What Does “Nature-Identical” Mean?
Imagine two molecules. One molecule exists in the natural world. The other is made in a lab. There is no structural or chemical difference between the two. Under a microscope and in the body, they look and behave the same, despite their contrasting origins.
When a man-made molecule structurally mirrors a naturally occurring molecule, it is referred to as “nature-identical.”
Why are nature-identical compounds important?
Our cells can do it all— repair, rebuild, defend, and energize. They’re our smallest, hardest working parts.
Surprisingly, our cells are also a bit naive. While cells’ nuclei act as command centers, cells are guided by biological signals rather than a formal consciousness.
Cells can’t tell the difference between a natural molecule and its man-made doppelganger.
However, scientists have extensive experience with naturally-occurring nutrients. They understand the risks, benefits, and chemistry that defines these molecules. They understand how the human body typically responds. And they can use this knowledge to amplify the power of a natural molecule.
The potential of nature-identical substrates can be of enormous benefit to your health. Creating a nature-identical molecule can make a nutrient or vitamin more easily obtainable.
Natural and nature-identical sources of nutrients.
The human body rarely produces micronutrients in ideal quantities. A nutrient must often be obtained externally (as food or a supplement) to achieve adequate levels. Commercial vitamins and supplements are typically nature-identical molecules that help to provide the sufficient quantity of a nutrient your body needs.
Take vitamin C, for example. “Humans, unlike most animals, are unable to synthesize vitamin C endogenously” (within their own bodies). Vitamin C is a vital dietary component for immune function and protein metabolism. It is widely used and is available in dietary supplements and in foods like oranges, strawberries, and broccoli. Your cells, and your body at large, uses nature-identical and citrus-sourced vitamin C in the exact same way.
Some nutrients can be more challenging to obtain solely through organic material.
Nicotinamide riboside is an example of a naturally-occurring nutrient whose nature-identical form may offer a unique convenience.
Nicotinamide riboside is a form of vitamin B3. This molecule increases the production of NAD+ in all cells. Your mitochondria, the powerhouses within each cell, use NAD+ to generate the energy that powers cellular function and repair. Every cell needs NAD+ to perform properly, and as natural NAD+ production declines with age, our energy and functions experience the same slow-down.
Nicotinamide riboside is naturally present in milk (and avocados to a lesser extent). To receive an ideal serving of nicotinamide riboside from purely natural sources, you would have to drink more than 1000 glasses of milk per day.
This quota would be difficult to achieve. Also, for lactose-intolerant consumers, even a single glass of milk can be unpleasant. Fortunately, nicotinamide riboside is commercially available for the consumer in a nature-identical form called Niagen®. A single, 300mg serving of Niagen® provides a sufficient daily value of nicotinamide riboside for any adult.
Doesn’t nature-identical just mean synthetic?
Nature-identical molecules are synthesized in a laboratory and are created by scientists. Yet nature-identical is not a perfect synonym for synthetic.
While molecules like Niagen® are synthesized, they are identical chemical replicas of a naturally-occurring molecule. The same is true for the most popular nutrients on the market, like vitamin C and vitamin E.
However, new molecules can be created without using an existing ingredient as a guide.
Whether a synthetic molecule is nature-identical depends on the process involved in its creation.
Are synthetics unhealthy?
Synthetic molecules are not inherently unhealthy.
Many of the health products we rely on are synthetic, from vitamins to medications, to sports products.
In fact, most medications are entirely synthetic. When you reach for an over-the-counter painkiller like acetaminophen or ibuprofen, you are easing symptoms with a man-made product.
The safety of a product will depend on the characteristics of the substance. A question you need to ask yourself as you shop: “Is this molecule’s compatibility with my health fostered by rigorous science?”
Clinical testing, quality control, and good manufacturing practices all lower the margins of error on a health product.
Synthetic is a neutral term. Whether a synthetic ingredient is healthy or unhealthy depends on the characteristics of the ingredient, the manufacturing process, and the unique needs of the consumer. Synthetic molecules can be genuinely beneficial, as long as they are scientifically validated.
How do nature-identical molecules benefit me?
Used correctly, nature-identical ingredients can add another line of support to your health routine.
To get the most out of your nutrients, increase your consumption of vitamin-rich whole foods. Where further aid is needed, opt for a nature-identical supplement to fill in nutritional gaps. Natural and synthetic micronutrients can work together to give your system the best support.
