IS NAD THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH?

Never heard of NAD? Then you definitely haven’t heard of Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (I think I spelled that correctly).

So, what is Nicotina-

So, what is NAD?

NAD+ is an easy and convenient way to say Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide. NAD+ is one of the most abundant and critical molecules in your body. It is found in every living cell, from single-cell organisms like bacteria to sophisticated multicellular ones like primates (NMN.com).

NAD+ is a coenzyme that is central to energy metabolism. It is used as a cofactor or substrate by hundreds of enzymes. As a result, NAD+ has multiple roles in regulating cellular processes and functions, which are still being researched today (Covarrubias, A et al. 2020).

So, let’s break down that info dump with something more digestible. NAD+ helps to ensure your cells are functioning correctly, serving to protect your DNA as you age while supporting a healthy metabolism (Peninsula Doctor).

NAD+ is a crucial enzyme that can fuel reduction-oxidation reactions, carrying electrons from one reaction to another. It can also be used as a cosubstrate for other enzymes like sirtuins and polymerases (Verdin, E. 2015).

NAD+ is invariably synthesised, metabolised, and recycled in your cells to maintain stable NAD+ levels, with some cells (primarily in the liver) even capable of synthesising NAD+ from scratch. This is achieved through dietary sources including foods like brussels sprouts, broccoli, mushrooms and organ meats such as beef liver and kidney, but can also be made with L-Tryptophan or other vitamin precursors like Nicotinic Acid. Tryptophan is mainly metabolised to Nicotinamide in the liver, where it is released into the serum, taken past peripheral cells, and eventually converted to NAD+ (WebNAD. 2022).

Evidence has pointed to NAD+ may play a fundamental role in a range of biological functions, which include energy metabolism, mitochondrial functions, antioxidation & generation of oxidative stress, gene expression, immunological processes, cell death, and, maybe most notably, healthy aging - because let’s face it, who doesn’t want to invest in the fountain of youth? (Ying, W. 2008).

Perhaps the thing that NAD+ is most known for today is its suggested healthy ageing properties.

The doorway into anti-ageing research was opened in June 2018, when the World Health Organisation (WHO) released the 11th edition of its International Classification of Diseases, which included ageing.

Classifying ageing as a disease created a pathway for research into treatments, therapeutics and supplements that could delay or reverse age-relevant illnesses like cancer, cardiovascular disease, and neurodegeneration (Shade, C. 2020).

Enter NAD+, aka your fountain of youth.

The ageing process involves the accumulation of DNA damage, mitochondrial defects, tissue degeneration, atrophy, and the development of metabolic weakness and defectiveness. The process of aging is accompanied by a decrease in NAD+ levels, which can further damage cells. With the doorway to research widely open, studies have suggested that NAD+ levels in tissues or cells can be increased by the upregulation of NAD+ precursors (Liu, X et al. 2019).

Growth in research has pointed out that NAD+ deficiencies have been found in a number of diseases, including diabetes, cerebral ischemia, and models of aging (Zhang, M et al. 2018). Approaches to restoring NAD+ levels have been highly protective in models of diseases and ageing. These effects have been recorded because NAD+ targets multiple pathological pathways, including DNA damage, oxidative stress, mitigating mitochondrial alterations, and modulating specific enzymes like sirtuins, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, and more (Zhang, M et al. 2018).

NAD+ is a hot supplement right now (and in our opinion, and the opinion of researchers, for good reason), but how do you know if it’s right for you?

The wide range of potential health benefits and preventative uses have made NAD+ supplements incredibly popular. There is no age limit for its use, and no established recommendations have been created, so how do you know if you need NAD+?

More search is needed to adequately determine the most suitable users, so it’s always best to consult a GP if you begin supplementing with NAD+.

Here are a few reasons that NAD+ supplements may support you. Keep in mind research is still in its infancy, and not all of these proposed benefits have been proven in humans yet. So, watch this space.

