If you’re looking for cutting-edge anti-aging supplements, go no further than those that increase levels of the coenzyme NAD.
What are the benefits of NAD+ supplements? They’re generally utilized to assist in slowing down the negative impacts of aging, such as the development of chronic diseases, muscle loss, and weariness.
Notably, our NAD levels usually fall as we age, which has been related to various health issues. According to research, levels in our brain tissue begin to decline in our twenties. By our forties, levels in our skin have begun to fall.
However, more human research is needed to clarify whether and how a NAD supplement boosts cellular health in older persons. Based on the available information, mainly from mouse and yeast studies, this supplement appears to help reverse mitochondrial degradation, repair DNA, and stimulate the healing of brain tissue, blood vessels, and other tissues.
What Is NAD?
NAD is a naturally occurring chemical, specifically a coenzyme, in the human body. It’s also known as NAD+. The “+” refers to the oxidized form of NAD. Coenzymes like NAD bind to our enzymes to help launch and expedite processes necessary for our bodies to function correctly.
NAD is an essential component of several biological activities, including:
- Redox reactions: Our energy metabolism is aided by the oxidation-reduction (or redox) reaction.
- Enzyme activities: Enzyme activity regulates metabolism and the circadian rhythm (the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle).
- Cellular functions: DNA repair, cellular senescence (which inhibits cells from increasing at an uncontrollable rate), and immune cell activity are all examples.
Significantly, researchers discovered that as we age, we create less NAD. Notably, NAD depletion appears to be linked to age-related illnesses such as cognitive decline, cancer, sarcopenia, or loss of skeletal mass and strength.
As a result, researchers have been looking for evidence that consuming nicotinamide supplements could help prevent or reverse age-related diseases and extend healthy lifespans. It’s still being determined if NAD or a predecessor known as NMN is the best treatment for aging symptoms.
Benefits of NAD Supplements
1. Slows Down Aging
There is no “miracle drug” that can reverse aging. A NAD supplement, however, may change the biological mechanisms that lead to physical and cognitive deterioration. Researchers have found that age-related disorders are linked to a decline in NAD+ levels in the body.
NAD+ supplementation, however, has only been shown to slow down the aging process in animals, not people. It still needs to be discovered how to raise NAD levels in people in the best way.
2. May Help Protect Brain Cells
NAD+ is essential for the proper aging of brain cells. NAD+ regulates the development of PGC-1-alpha and reduces mitochondrial function. According to researchers, oxidative stress and reduced mitochondrial activity are connected to age-related brain illnesses such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
In a study, Nicotinamide riboside increased brain NAD+ levels and PGC-1-alpha synthesis in Alzheimer’s disease mice by up to 70% and 50%, respectively. The mice performed much better in memory-based tasks by the end of the trial.
3. Assists in Weight Management
The NAD+ coenzyme is required for the metabolic functions of the organism. Our metabolism decreases as we age, leading to excessive weight gain. NAD+ aids the body in producing adenosine triphosphate (ATP)1, an energy-carrying molecule that turns the chemical energy in food molecules into fuel for other biological operations.
NAD+ Therapy, when combined with a diet and exercise routine, can help patients maintain a healthy weight by boosting ATP generation. The more ATP your body makes, the better your metabolism works.
4. Reduces Cancer Risk
NAD plays an essential role in cellular health, and the effects of NAD+ may include cancer prevention.
However, a new study suggests NAD’s role in cancer is more convoluted. The energy boosts it provides to cells may encourage the uncontrolled cell development that defines cancer.
More research is needed to establish how NAD can target and destroy cancer cells and how it may promote their growth under certain conditions.
5. May Lower Heart Disease Risk
Aging can cause blood vessels to stiffen and become less flexible. Such changes can cause your blood pressure to rise and your heart to work harder.
In mice, increasing NAD+ helped prevent age-related artery abnormalities. In humans, nicotinamide riboside reduces aortic stiffness, increases NAD+ levels, and reduces systolic blood pressure in people at risk of hypertension.
6. Supplements Addiction Recovery
Addiction recovery is physically and psychologically taxing, partly because drug and alcohol usage has been proven to reduce NAD+ levels. Inadequate NAD+ levels make it more challenging to convert energy from meals. There is even suspicion that persons who produce less NAD+ naturally may be more prone to developing substance misuse issues.
NAD+ Therapy can aid in various steps of addiction rehabilitation, even though it is not a cure for addiction. It can diminish withdrawal symptoms, lessen narcotic residue in the body, and lessen alcohol and drug cravings. Even without the adverse side effects of caffeine or sugar, NAD+ therapy can help the body produce more energy.
To learn more about NAD+ Therapy as a component of a comprehensive addiction treatment program, consult your doctor.
Bottomline
Nicotinamide riboside is a vitamin B3 substitute with negligible side effects. It is frequently advertised as an anti-aging treatment.
Your body converts it into NAD+, which powers all of your cells. While NAD+ levels typically decline with age, increasing NAD+ levels may help to reverse some indications of aging.
However, most research on nicotinamide riboside and NAD+ has been conducted in animals. More high-quality human trials are required before it can be recommended as a treatment.
