Spermidine may be the hottest anti-aging compound of the last decade, but is it possible that ancient Japanese longevity scrolls alluded to it over a century ago? What other wisdom did these scrolls contain? Thanks to our guest this week, these nearly-forgotten secrets live on.

Oxford Healthspan was founded by Leslie Kenny, a Southern California entrepreneur and graduate of both Berkeley and Harvard, whose life was turned upside down when she was diagnosed with lupus and rheumatoid arthritis in her 30s. When her doctors told her lupus had a life expectancy of five years and that RA could only be managed, not cured, she set out to optimize her health as best she could with safe, natural solutions.

She went back to school at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in NYC, became a Bulletproof coach under health pioneer Dave Asprey, and took on health coaching clients worldwide. At the same time, she began helping life science academics at European universities, including Oxford, to raise money for their discoveries. She met a scientist who introduced her to a promising compound called spermidine.

The science was compelling – one scientist even called it "an anti-aging vitamin" in a published scientific journal – and it was safe. S

till, because it was natural, food-derived, and not a profitable drug, no one was interested in promoting it. Spermidine wasn't available in the US, so she decided to bring it to the US herself.

Today, at age 56, Leslie is living proof that we can get better with age, so long as we take responsibility for our health and meet our doctors halfway.

Do you have questions, thoughts, or feedback for us? Let me know in the show notes above and one of us will get back to you!

Be an Outliyr,

Nick