The concentration of NAD+ in your cells can change during aging, so if you are looking for a supplement that can support healthy aging, a NAD+ supplement may benefit you in the long term and potentially prevent any age-related health conditions (Braun, A. 2021).

If you are experiencing any changes to your metabolism or weight, or have experienced any neurological or cognitive changes, then a NAD+ formula might benefit you. To increase your energy levels or reduce fatigue, you may also find supplementing with NAD+ effective (Braun, A. 2021).

Whether you’re interested in reading more about NAD+ supplements or want to try one out for yourself, we have options that can help you promote healthy growth. Glaxon Collagen NAD+ Synergy capsules can help you slow the breakdown of NAD+ while supporting your overall health. This supplement aims to maintain and restore metabolic efficiency and contains a range of ingredients to support your NAD+ levels, in addition to antioxidants that can improve your immune function.

NAD+ is another unique formula designed to support longevity, metabolism, energy, and ageing. This supplement can support brain function and possesses properties that can promote healthy ageing.

Thank you for enduring the massive info dump above. Now, let’s break down the best benefits of NAD+:

You’ve probably already figured that out by now, but one of the most significant benefits of NAD+ supplements is that they are your key to ‘winding back the clock’. Your cells use NAD+ to make sirtuin proteins work. These proteins regulate biological pathways to protect your cells from age-related decline. NAD+ can play a vital part in maintaining the length of telomeres, which are DNA strand end caps that keep your chromosomes from unravelling, and they have been linked to longevity and healthy ageing by scientists (Sperlazza, C. 2021).

As you grow older, a number of factors will contribute to aging, like the accumulation of macromolecular damage, which includes DNA damage. Your DNA will naturally suffer damage over time, and to fight the impending damage, all organisms possess highly conserved mechanisms to detect and repair DNA damage (Yousefzadeh, M. 2021).

According to research led by scientists at Harvard Medical School, there is a critical step in a molecular chain of events that can allow cells to mend their broken DNA. NAD+ can boost the activity of the SIRT1 (enzyme located in the cell nucleus) protein, which is believed to delay aging and extend life in animal testing (Bolinsky, D. 2017). SIRT1 and PARP1 (a protein known to control DNA repair) both consume NAD+ in their work. Research suggests that because NAD+ declines with age, fewer NAD+ molecules are around to protect the DNA from damage, and when this damage goes unrepaired over time, it can lead to cell damage, cell mutations, and cell death (Bolinsky, D. 2017).

Research has indicated that NAD+ can protect cells from stress. Sirtuins, in particular, protect against oxidative stress, and NAD+ helps sirtuins function properly. One study on rats determined that stressing them by depriving them of oxygen and adding NAD+ to the cell culture revealed that cells treated with NAD+ were more resistant to stress, and fewer cells died. Overall, healthy levels of NAD+ may help your cells remain resilient, particularly when faced with pressure (Sperlazza, C. 2021).

NAD+ has shown anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects in a number of neurodegenerative disease models. According to different research, NAD+ administration recovered cognitive deficits and repressed neuroinflammation by protecting and decreasing ROS (reactive oxygen species) production in CCH (chronic cerebral hypoperfusion) rats. Studies suggested that NAD+ treatment could reduce the damage of mitochondria, lower ROS production, reduce the neuroinflammatory response, and improve the cognitive function of CCH models (Zhao, Y et al. 2021).

If you’ve made it to the bottom of this article, well done. We hope we taught you something new, but if you need more information on how NAD+ can support you and whether you even need it, come visit us. Reach out online or take a trip in-store, and our friendly team can help you find the best supplements to support your health goals.

Just remember, NAD+ isn’t a miracle cure for the effects of ageing, and you won’t start rolling back time like you’re drinking from the fountain of youth. But, long term, NAD+ may combat the decline of NAD+ levels that comes naturally with age and can support healthy ageing.

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