8. D-PUFA operate on physical, not chemical, principles
What is the kinetic isotope effect?
The kinetic isotope effect (KIE) is a fundamental physical phenomenon: replacing hydrogen with its heavier isotope deuterium makes chemical bonds harder to break. D-PUFAs exploit this effect to slow the chain reaction of lipid peroxidation at the molecular level, without relying on traditional pharmacological mechanisms.
Drugs often fail. They have side-effects, or act non-specifically. Pathogens can evolve their ways around them.
Up to 10% of drugs have no known primary target, and more than 20% of approved drugs lack a well-defined mechanism of action. All because drugs are foreign to the body, and operate on chemical principles.
A different kind of protection
D-PUFA are different. While not foreign to the body, these essential building blocks act through physical, not chemical, mechanisms.
- They are less fickle.
- More predictable.
- More reliable.
Might be worth giving them a thought.
Want the full picture?
This article covers just one piece of the puzzle. The book connects all the dots: from the chemistry of aging to the deuterium approach.