Academic Research

In 1947, the average life expectancy was just over 50 years. However, with the advancements in medical technology, improved nutrition, and better sanitation, the average life expectancy increased to 70 years by 1970. As of 2020, the average life expectancy has risen to 81.41 years for men and 87.45 years for women. Furthermore, experts predict that we are entering an era where life expectancy reaches 100 years. By 2050, more than seven times the current number of people may live to be 100 years old or older.

The nutritional environment and historical background have undergone significant changes throughout the years. In the past, people experienced poor nutrition, which resulted in a shorter average lifespan. Today, we have transitioned to an era of overeating, and now, we are living in a time when people can live up to 100 years of age. Since the completion of the Human Genome Project, we have discovered new methods to lead a healthy lifestyle until we reach 100 years old, thanks to remarkable advances in life science. The current nutritional challenge has shifted from supplementing missing nutrients to supplementing with optimal nutrients that can delay aging, prevent disease, and allow us to lead a healthy and meaningful life for 100 years. Our perception of nutrient intake has changed over time, and it changes with the background and progress of research.

The recommended daily intake of various nutrients was established when malnutrition was prevalent. The basic idea was to consume enough nutrients to compensate for any deficiencies. However, in today's era of abundant food and longer life expectancy, the importance of the functionality of food, especially its biological regulation properties, has become increasingly evident. The focus has shifted from quantity to optimal quality, which demonstrates functionality. This shift has introduced new, segmented indicators to reflect this change.

Recent studies have shown that the impact of protein consumption varies depending on its form, whether it's a protein, peptide, amino acid, etc. Therefore, it's crucial to consider the quantity and quality of protein consumed. This shift in focus has led to a change in the way we think about nutritional intake, moving from a focus on "quantity" to a focus on "quality."

Academically, there is no doubt that nucleic acid is the fundamental origin for sustaining life. Because it is synthesized on the genetic level, nutritional science has often failed to convey the importance of nucleic acid supplementation. In the medical field, however, nucleic acid has become the main focus in its relationship with homeostatic mechanisms. To promote a healthier living, research on nucleic acid had commenced to promote its influence on health. The outcome of this research conclusively led to adding nucleic acid in tube-feeding formulas for postoperative patients, and adding to infant formulas for the healthy development of infants.

At the beginning of research, due to the deterioration of liver function with age, we approached nucleic acid after coming to the conclusions its necessity for supplementation through dietary consumption. However, with the development of molecular biology on the rise, traditional nutritional science has evolved to molecular nutritional science, a new area of nutritional science evaluating the functionalities of nutrients sourced from food at the molecular level to study the influence it has on gene expression and signal transduction. With popularity and different approaches of health on the rise, functional studies on food and nutritional components are being evaluated utilizing methods in molecular biology (molecular nutritional science).

Nucleic acid is indeed the “main source of life” as its role in preserving genetic information and synthesizing proteins which are necessary for building our body and sustaining life. The dietary consumption of nucleic acid still stands as a firm foundation, however, in the midst of researching functional foods by approaching molecular nutritional science, we have learned that nucleic acid and protein have various functions depending on its molecular weight. As a result, we have learned that shifting from consuming nutritional quantity to quality also applies in nucleic acid supplementation as well.

We are researching nucleic acid supplementation as a tool to prevent illnesses and promote health in order to live a healthy life for 100 years. We are entering an era of identifying changes in the body at the molecular level in order to clarify its functions.

Currently, we are making advances in R&D to improve the well-being for everyone in a concrete way by collaborating with various researchers and expanding our knowledge of nucleic acid. In September 2019, Fordays and Life Science Institute have established a joint research facility, “Jisedai Kakusan Labo FD”. In this facility, advanced research in nucleic acid supplementation will take place. We are making our efforts to expand the research of incorporating molecular nutritional science, such as elucidating the functions of nucleic acid and proteins in molecular weight. Through the continuous process of our research, we will continue to contribute to promoting health in the 100-Year Life.