IntestAid Understanding Nucleotides

Deoxyribonucleic acid, DNA, which makes up the genetic material in cells, is comprised of units called nucleotides. A nucleotide consists of a base, a sugar and a phosphate group. These nucleotides are Adenosine(A), Guanosine (G), Cytidine (C)and Thymidine (T). Uracil (U) is a fifth nucleotide, which is used to make RNA, (Ribonucleic acid) along with A, G and C.

Nucleotldes are most familiar as the building blocks of DNA and RNA. However nucleotides are by themselves or in combination with other molecules involved in almost all the activities of the cell, including metabolism, transfer of energy and mediation of hormone signals.

Nucleotides are also directly linked to protein synthesis and tissue repair.

The growing body has an ongoing demand for new cell production, and in adults must create cells at a rate as fast as that at which its cells die. To do this, a typical cell must double its mass and duplicate all of its contents in order to produce the new daughter cells. This multiplication of a cell starts with the doubling of the information, namely the DNA. This is the 'interphase’.

A normal DNA consists of three billion nucleotides. Only after the duplication of the DNA can the M-Phase start, which is where the two cell nuclei are formed and the cell starts to divide in two separate cells. Providing dietary sources of nucleotides has been shown to speed up multiplication of certain cells.

• Both the maintenance and growth of our biological systems requires proliferation of various cells.
• Cell proliferation is a lengthy and complicated process, dependent on supply of specific building blocks, the nucleotides
• Nucleic acids have immune-enhancing and tissue-regenerating activities

For years, nucleic acids and nucleotides were not considered essential nutrients. Now these nucleotides are increasingly considered to be limiting in certain diets and for certain types of stresses and disease.

It was thought that the body could synthesize from smaller precursor molecules sufficient nucleotides to meet its physiological demands via de novo synthesis or recycle nucleotides from dead cells. Research during the last several years indicates that this may not be completely correct. The body requires dietary nucleic acids/nucleotides to meet its physiological requirements.

These conditions include rapid growth, limited food supply, metabolic stress and occurrence of diseases. In those circumstances, the metabolic demand exceeds the capacity of de novo synthesis. Dietary nucleotides, nucleotides and nucleic acids become conditionally essential nutrients under these conditions. Dietary nucleotides may spare the energetic costs of de novo synthesised nucleotides.

Dietary nucleotides are found in foodstuffs in different levels. The dietary Intake of RNA IS typically about an order of magnitude greater than DNA, and is particularly present in offal such as liver and tripe, yeast extracts, fungi, lean meat and fish. Unfortunately, today's increasing intake of processed foods, with reduced amounts of lean meat, and restricted dietary regimes and fads, often leave a deficiency in our diet. Interestingly, mother's milk is a rich source of nucleic acids, especially RNA and nucleotides. The research conducted in this area of infant nutrition has led to an increasing number of infant formulas containing supplemented nucleotides, More recent adult based research has led to some food supplements containing specific formulae of all five purified nucleotides, These products are directed for use for immune enhancement under conditions of metabolic stress, as well as intestinal stress and tissue regeneration to enhance intestinal balance and repair of villi.