7. D-PUFA are an unusual thing, and challenging to categorise
What are D-PUFAs?
D-PUFAs (deuterated polyunsaturated fatty acids) are lipids in which specific hydrogen atoms are replaced with deuterium, a stable, non-radioactive isotope of hydrogen. The body treats them as normal fats, but their carbon-deuterium bonds resist the chain reaction of lipid peroxidation far better than ordinary carbon-hydrogen bonds.
Drugs require constant supply. They are “foreign” molecules, so the body takes care to remove these intruders.
However, deuterated lipids are different. As biochemical building blocks, they are recognized as “natural”. Deuterium is present in nature, so the fact that PUFAs are deuterated does not raise any red flags, neither.
Yet the D-PUFA action can be quite strong.
So, what are they? Neither drugs, nor supplements, as they are different from their “natural” equivalents…
If you have a suggestion on how to classify them, please leave it here: [email protected]
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.