You might know David Despain from hearing him speak at Science Talks during Celebration or from Isagenix podcasts. With a background in writing and communications, a master’s degree in nutrition science, and as a certified food scientist, he’s no stranger to giving straight information on the science behind Isagenix products.

In fact, he often thinks of his role as demystifying science or as a nutrition myth buster. Much of this, he’d tell you, comes from experience having been with Isagenix since the company’s early years. He joined as an editor in 2005, when the company was only three years old.

As the company grew, so did David’s role in it. He’s now the Director of Scientific Affairs and Communications in the Isagenix Center of Nutrition and Science (ICONS), which comprises more than 50 scientists involved in quality assurance, regulatory affairs, product development, and innovation. David and his team’s chief responsibility is to drive scientific leadership across the organisation and support key company initiatives through knowledge from the forefront of nutrition science.

David, we often hear the words “No Compromise” when it comes to the quality of our products… can you explain what it really means?

In my years at Isagenix, I’ve come to truly appreciate the term “no compromise” and what it stands for when it comes to the customer experience. Safety is our highest priority at Isagenix, so we’re a company that doesn’t cut corners. We work on the principle that if you put the best available nutrition into the product, you’re going to get the best results! We start by seeking out raw materials that meet a high standard that’s backed by quality documentation and testing and we ensure that through finished product verification. Finally, we also invest in scientific studies to provide validation that the products are safe, effective, and are truly transformative, meaning that they provide real results for our customers.

You’ve been with the company since 2005. What do you love most about the company and your role?

I do love that I get to learn new things every day—that may sound cliché, but it’s certainly true. We’re always moving forward and seeking to provide our customers with the best that nutrition science has to offer. It often means that we get to explore what that could be and seek innovative ways to provide our customers with excellent products. I also often think that the role of being a nutrition and food scientist at Isagenix is really more than that—we’re creating THE solutions to transform lives, which is different and inspirational in a way.

I know that you are particularly proud about your role in helping to create AMPED™ Power. Who should use it and why?

I think of AMPED Power as our company’s first venture into creating an athletic line with a natural, safe, and effective “pre-workout” product. We decided to focus directly on the most-researched sports ingredient ever, which is creatine, and provide it in a dosage alongside other potent ingredients demonstrated to improve athletic performance. We’re relying simply on the best ingredients in dosages that are safe and truly work especially when paired alongside our e+™ Energy Shot and other AMPED products.

What’s most interesting about this product is what we didn’t put in it. We bucked trends by sticking to strong scientifically backed ingredients, and avoided cutting corners or going for hyped up, potentially harmful ingredients in the product. We also stuck with only plain natural sweeteners and flavours—knowing that athletes ought to have a little sugar (simple carbohydrate) in their pre-workouts, based on exercise science studies. No artificial sweeteners or flavours!

We also sought out the best of the best in certifications: Informed Sport. For competitive athletes, this is critical as athlete products on the market could be tainted with banned substances. Informed Sport-certification on a label gives them the absolute assurance that a product has been tested to ensure quality and safety.

AMPED™ NOx is another product (quite literally) close to your heart. Who should use it and why?

AMPED NOx may be one of my favorite products to recommend and I think of it as a “salad in a shot” due to its content of natural dietary nitrates from beetroot, spinach, and celery. These nitrates have demonstrated effects in athletes for improving “pump” and endurance, but I also recommend it to anyone who otherwise is not getting enough vegetables in his or her diet. The reason is that the science is accumulating that nitrates may be one of the many reasons vegetables are healthy and yet, regrettably, we just don’t eat enough of them to harness their full health effects.

Anything else that you want to add?

I’d only like to add that, as it’s well-known among Isagenix users, our products are meant to be used as a system. Too often the types of questions we get are related to uses of certain ingredients, seen in a simplistic view. But when an individual considers the entire picture—such as the practice of performing Shake Days and Cleanse Days, or using our AMPED line for nutritional timing as it was designed—they might see how the products work together. As a system used alongside a well-planned diet and exercise routine, you might find that they deliver profound transformative results!