is "nature identical" identical ?
October 15, 2010 11:07 PM Subscribe
I have come across the notion that "nature identical" compounds are not totally identical ?
so by what degree, or how, are they not identical ?
example : in this article they talk about vitamins. apparently shining polarised light through both the natural and the identical.
in the natural the light is reflected to the right, in the identical, the beam is split in two.. to do with the compounds molecular rotation apparently.
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_3697.cfm
example : in this article they talk about vitamins. apparently shining polarised light through both the natural and the identical.
in the natural the light is reflected to the right, in the identical, the beam is split in two.. to do with the compounds molecular rotation apparently.
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_3697.cfm
An example is glucose, which comes in two mirror-image versions. D-glucose is also known as dextrose and it's an important source of calories in our diets.
L-glucose, the mirror image, tastes just as sweet, but we don't have the enzymes to break it down.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 11:18 PM on October 15, 2010
L-glucose, the mirror image, tastes just as sweet, but we don't have the enzymes to break it down.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 11:18 PM on October 15, 2010
Produced inorganically, instead of by a life process, they have an equal mix of right and left
handed chemicals, if they are chiral. Life processes tend to produce chemicals of a single
chirality.
It may very well be true that our bodies will ignore stereo-isomers of the wrong chirality,
potentially reducing the potency of synthetic products proportionally to the concentration
of the mal-chiral isomers.
This might mean that you were really only getting HALF of the megadose from your vitamin
supplements. And maybe getting some other non-life created chemicals in trace amounts.
posted by the Real Dan at 11:22 PM on October 15, 2010
handed chemicals, if they are chiral. Life processes tend to produce chemicals of a single
chirality.
It may very well be true that our bodies will ignore stereo-isomers of the wrong chirality,
potentially reducing the potency of synthetic products proportionally to the concentration
of the mal-chiral isomers.
This might mean that you were really only getting HALF of the megadose from your vitamin
supplements. And maybe getting some other non-life created chemicals in trace amounts.
posted by the Real Dan at 11:22 PM on October 15, 2010
I'm sure someone can back this up with links, but it's 3am and I don't feel like searching...
All because "nature identical" vitamins have both enantiomers doesn't mean that they behave any differently then naturally produced vitamins. Doesn't mean that they behave the same, either.
It could be that in the body the enantiomers naturally switch back and forth from their D and L states and it makes not difference which one you consume because your body will change it any way. It could be that having both the D and L provides a additive effect where one is the "main" chemical, and the other just so happens to aid the other. It could have a detrimental effect (like unwanted side effects). Or like stated above, it could have no effect, and you have half the amount of the chemical.
It all depends. You've probably heard about new "cleaner" drugs being produced. These contain just the effective enantiomer. However, some drugs will never be produced this way due to the reasons I stated above. So, again, it all depends, and it does not immediately make "nature identical" vitamins bad. Or good. Or anything. Ok, time for bed
posted by lizjohn at 2:59 AM on October 16, 2010 [2 favorites]
All because "nature identical" vitamins have both enantiomers doesn't mean that they behave any differently then naturally produced vitamins. Doesn't mean that they behave the same, either.
It could be that in the body the enantiomers naturally switch back and forth from their D and L states and it makes not difference which one you consume because your body will change it any way. It could be that having both the D and L provides a additive effect where one is the "main" chemical, and the other just so happens to aid the other. It could have a detrimental effect (like unwanted side effects). Or like stated above, it could have no effect, and you have half the amount of the chemical.
It all depends. You've probably heard about new "cleaner" drugs being produced. These contain just the effective enantiomer. However, some drugs will never be produced this way due to the reasons I stated above. So, again, it all depends, and it does not immediately make "nature identical" vitamins bad. Or good. Or anything. Ok, time for bed
posted by lizjohn at 2:59 AM on October 16, 2010 [2 favorites]
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But they may not be biologically identical, at least in terms of nutrition. In a lot of cases one mirror image is is useful and effective, and the other utterly useless.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 11:11 PM on October 15, 2010 [1 favorite]