Safe Dosage of Spermine
There is no established safe dosage for spermine supplementation in humans, as it is not an approved medication or supplement with established dosing guidelines.
Toxicity Information
- Spermine has demonstrated toxicity in animal studies with an acute oral toxicity of 600 mg/kg body weight in rats 1
- In subacute toxicity studies, spermine was the most toxic among the biogenic amines tested, with a no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) of 200 ppm (19 mg/kg body weight/day) 1
- At high doses, spermine caused severe adverse effects in rats including emaciation, aggressiveness, convulsions, paralysis of hind legs, and various organ pathologies 1
- Spermine has demonstrated dose-dependent cytotoxic effects in intestinal cell cultures, though the concentrations found to be toxic were above those typically found in food 2
Considerations for Supplementation
- There are no FDA-approved spermine supplements with established dosing guidelines
- Recent human studies have focused on spermidine (a related polyamine) rather than spermine supplementation
- A recent study using 40 mg/day of high-purity spermidine for up to 28 days was found to be safe and well-tolerated in healthy older men 3
- Interestingly, spermidine supplementation appears to increase spermine levels in plasma rather than spermidine levels, suggesting conversion of spermidine to spermine 4
Potential Risks
- High doses of spermine in animal studies have shown significant toxicity affecting multiple organ systems 1
- Adverse effects observed in rats included:
Conclusion
- Without established human dosing guidelines or safety data, spermine supplementation cannot be recommended
- The animal toxicity data suggests potential serious risks at higher doses 1
- If considering polyamine supplementation, spermidine might be a safer alternative with recent human safety data at doses up to 40 mg/day 3
- Dietary sources of polyamines appear to be safe for healthy individuals 2