When it comes to your health, always trust expert information, and remain curious about your unique nutritional needs.
Ultimately, nature-identical substances contribute to the accessibility of good health.
When a man-made molecule structurally mirrors a naturally occurring molecule, it is referred to as “nature-identical.”
Why are nature-identical compounds important?
Our cells can do it all— repair, rebuild, defend, and energize. They’re our smallest, hardest working parts.
Surprisingly, our cells are also a bit naive. While cells’ nuclei act as command centers, cells are guided by biological signals rather than a formal consciousness.
Cells can’t tell the difference between a natural molecule and its man-made doppelganger.
However, scientists have extensive experience with naturally-occurring nutrients. They understand the risks, benefits, and chemistry that defines these molecules. They understand how the human body typically responds. And they can use this knowledge to amplify the power of a natural molecule.
The potential of nature-identical substrates can be of enormous benefit to your health. Creating a nature-identical molecule can make a nutrient or vitamin more easily obtainable.
Natural and nature-identical sources of nutrients.
The human body rarely produces micronutrients in ideal quantities. A nutrient must often be obtained externally (as food or a supplement) to achieve adequate levels. Commercial vitamins and supplements are typically nature-identical molecules that help to provide the sufficient quantity of a nutrient your body needs.
Take vitamin C, for example. “Humans, unlike most animals, are unable to synthesize vitamin C endogenously” (within their own bodies). Vitamin C is a vital dietary component for immune function and protein metabolism. It is widely used and is available in dietary supplements and in foods like oranges, strawberries, and broccoli. Your cells, and your body at large, uses nature-identical and citrus-sourced vitamin C in the exact same way.
Some nutrients can be more challenging to obtain solely through organic material.
Nicotinamide riboside is an example of a naturally-occurring nutrient whose nature-identical form may offer a unique convenience.
Nicotinamide riboside is a form of vitamin B3. This molecule increases the production of NAD+ in all cells. Your mitochondria, the powerhouses within each cell, use NAD+ to generate the energy that powers cellular function and repair. Every cell needs NAD+ to perform properly, and as natural NAD+ production declines with age, our energy and functions experience the same slow-down.
Nicotinamide riboside is naturally present in milk (and avocados to a lesser extent). To receive an ideal serving of nicotinamide riboside from purely natural sources, you would have to drink more than 1000 glasses of milk per day.
This quota would be difficult to achieve. Also, for lactose-intolerant consumers, even a single glass of milk can be unpleasant. Fortunately, nicotinamide riboside is commercially available for the consumer in a nature-identical form called Niagen®. A single, 300mg serving of Niagen® provides a sufficient daily value of nicotinamide riboside for any adult.
Doesn’t nature-identical just mean synthetic?
Nature-identical molecules are synthesized in a laboratory and are created by scientists. Yet nature-identical is not a perfect synonym for synthetic.
While molecules like Niagen® are synthesized, they are identical chemical replicas of a naturally-occurring molecule. The same is true for the most popular nutrients on the market, like vitamin C and vitamin E.
However, new molecules can be created without using an existing ingredient as a guide.
Whether a synthetic molecule is nature-identical depends on the process involved in its creation.
Are synthetics unhealthy?
Synthetic molecules are not inherently unhealthy.
Many of the health products we rely on are synthetic, from vitamins to medications, to sports products.
In fact, most medications are entirely synthetic. When you reach for an over-the-counter painkiller like acetaminophen or ibuprofen, you are easing symptoms with a man-made product.
The safety of a product will depend on the characteristics of the substance. A question you need to ask yourself as you shop: “Is this molecule’s compatibility with my health fostered by rigorous science?”
Clinical testing, quality control, and good manufacturing practices all lower the margins of error on a health product.
Synthetic is a neutral term. Whether a synthetic ingredient is healthy or unhealthy depends on the characteristics of the ingredient, the manufacturing process, and the unique needs of the consumer. Synthetic molecules can be genuinely beneficial, as long as they are scientifically validated.
How do nature-identical molecules benefit me?
Used correctly, nature-identical ingredients can add another line of support to your health routine.
To get the most out of your nutrients, increase your consumption of vitamin-rich whole foods. Where further aid is needed, opt for a nature-identical supplement to fill in nutritional gaps. Natural and synthetic micronutrients can work together to give your system the best support.
