in a very high concentration in the male seminal fluid, where it has a life-prolonging effect on the sperm cells. Furthermore, it also occurs in many foods, such as. B. in wheat germ, fresh green pepper, mushrooms, soybeans (especially fermented), citrus fruits (especially grapefruit). When you give cells spermidine from the outside, they behave like fasting: they boost the autophagy vigorously. Aging cells and organisms are rejuvenated and live longer. Yeast cells cultured in a spermine-rich medium lived four times and human immune cells three times longer. Fruit flies and worms, which were given a spermidine-rich diet, had a 30-percent longer lifetime. Mice also lived significantly longer and showed less signs of aging - they were given spermidine with drinking water. The advantage of this small molecule is that it is very stable, it can be taken orally, it is unchanged in all organs and is not decomposed by the gastric acid. With its life-prolonging effect spermidine is a major topic in ani-aging research and also in the development of drugs for serious diseases.

Health Benefits and Uses of Autophagy

Functioning autophagy protects against diseases such as cancer, dementia, heart disease, and bacterial infections. Degenerate cells, debris, and malignant bacteria have a poor chance of accumulating, as they are degraded at an early stage.
When you activate autophagy, you slow down the aging process, prevent or delay neurodegenerative diseases as well as reduce inflammation, and boost your body’s natural ability to function Autophagy is also exceptionally beneficial for your skin complexion.