# Your Cells Can Clean Themselves

Published March 2026 • 5 min read
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### Key Takeaways

- Autophagy breaks down and recycles damaged proteins and organelles
- It's triggered by fasting, exercise, and certain compounds
- Yoshinori Ohsumi won the 2016 Nobel Prize for autophagy research
- Chronic overeating and constant snacking suppress autophagy

Your cells have a built-in recycling plant. When components get damaged — misfolded proteins, dysfunctional mitochondria, cellular debris — a process called autophagy packages them up, breaks them down, and reuses the parts. It's essential for preventing cancer, neurodegeneration, and the accumulation of cellular junk that drives ageing.

## How Autophagy Works

The word autophagy literally means 'self-eating.' When triggered, your cells form specialised structures called autophagosomes — membrane bubbles that engulf damaged cellular components. These fuse with lysosomes (your cells' digestive compartments), which break everything down into amino acids, fatty acids, and nucleotides that can be reused.

Yoshinori Ohsumi won the 2016 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for elucidating the mechanisms of autophagy. His work revealed that autophagy isn't just a starvation response — it's a fundamental quality control system that operates continuously, ramping up when the body senses nutrient scarcity or cellular stress.

## Why It Matters for Ageing

As you age, autophagy efficiency declines. Damaged proteins and organelles accumulate, cells become cluttered and dysfunctional, and the risk of disease increases. Impaired autophagy is directly linked to Alzheimer's (accumulation of amyloid plaques), Parkinson's (damaged mitochondria in neurons), cancer (failure to clear pre-cancerous cells), and cardiovascular disease.

Conversely, enhanced autophagy is a common feature of long-lived species and centenarian populations. Most known longevity interventions — caloric restriction, rapamycin, exercise — work at least partly through autophagy activation. It's one of the central mechanisms connecting lifestyle to lifespan.

## How to Activate Autophagy

Fasting is the most potent autophagy trigger. Autophagy begins ramping up after roughly 14-16 hours without food and increases significantly at 24-48 hours. You don't need extreme fasts — regular 16:8 intermittent fasting provides meaningful autophagy activation over time.

Exercise is another powerful trigger, particularly endurance exercise and high-intensity intervals. Certain compounds also promote autophagy: spermidine (found in aged cheese, mushrooms, and wheat germ), resveratrol, and green tea's EGCG. The key is avoiding constant feeding — every time you eat, insulin rises and mTOR activates, suppressing autophagy. Giving your body regular breaks from food is one of the simplest longevity interventions available.

#### Who Is This For?

Anyone interested in evidence-based longevity strategies, health optimisation, and understanding the latest research on ageing and healthspan.

#### Consult Your Doctor If...

You are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking prescription medications, or have a pre-existing medical condition. This content is educational and does not replace professional medical advice.

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Medical Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider before starting any new supplement or making changes to your health regimen.

#### Sources & References

1. Nobel Prize Committee - Yoshinori Ohsumi, Autophagy (2016)
2. Nature - Autophagy in Health and Disease
3. Cell - mTOR Signalling and Autophagy Regulation
4. Autophagy Journal - Spermidine and Autophagy Induction