Nucleotides are important building blocks of life. 

They are still abundant in human breast milk, but later
we often have too few of them in our food. The special structure of nucleotides makes it possible to store and pass on genetic information that every cell needs for its metabolism.

Nucleotides are essential for cell division, cell renewal and immune defense.

What are the functions of nucleotides?

Alongside amino acids and lipids, nucleotides are the most important building blocks of life and therefore also of the human body.

are nucleotides:

• Components of DNA. Genetic information Deoxyribonucleic acid consists of nucleotides. Each time a cell divides, the double strand is halved and joined together with fresh nucleotides. This process alone requires 3 billion nucleotides per cell division.

• essential for the production of proteins. Protein synthesis requires a lot of ribonucleic acid: mRNA is read from DNA and translated into a sequence of amino acids at the ribosomes formed from mRNA. tRNA transports the protein building blocks there and helps with their incorporation.

• serve as a source of energy in our body. Nucleotides provide the energy for numerous metabolic processes. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is our universal energy currency. Cofactors such as coenzyme A (CoA) or nicotinamide dinucleotide (NAD+) are involved in energy transfer.

• helpful messenger substances. Like cyclic AMP (cAMP), nucleotides are indispensable in many signaling pathways. 

In principle, the human body can produce nucleotides itself, provided it has the necessary building blocks available. They are therefore not considered essential nutrients, like vitamins or trace elements. However, new synthesis is very complex. Each of them requires at least one phosphate residue, the incorporation of which consumes a lot of energy. The body therefore obtains the basic building blocks not only from food, if available
, but also from the recycling of cells.

The ability of cells to recycle decreases significantly with age.

It is easy for the body if nucleotides are available as food supplements and are already individually selected - so they only need to be integrated. They are indispensable for cell division and cell renewal in a healthy metabolism. 

Where in the body are nucleotides needed?

Fast-growing cells have a particularly high demand for nucleotides. These include the intestinal mucosa, blood cells, immune cells and, last but not least,
the intestinal bacteria.

The bacteria in the intestinal flora are important for health and well-being: Together they form the microbiome, which exerts an immense influence on the immune system and metabolism. It serves as a constant
sparring partner for the former and makes many nutrients in food available in the first place
. These include substances that are essential for liver function, fat metabolism and the immune system
. 

Nucleotides are so important that they are already contained in high
concentrations in our breast milk
. Later on, we are dependent on ingesting them with our food.

Sources and scientific studies on
nucleotides as food supplements:

Why are dietary nucleotides essential nutrients? Grimble GK. Br J Nutr. 1996
Oct;76(4):475-8. doi: 10.1079/bjn19960056. PMID: 8942356

Effect of dietary nucleotides on response to bacterial infections. Kulkarni AD, Fanslow WC, Rudolph FB, Van
Buren CT. JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr. 1986 Mar-Apr;10(2):169-71. doi:
10.1177/0148607186010002169. PMID: 2421021

Dietary nucleotides: cellular immune, intestinal and hepatic system effects. Carver JD. J Nutr. 1994 Jan;124(1
Suppl):144S-148S. doi: 10.1093/jn/124.suppl_1.144S. PMID: 8283305 Review.

Anti-fatigue effects of dietary nucleotides in mice. Xu M, Liang R, Li Y, Wang J. Food Nutr Res.
2017 Jun 14;61(1):1334485. doi: 10.1080/16546628.2017.1334485. eCollection
2017. PMID: 28659748 Free PMC article.

Dietary nucleotides: a conditional requirement. Van Buren CT, Rudolph F. Nutrition. 1997
May;13(5):470-2. doi: 10.1016/s0899-9007(97)00103-2. PMID: 9225342 Review.

Dietary Nucleotides Retard Oxidative Stress-Induced Senescence of Human Umbilical
Vein Endothelial Cells. Zhu N, Liu X, Xu M, Li Y. Nutrients. 2021
Sep 20;13(9):3279. doi: 10.3390/nu13093279. PMID: 34579157 Free PMC
article.

Dietary Nucleotides Supplementation and Liver Injury in Alcohol-Treated Rats: A
Metabolomics Investigation. Cai X, Bao L, Wang N, Xu M, Mao R, Li Y.
Molecules. 2016 Mar 31;21(4):435.
doi: 10.3390/molecules21040435. PMID: 27043516 Free PMC article.

Dietary nucleotides and gut mucosal defense. Grimble GK. Gut. 1994 Jan;35(1
Suppl):S46-51. doi: 10.1136/gut.35.1_suppl.s46. PMID: 8125390 Free PMC article. Review.

Dietary nucleotides: effects on the immune and gastrointestinal systems. Carver JD. Acta Paediatr Suppl. 1999
Aug;88(430):83-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1651-2227.1999.tb01306.x. PMID: 10569229
Review.

