Spermidine rich foods: the complete list

What is spermidine?

Spermidine is a polyamine, a small molecule found in the cells of plants, animals and people. The body makes it from another polyamine, putrescine, and turns part of it into spermine. Spermidine receives attention in longevity research, mainly because of cell and animal studies into autophagy, the process in which cells break down and recycle their own worn-out parts.

Read more about autophagy

Spermidine foods: list

The amounts below come from published food analyses. They vary between samples, varieties, growing conditions and storage, so read them as typical values, not exact figures. Spermidine is measured in milligrams per kilogram of food (mg/kg).

Green tea

Published figures for tea mainly concern black tea. In a Swedish database of published food analyses, black tea leaves contained about 38 mg of spermidine per kilogram, while brewed tea contained only about 0.2 mg per litre. Comparable figures for green tea are scarce. Tea leaves contain some spermidine, but a cup of tea is not a meaningful source.

View the research

Wheat germ

When it comes to spermidine, wheat germ has the highest content measured in food analyses: about 350 mg per kilogram, or roughly 2.5 mg in a tablespoon of 7 grams. Wheat germ is the small, nutrient-rich core of the wheat grain; you can add it to yoghurt, porridge or bread dough.

View the research

Soybeans

Soybeans contain between 167 and 291 mg of spermidine per kilogram, depending on the variety and where they were grown. Soy foods made from them, such as natto, tempeh and tofu, also contain spermidine, in amounts that depend on how they are made.

Mushrooms

Mushrooms contained about 130 mg of spermidine per kilogram on average in a 2021 Spanish laboratory analysis of foods, with wide differences between species.

View the research

Green peas

Green peas contain about 54 mg of spermidine per kilogram. Other legumes, such as lentils and chickpeas, also contain spermidine.

Broccoli

Broccoli contains about 32 mg of spermidine per kilogram, according to an analysis of frequently eaten foods. Other cruciferous vegetables, such as cauliflower, contain amounts in the same range.

View the research

Tropical fruits

Fruit, including tropical fruit such as mango and pineapple, contains modest amounts of spermidine. Citrus fruit is often listed as rich in polyamines, but most of that is putrescine, another polyamine: oranges contained only about 2 to 8 mg of spermidine per kilogram in a Swedish database of published food analyses.

Meat and meat products

Meat contains little spermidine but more spermine, the related polyamine the body makes from spermidine. Fresh beef and pork contained less than 5 mg of spermidine per kilogram in a review of meat analyses, and around 20 to 40 mg of spermine.

View the research

Livers of different animals

Liver contains more spermidine than muscle meat. In an analysis of livers after slaughter, the average was 161 mg per kilogram in cows, 122 in bulls, 57 in chickens and 32 in pigs.

View the research

Potatoes

Potatoes are not among the richest sources, but because people eat them often they add to the total. Cooked potatoes contained about 11 to 24 mg of spermidine per kilogram, potato crisps about 38.

Green pepper

Green pepper is sometimes listed with about 90 mg of polyamines per kilogram, but most of that is putrescine; its spermidine content is about 12 mg per kilogram.

Almost all plant and animal foods contain some spermidine, so a varied diet with wholegrains, legumes, vegetables and mushrooms provides it from many sources.

How much spermidine is in a normal diet?

There is no official daily reference intake for spermidine. Population studies estimate what people get from their usual diet: in European adults, average intake is roughly 10 to 15 mg a day, with cereals and wholegrains, fruit and vegetables as the main sources.

In the Bruneck study, an Italian population study of 829 adults followed for about 20 years, people who reported a higher spermidine intake had a lower risk of dying during the study. This is an observational finding: it shows an association, not that spermidine caused the difference, since people who eat more wholegrains and vegetables may also differ in other ways.

View the research

Does cooking change spermidine content?

Yes, depending on the method and the food. In a 2021 Spanish laboratory analysis of 13 foods, boiling and grilling lowered the polyamine content of most of them; with boiling, much of it passed into the cooking water. Microwave cooking caused smaller losses in a few foods and sous-vide none. Broccoli and cauliflower kept their content with every method.

View the research

Spermidine from food or supplements?

Spermidine in supplements comes either from plant extracts, such as wheat germ or soybean, or is made synthetically. Research on spermidine supplements in people is still limited. In a 12-month randomised trial in 100 older adults with self-reported memory complaints, a wheat germ extract with a low dose of spermidine made no difference to the main memory measure. In a small pharmacokinetic study (15 mg a day in 12 healthy adults), a high dose of spermidine taken for five days did not raise spermidine levels in the blood, while levels of spermine did rise.

View the research

View the research

Our Liposomal Spermidine contains 5 mg of spermidine per capsule.

View Liposomal Spermidine

Points of attention

Spermidine from food is part of a normal diet. In the EU, spermidine-rich wheat germ extract is authorised for food supplements for adults, excluding pregnant and breastfeeding women, up to the equivalent of 6 mg of spermidine a day.

Do you use medication, are you pregnant or breastfeeding, or do you have a medical condition? Then talk to your doctor or pharmacist before you take a spermidine supplement.