I can report what is to me another interesting finding both with respect to spermidine and the use of AI LLMs. Because I actually enjoy the taste of Kretchmer’s Toasted Wheat Germ (vacuum sealed in glass bottles), I posed the following question to four LLMs. Their answers follow:
Conduct a deep search of the literature beginning with US Department of Agriculture food science data to determine if the spermidine content of wheat germ is reduced or destroyed by toasting the wheat germ.
GPT-4o (paid version)
Searched 6 sites
The available literature indicates that the spermidine content of wheat germ is significant, with concentrations reported around 2,437 nmol/g in raw wheat germ. However, toasting or other thermal processing of wheat germ can lead to a reduction in spermidine content due to the heat-sensitive nature of polyamines.
No specific USDA data is available on spermidine reduction due to toasting, but it is known that heat can affect the stability of polyamines like spermidine, which could lead to a decrease in its levels in toasted wheat germ compared to raw wheat germ. The extent of this reduction can depend on the duration and intensity of the toasting process([Frontiers
(Frontiers | Polyamines in Food))(
SpermidinePURE
).
For maximizing spermidine intake, using raw wheat germ or minimally processed wheat germ products is recommended. Additionally, some wheat germ concentrates, like SpermidineEVO, are marketed specifically for their high spermidine content, which suggests that stabilization techniques can help preserve spermidine even in processed forms(
GoodMills Innovation
)(
ETprotein
).
Gemini (paid version)
While the USDA FoodData Central provides comprehensive nutritional information, it does not specifically address the impact of toasting on the spermidine content of wheat germ. To answer your query definitively would require a deep dive into peer-reviewed scientific literature focusing on food science and the effects of heat processing on specific nutrients like spermidine.
However, based on current understanding of spermidine and its properties:
- Spermidine is a relatively heat-stable polyamine.
- Studies on other foods indicate that moderate heat treatments, like those used in toasting, may not significantly reduce spermidine levels.
- Some research suggests that certain cooking methods can even increase the bioavailability of spermidine in certain foods.
Therefore, it is plausible that toasting wheat germ may not drastically reduce its spermidine content. However, to confirm this, targeted research focusing on spermidine levels in toasted versus untoasted wheat germ would be necessary.
Claude (free version)
Could not perform
Open Evidence (medical dB - registered provider version)
Sorry, OpenEvidence was not able to answer this question. OpenEvidence encountered an issue finding high-quality medical literature pertaining to the topic. This could be because existing medical literature was not sufficiently relevant to the question, because it did not meet the necessary quality threshold to be cited, or because of a temporary technical error. If you believe this is an error, please help us improve OpenEvidence and let us know at help@openevidence.com.
Observations
I do not find these variations unusual, including what might seem like a potential conflict between GPT and Gemini, both of which I find generally useful time savers in specific contexts.
