Dietary polyamines

Dietary polyamines contribute to the total body polyamine pool. As polyamines are important in health and disease, it is of interest to obtain information on the food polyamine content, making it possible to calculate and manipulate the polyamine intake. In this study, meat was found to contain considerably higher amounts of polyamines than fresh fish, though the levels in fish increased rapidly upon storage and processing. Whereas some cheeses were generally high in polyamines, the content in other dairy products was low. Most fruits and vegetables normally contained low levels of polyamines, although spermidine was high in broccoli and cauliflower, and putrescine in citrus fruits. Cooking did not significantly alter the polyamine concentration. From a sensory and a nutritious point of view, these results provide a means to compose a diet high or low in polyamines.