Dietary nucleotides protect against alcoholic liver injury by attenuating inflammation and regulating gut microbiota in rats. Cai X, Bao L, Wang N, Ren J, Chen Q, Xu M,
Li D, Mao R, Li Y. Food Funct. 2016 Jun 15;7(6):2898-908. doi: 10.1039/c5fo01580e. Epub 2016 Jun 1.
PMID: 27247978

Modulation of the immune response mediated by dietary nucleotides. Gil A. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2002 Aug;56 Suppl 3:S1-4. doi: 10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601475. PMID: 12142952 Review.

Dietary nucleotides extend the life span in Sprague-Dawley rats. Xu M, Liang R, Guo Q, Wang S, Zhao M, Zhang
Z, Wang J, Li Y. J Nutr Health Aging. 2013 Mar;17(3):223-9. doi: 10.1007/s12603-012-0399-z. PMID: 23459974

Dietary nucleotides enhance the liver redox state and protein synthesis in
cirrhotic rats. Pérez
MJ, Sánchez-Medina F,
Torres M, Gil A, Suárez A. J Nutr. 2004 Oct;134(10):2504-8. doi:
10.1093/jn/134.10.2504. PMID: 15465738

Nonimmune system responses to dietary nucleotides. Uauy R. J Nutr. 1994 Jan;124(1
Suppl):157S-159S. doi: 10.1093/jn/124.suppl_1.157S. PMID: 8283307 Review.

Dietary nucleotides have cytoprotective properties in rat liver damaged by
thioacetamide. Torres MI, Fernández MI, Gil A, Ríos A.
Life Sci. 1998;62(1):13-22. doi: 10.1016/s0024-3205(97)01033-3. PMID: 9444963

Effects
of dietary nucleotides on lipid metabolism and learning ability of rats. Sato N, Murakami Y, Nakano T, Sugawara M,
Kawakami H, Idota T, Nakajima I. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 1995 Jul;59(7):1267-71. doi:
10.1271/bbb.59.1267. PMID: 7670187 Free article.

Effect of dietary nucleotides on immune function in Balb/C mice. Xu M, Zhao M, Yang R, Zhang Z, Li Y, Wang
J. Int Immunopharmacol. 2013 Sep;17(1):50-6. doi:
10.1016/j.intimp.2013.04.032. Epub 2013 May 10. PMID: 23669334

Dietary nucleotides reverse malnutrition and starvation-induced immunosuppression. Pizzini RP, Kumar S, Kulkarni AD, Rudolph
FB, Van Buren CT. Arch Surg. 1990
Jan;125(1):86-9; discussion 90. doi: 10.1001/archsurg.1990.01410130092012.
PMID: 1688491

Dietary nucleotides correct plasma and liver microsomal fatty acid alterations in
rats with liver cirrhosis induced by oral intake of thioacetamide. Fontana L, Moreira E, Torres MI, Fernández
I, Ríos A, Sánchez de Medina F, Gil A. J Hepatol. 1998 Apr;28(4):662-9.
doi: 10.1016/s0168-8278(98)80291-2. PMID: 9566836

Effect of dietary nucleotides on intestinal repair in rats with experimental chronic diarrhea. Nuñez MC, Ayudarte MV, Morales D, Suarez MD, Gil A. JPEN J Parenter
Enteral Nutr. 1990 Nov-Dec;14(6):598-604. doi:
10.1177/0148607190014006598. PMID: 2125643

Dietary nucleotides accelerate intestinal recovery after food deprivation in old rats. Ortega MA, Nunez MC, Gil A, Sánchez-Pozo A. J
Nutr. 1995 Jun;125(6):1413-8. doi: 10.1093/jn/125.6.1413. PMID: 7782893

Dietary nucleotides augment dextran sulfate sodium-induced distal colitis in rats. Sukumar P, Loo A, Adolphe R, Nandi J, Oler
A, Levine RA. J Nutr. 1999
Jul;129(7):1377-81. doi: 10.1093/jn/129.7.1377. PMID: 10395601

Maturation status of small intestine epithelium in rats deprived of dietary nucleotides. Ortega MA, Gil A, Sánchez-Pozo A. Life Sci.
1995;56(19):1623-30. doi: 10.1016/0024-3205(95)00129-t. PMID: 7723591

Effect of dietary nucleotides on small intestinal repair after diarrhea. Histological and ultrastructural changes. Bueno J, Torres M, Almendros A, Carmona R,
Nuñez MC, Rios A, Gil A. Gut. 1994 Jul;35(7):926-33. doi:
10.1136/gut.35.7.926. PMID: 8063220 Free PMC
article.

Effect of dietary nucleotides on degree of fibrosis and steatosis induced by oral intake of thioacetamide. Torres MI, Fernandez MI, Gil A, Rios A. Dig Dis Sci. 1997
Jun;42(6):1322-8. doi: 10.1023/a:1018882913983. PMID: 9201102