If we are someone who embraces aging or terrified by the thought of becoming a knitting granny with a grey bun, I am certain most of us wouldn’t mind looking attractive regardless of the chronological age and maybe adding a few years to our time on Earth (tell me if I am wrong, please).

What if I tell you that eating sourdough bread is helping you to do that?

Whaaat?

Wheat has become the scapegoat for health issues like leaky gut, gut inflammation, etc. As a European, growing up on bread, this propaganda always made me suspicious. Without disregarding real issues some people have post gluten consumption, there are nuances to the story you should know.

First of all, wheat and other grains have been a staple food all over the world for thousands of years. What has changed in the past 100 years or so, are the farming practices and food preparation methods (traditional methods swapped for time-convenient ones) and with it, food allergies and intolerances rose.

I often hear from my American friends that indulging in Italian pizza, French croissants and German sourdough on vacations in Europe, doesn't cause them the tummy issues or food fatigue they usually have after eating bread at home. Just a coincidence? I don't think so.

The way how produce is farmed and ingredients are prepped before they are eaten determines if they are healthy or toxic; wheat is a good example.

Wheat is a health food if it is:

• non-GMO
• organic
• has no added folate
• is eaten as a whole grain or whole wheat flour
• fermented (reduces inflaming anti-nutrients)

These nuances might be the reason why there are so many centenarians (people living well over a hundred years) in Europe.

And here is why wheat is a fountain of youth...

Wheat germ is rich in spermidine, a molecule whose impressive health benefits make up for its weird name.

Spermidine protects collagen breakdown, flushes the skin with oxygen and reduces inflammation among many other benefits. The most spectacular fact is that it works like fasting without the starvation factor. It activates the TOR-pathway, a signal to tell the cell when to grow, when to divide and when to die. This cell command is called autophagy and the body's innate recycling mechanism that maintains pretty faces and banging bodies.

If you have ever done a fast and witnessed the clarity of your eyes afterwards, and the even glow of your skin, you know what autophagy can do for your looks.

The spermidine benefits might sound like a Dorian Gray wet dream coming alive, but the-claims are based on solid research.

A study on over 800 people conducted over a period of 20 years, showed that people who ate the spermidine richest foods had the lowest mortality rate. The researchers concluded the drop in mortality rate equals a reduction of the chronological age by 5.7 years.

And if you really have to avoid wheat, then soy, potatoes, green vegetables, cauliflower and shitake are other sources of spermidine. Sorry carnivores and ketos, but the richest spermidine foods seem to be plant-based.

If you are wondering whether you should take a spermidine supplement, I'd ask: Why would you if you can get it from food? 

I am always hoping to inspire my readers to lean more into natural sources but that's in the end your choice.

Hope this helped,

Janett, xxx

P.S.: Gut bacteria are also a production site of spermidine, so please keep them thriving too.