When it comes to your health, always trust expert information, and remain curious about your unique nutritional needs.
Ultimately, nature-identical substances contribute to the accessibility of good health.
Understanding the Aging Process
By Dr. Sandra Kaufmann, author of Why We Age and How to Stop It and the founder of The Kaufmann Anti-Aging Institute.
The search for the “fountain of youth” is as old as time itself. While we all know there’s no miracle pill to reverse aging, there are many steps we can take to get rid of our grey hairs, treat wrinkles, and ease the pain in our joints.
Research shows the best way to understand what’s happening on the outside is to look within.
What are the seven tenets of aging?
On a molecular level, organisms age because their cells age. Our bodies are a well-oiled machine, and as the various parts wear away and falter, so do we.
Understanding what happens on a cellular level is key to understanding aging. My protocol on aging organizes the various theories of cellular aging into seven categories, or tenets. The seven tenets are information systems (DNA), cellular energy, cellular pathways, quality control (cellular repair), immune system, individual cell aging, and waste management.
To age healthier, we must develop a wellness regimen to cater to these seven tenants. Besides a healthy diet and regular exercise, one promising and evidence-based approach to add to your wellness regime is NAD+ supplementation.
NAD+ and the aging process.
All of our cells rely on the coenzyme NAD+ to generate the energy they need to function at their best. Research shows that the NAD+ levels in our bodies decline by up to 50% between the ages of 40 and 60.
The reduction in NAD+ as we age corresponds with a decline in our cell’s ability to produce energy and function properly. Other factors that may deplete NAD+ levels include metabolic stressors, such as overeating, sun exposure, sleep disruption, and alcohol consumption.
This natural decline may be at the heart of several tenets of aging.
NAD+ and cellular energy.
NAD+ is essential to the production of cellular energy. NAD+ works alongside coenzyme Q10 and several enzymes in a cellular organelle called the mitochondria to produce the energy that powers your cells. Declines in NAD+ may reduce our cells’ ability to extract energy from food or regulate their metabolism, making cells less efficient and at greater risk of dysfunction.
NAD+ and DNA integrity.
Another key tenet of aging is damage to our DNA, the instruction manual that tells each of our cells what to do.
Every day, our body will accumulate quadrillions of new mutations in our DNA. Much of this damage, called “oxidative damage,” is caused by our metabolism and can be accelerated by poor diet, lack of sleep, overdrinking, inflammation, and a sedentary lifestyle.
NAD-dependent enzyme poly (ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARPs) regulate the cellular response to metabolic and physiological stressors, preventing the accumulation of oxidative damage. Without NAD+, our cells wouldn’t have functioning PARPs, which are essential for cellular defense.
NAD+ and cellular repair.
Likewise, NAD+ is essential for repairing the damage caused by our environment and metabolism. Cell damage can cause cell cycle arrest, where duplication and division are placed on hold. Cells stuck on hold, or in “senescence,” are to blame for many aging symptoms.
Our cells must find a way to repair any damage before the cell cycle can resume. When DNA is damaged, our cells rely on NAD+ to help facilitate cellular repair processes by activating important NAD-dependent enzymes called sirtuins, which play an active role in cellular repair.
How can you boost your NAD+ levels to support cellular health?
The physical changes that you see in your body as you age reflect what’s happening within your cells. I recommend taking NAD+ boosters to improve your cellular energy, support cellular repair, and promote a healthy cellular metabolism.
A product that I personally recommend is Tru Niagen®, which is the most well-studied form of the NAD+ precursor nicotinamide riboside. Nicotinamide riboside is proven to safely increase the NAD+ levels by up to 40-50% with daily supplementation.
While some aspects of aging are outside our control, there are still many within our grasp. If we really want to improve the way we age, we have to work towards it every day. Start today by monitoring your diet and what you consume.
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Dr. Sandra Kaufmann is the founder of The Kaufmann Anti-Aging Institute and the author of “Why We Age and How to Stop It.” After years of research and studying thousands of anti-aging substances, Dr. Kaufmann conceived the seven tenets of aging. Recently, Dr. Kaufmann launched My Protocol, an app that provides personalized regimen for users based on their particular aspects of aging and skin concerns.
