Polyamine

polyamine

Polyamines are small natural chemicals that cells make and use to help life go on. Chemically, they are molecules that contain more than one amine group, which lets them carry positive charges at normal body pH. Because of that charge they can stick to negatively charged parts of the cell, like DNA and RNA, helping those big molecules hold their shape and do their jobs. The most common ones in animals and plants are putrescine, spermidine, and spermine, and every living organism from bacteria to humans has them. Cells make and recycle these compounds constantly because they are needed for growth, repair, and normal function. Polyamines influence many important processes: they support protein production, help cells divide, stabilize genetic material, and can control cellular recycling systems that clear out damaged parts. Because of those wide roles, changes in polyamine levels are linked to aging, wound healing, immune responses, and some diseases when they are too high or too low. You get some through the foods you eat — especially fermented foods, soy products, whole grains, and certain vegetables — and your gut microbes can also make them. Scientists are studying whether adjusting polyamine levels through diet or drugs could protect organs and slow age-related decline, but safe doses and long-term effects are still under research. Overall, these small molecules are powerful helpers inside cells, and understanding them better could lead to ways to support health as people get older.