How NAD+ May Promote Healthy Aging

Researchers have observed time and again that diseases and other issues often associated with aging are results of some chemical imbalances. These findings are typically accompanied by the idea that addressing these imbalances can be useful for promoting longevity.

NAD+ is just another of the substances that is thought potentially beneficial in enhancing good health and prolong life span. But what is this compound and how does it actually help? We provide all you need to know in this article.

What is NAD+?

NAD Plus is an abbreviation for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide. More specifically, NAD+ is an oxidized variant of NAD. It is a co-enzyme of vitamin B3, which is also known as niacin. The compound consists of two nucleotides linked through their phosphate groups.

NAD+ is very useful for energy production. As you probably know, vitamin B3 helps to produce energy the body needs to function effectively. The powerhouses of cells, the mitochondria, rely on NAD+ to perform optimally. The co-enzyme facilitates communication between the mitochondria and cells.

For our cells to function well, at every stage of life, it then means NAD+ levels need to be sufficiently high. Failure in this regard is often linked to some changes seen in aging, arising from mitochondria inefficiency.

Researchers have connected NAD+ with resveratrol, which is increasingly gaining traction for it purported anti-aging benefits. It is believed to work with sirtuins, including the more popular SIRT1, thereby boosting the activity of the longevity promoting proteins.

NAD Plus Levels and Aging

As with most other natural compounds, the levels of NAD+ in the human body drop with age. Changes taking place in the body makes it hard to produce the co-enzyme at hitherto levels.

It is estimated that NAD+ levels can drop by as much as 50 percent, maybe more, between the ages 20 and 80.

Low amounts of the vitamin b3 co-enzyme make it harder for your body to fight inflammation, which is known to accelerate aging process. It also gives room for free radicals to wreak havoc. This probably explains a variety of diseases, including type 2 diabetes, obesity, cancer, and neurodegeneration, seen especially among older people.

These issues are mainly because of cells that are not functioning as well as they ought to. Low NAD+ levels cause the mitochondria to lose function. And when you realize these are the powerhouses, you can easily understand why cells may develop issues.

NAD+ deficiency can cause an alteration of brain chemistry, leading to mental health issues. This is not a concern just among older adults, but also among younger individuals who abuse substances. Depression is one of the symptoms of this deficiency.

Can You Reverse Aging by Boosting NAD+ Levels?

Based on the foregoing, it might be taken to mean that raising NAD+ levels is an effective means of fighting aging and its associated issues. But it appears it may be too early to conclude that this co-enzyme will indeed help reverse aging in humans.

It is advisable to moderate your optimism on this for now because available studies mostly examined benefits in animals.

In a 2016 study published in the journal Science, it was demonstrated that NAD Plus supplementation can delay senescence of neural and melanocyte stem cells. It enhanced mitochondrial function and revived muscle stem cells in old mice.

The findings seem to suggest that the compound can be potentially useful for improving life span in humans. It may help in reprogramming stem cells that are no longer working at their best.

Stem cells are very vital for tissue maintenance and regeneration in humans. But aging can cause them to become dysfunctional. The suggestion that NAD+ boost may help address then this is certainly cheering.

Dr. David Sinclair of Harvard Medical School, along with colleagues, had previously reported benefits of NAD+ supplement in elderly mice. A week therapy restored the muscles of the animals to a youthful state. Improvement in levels was compared to restoring those of a 60-year-old human to what they were at the age of 20.

How Do You Improve NAD+ Levels?

If findings from available research are anything to go by, you may be wondering how then do you increase the amount of NAD+ in your body. We provide below some ideas you can work with.

Ketogenic diet

This is one of the diet plans that are making waves right now. The ketogenic, or keto, diet is basically one that is very low in carbohydrates. It is almost synonymous with calorie or caloric restriction, which studies have shown activates sirtuins and promotes longevity.

A ketogenic diet causes the liver to produce ketones for energy needs, instead of relying on sugar. What difference does this make? You may ask.

The body uses less amount of NAD+ to burn ketones for energy than when using glucose. This may also help you to enjoy similar health and life span elongation benefits that calorie restriction is believed to offer.

How To Raise NAD+ Levels With Exercise

It turned out improvement in NAD+ levels is a possible benefit from exercise. There you have another reason you need to be more active. Most forms of exercise can contribute, to an extent, in this regard.

However, it has been observed that high intensity interval training (HIIT) is more beneficial. Two or three short sessions of such each week can do a lot in slowing the aging clock. HIIT doesn’t deplete NAD+ significantly and helps to avoid the problem of overtraining.

NAD+ Supplements

Your body is able to produce NAD+ from compounds that may be present in it. These typically come from the food you consume. Among the precursors to this co-enzyme are nicotinamide, nicotinic acid (niacin), and tryptophan.

But some people may not have sufficient amount of these precursors. For instance, certain lifestyle choices, such as smoking or drinking, may deplete them and make production of NAD+ hard.

There may be need to use a potent NAD Plus supplement to boost levels. Such a product may feature any of the precursors we mentioned previously.

A problem that has been identified with the precursors is that not every cell in the body can convert them to NAD+. Perhaps, for this reason, researchers have shown preference for supplements containing the precursor nicotinamide riboside (NR) or nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN).

Reactions facilitated by nicotinamide riboside kinase (NRK) enzymes lead to conversion of NR into NAD+. This precursor was the preferred choice in several studies on the benefits of this co-enzyme, including the Science paper mentioned earlier.

NMN is another precursor that is equally popular. It reportedly enters into your bloodstream within minutes, making it fast-acting. It gets into the blood within 2-3 minutes of being in the gut.

According to research, NMN doesn't only improve NAD+ levels, but also those of SIRT1, which is thought to extend life span.

NAD+ Conclusion

It may be said that NAD+ shows impressive potential in regulating the aging process. It appears to be one of those compounds that could help guard against age-related conditions that can result from mitochondrial dysfunction. Experts seem to agree that sufficient amount is crucial for good health and longevity.

However, more research is still necessary to better understand the benefits of NAD+ as well as the efficacy of its supplements in humans. There is also not much information yet on possible side effects, although the co-enzyme is believed to have low risk of toxicity.

REFERENCES

Can the NAD Supplement Help Your Old Stem Cells Act Younger? - Regenexx® (https://www.regenexx.com/can-nad-supplement-help-old-stem-cells-act-younger/)

NAD+ IV Infusion Therapy – Comprehensive Wellness (http://comprehensivewellnessnj.com/nad-iv-infusion-therapy/)

Cellular Repair and Reversal of Aging: the Role of NAD - CellR4 (http://www.cellr4.org/article/852)

Beyond Resveratrol: The Anti-Aging NAD Fad - Scientific American Blog Network (https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/beyond-resveratrol-the-anti-aging-nad-fad/)

NAD⁺ repletion improves mitochondrial and stem cell function and enhances life span in mice. - PubMed - NCBI (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27127236/)

What is NAD+ effect on disease and aging | Alivebynature - Evidence Based Reviews (http://alivebynature.com/what-is-nad-why-do-you-need-it-and-how-does-it-work/)