Spermidine vs Cortagen
Side-by-side comparison of key properties, dosing, and research.
Anti-Aging & LongevityCognitive Enhancement
SpermidineAnti-Aging & LongevityRecovery & Repair
Cortagen- Summary
- Spermidine is a naturally occurring polyamine found in all living cells, with exceptionally high concentrations in wheat germ, aged cheese, and human sperm. It is the most studied autophagy-inducing dietary compound, shown to extend lifespan across multiple species and reduce cardiovascular and cognitive aging.
- Cortagen is a synthetic tetrapeptide (Ala-Glu-Asp-Pro) developed at the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation as a cardioprotective and vascular bioregulator. It stimulates repair of cardiac and vascular tissue, with demonstrated benefits for coronary artery disease, atherosclerosis, and cardiac aging.
- Half-Life
- ~30–60 minutes, but gut bacteria produce it continuously; supplementation raises tissue levels over weeks
- Short peptide half-life; gene regulatory effects persist beyond peptide clearance
- Admin Route
- Oral
- SubQ, IM, Oral
- Research
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- Typical Dose
- 1–5 mg
- 10 mg SC or IM daily
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Once daily
- Key Benefits
- Induces autophagy — cellular self-cleaning
- Extends lifespan in yeast, flies, worms, and mice
- Reduces cardiovascular aging and arterial stiffness
- Reduces all-cause mortality (human epidemiological data)
- Neuroprotective: reduces amyloid and tau pathology
- Promotes hair growth (anagen phase activation)
- Reduces age-related immune decline
- Improves memory in aging models
- Cardioprotective — protects cardiac tissue from ischemic damage
- Promotes cardiac regeneration and repair
- Improves vascular endothelium function
- Reduces atherosclerosis progression
- Anti-aging effect on heart muscle cells
- Improves cardiac output and exercise capacity
- Reduces oxidative stress in cardiovascular tissue
- May reduce arrhythmia frequency
- Side Effects
- Generally very well tolerated
- Rare: mild GI discomfort at high doses
- May temporarily reduce some gut bacteria species
- Rare: headache at initiation
- Excellent safety profile
- Mild injection site reactions
- Rare: transient hypotension
- Rare: mild arrhythmia at initiation in cardiac patients
- Stacks With
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