The Science Behind NovusDNA: How Each Formula's Ingredients Are Chosen

NovusDNA chooses ingredients that are legally permitted in the UK, studied in humans and specified precisely, then has its products tested by Campden BRI, a UKAS-accredited UK laboratory, and publishes the results. Some formulas pair ingredients for a reason; well-studied single ingredients such as creatine are kept on their own. And we only use health claims authorised in Great Britain.

This page explains those principles formula by formula, including where the evidence is strong and where it isn't. If you're new to longevity supplements, start with the beginner's guide to longevity supplements.

Principle 1: start with ingredients that are allowed and studied

An ingredient has to be legal in UK food supplements, at the dose used, before anything else. Longevity+ shows how that works. Its main ingredient, nicotinamide riboside chloride (NR), is an authorised novel food in Great Britain, permitted at up to 300 mg a day for adults. Each Longevity+ capsule provides 250 mg, inside that limit.

That's also why Longevity+ uses NR rather than NMN, another popular NAD+ precursor: NMN wasn't authorised in Great Britain as of October 2026.

Being studied in humans isn't the same as having a proven benefit, and we say so. Our Lion's Mane page, for example, states that research findings shouldn't be treated as proof of broad cognitive benefits in healthy adults.

Principle 2: pair ingredients only where there's a reason

Some formulas combine ingredients deliberately; others stay single. Three combined formulas:

Pairing is a formulation choice, not a promise. There are no authorised health claims for NR, pterostilbene, piperine, berberine or milk thistle, so we describe what's in these products rather than claim what they do. Piperine can also affect how some medicines are processed, which is why we advise checking with a pharmacist if you take any.

Principle 3: keep single ingredients simple

Where one ingredient has strong evidence on its own, we don't dilute it with extras. Three NovusDNA products are single-ingredient:

• Micronised Creatine: 100% creatine monohydrate, 5 g per serving. Monohydrate is the most widely used and studied form, according to the US Office of Dietary Supplements.

• Hydrolysed Collagen: hydrolysed bovine type I and III collagen peptides, 10 g per serving, unflavoured.

• Lion's Mane: a 20:1 dual extract made only from 100% lion's mane fruiting body, rather than mycelium grown on grain.

Keeping them separate also means you can introduce one at a time and judge each on its own, which a blended capsule doesn't allow.

Principle 4: know where ingredients come from

Sourcing decisions follow the same logic. On collagen, the team chose bovine over marine collagen. As one founder put it: "We wanted to be able to trace it back to the cattle." For lion's mane, fruiting body was chosen over grain-grown mycelium because of what ends up in the capsule: a 2026 paper in the Journal of AOAC International notes that grain-grown mycelium products can consist mainly of the grain.

Principle 5: test in the UK and publish the results

NovusDNA has its products tested by Campden BRI, UKAS accredited testing laboratory No. 1079, and publishes testing summaries on product pages. Examples:

1. Essential+: vitamin D3, vitamin K2 and magnesium content analysed, with Salmonella not detected and yeast, mould and coagulase-positive Staphylococci each below 10 cfu/g.

2. Hydrolysed Collagen: 94.4 g of collagen per 100 g, plus heavy metal and microbiology screening.

3. Lion's Mane: lead 0.043 mg/kg and cadmium 0.059 mg/kg, both well under GB legal limits, with Salmonella and Listeria not detected.

4. Micronised Creatine: arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury all below detection limits.

We're specific about what accreditation covers. A UKAS-accredited lab is assessed for particular test methods, listed on its schedule of accreditation. Campden BRI's schedule covers heavy metals and key microbiology tests, but some results we publish, such as vitamin K2 and collagen content, aren't accredited methods on it. Full certificates are available on request from info@novusdna.com. For what to look for in any brand, see what makes a supplement brand trustworthy.

How this compares with other longevity brands

Comparing on verifiable facts, not adjectives. Take the most common comparison, Elysium Health's Basis. Basis provides 250 mg of NR and 50 mg of pterostilbene per two-capsule serving, and carries NSF Certified for Sport, a strong batch-testing programme. Longevity+ provides 250 mg of NR, 75 mg of pterostilbene, 175 mg of TMG and 2.5 mg of piperine in one capsule, and is a UK product tested at a UK laboratory with results published on its product page.

Neither has an authorised health claim, and neither formula has been shown to slow ageing in people. The differences are formulation, testing approach and where the brand is based. We cover more in how NovusDNA compares with other longevity brands.

Principle 6: stay within the rules on claims

UK law only allows health claims authorised on the Great Britain register, so where we make one, we use the exact wording. Micronised Creatine, for example, carries the authorised claim that creatine increases physical performance in successive bursts of short-term, high-intensity exercise, from 3 g a day, and for adults over 55 doing regular resistance training, that daily creatine can enhance its effect on muscle strength. For ingredients without an authorised claim, we explain the research and its limits instead.

Principle 7: supplements come second

The founders are clear that supplements support a healthy life rather than replace one. In one founder's words: "These are simply the icing on top of a good lifestyle." Diet, training, sleep and stress management come first.

FAQ

Who tests NovusDNA products?

Campden BRI, a UK laboratory accredited by UKAS as testing laboratory No. 1079. Product pages carry testing summaries covering heavy metals and microbiology and, for some products, ingredient content. Not every result is on the lab's accredited schedule, and we say so. Full certificates are available on request from info@novusdna.com.

Why does Longevity+ contain piperine?

Piperine is a black pepper extract that may influence the absorption of certain compounds. Each Longevity+ capsule contains 2.5 mg alongside 250 mg of NR chloride, 175 mg of TMG and 75 mg of pterostilbene. There's no authorised health claim for piperine or the other Longevity+ ingredients, and piperine can affect how some medicines are processed, so check with a pharmacist if you take any.

Is nicotinamide riboside legal in the UK?

Yes. Nicotinamide riboside chloride is an authorised novel food in Great Britain, allowed in food supplements at up to 300 mg a day for adults, excluding pregnant and breastfeeding women. Longevity+ provides 250 mg per daily capsule. NMN, by contrast, wasn't authorised in Great Britain as of October 2026.

Why does NovusDNA use fruiting body lion's mane?

Because the product is made from the mushroom itself rather than mycelium grown on grain, which can leave a product made up largely of grain. NovusDNA Lion's Mane is a 20:1 dual extract from 100% fruiting body, tested by Campden BRI for heavy metals and microbiology.

The science behind NovusDNA comes down to four things you can check: legal, studied ingredients; clear amounts on every label; UK laboratory testing with published results; and claims limited to what UK law allows.

To see several formulas working together, shop the Structural Longevity Stack, which combines Longevity+, Hydrolysed Collagen and Essential+.

Food supplements should not replace a varied, balanced diet and healthy lifestyle. Do not exceed the stated recommended daily dose.