I often come across food supplements that claim to contain DNAs and RNAs. Apart from their fundamental roles in carrying genetic information and in biosynthesis of plant metabolites, can they on their own be classified as nutrients?
DNA-based supplements constitute a big health food market today. Most supplements of nucleic acids come from yeast, and it is a bit of a stretch to think that they would "improve memory and mental sharpness" or "slow down ageing" as advertised. Another problem is that when consumed, the nucleic acids will simply be broken down by the process of digestion. Having said that, in the hospital, RNA is used in nutrition formulas that include omega-3 fatty acids and arginine. The combination is used for reducing the time needed for recovery after surgery, boosting the immune system’s response, and improving outcomes for burn patients and intensive care patients.
See: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0148607199023006314
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Thank you for your answer Dr. Qin Xiang...
Now, when they are consumed and broken down by digestion processes, would they still be absorbed into the system as nutrients?
I think, biochemically all different nucleic acid are nutrient( phytonutrient in case of plants) as the biosynthesis and degradation of nucleic acid is a continuous process in all living cell and intermediates produced during these process is used for structural and functional activities of the cell.
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