Main image courtesy of Inspira Health Network.
If you’re looking for a product that can help your body as you age, you may want to consider looking into NAD+ and its precursors. This is a special coenzyme that is found in all your cells, and it participates in all kinds of important metabolic processes your body completes each day. While there is no fountain of youth to keep us looking young forever, there are ways you can stay healthy as you age, both in mind and body.
Want to learn more about NAD+ and its potential benefits for you? Keep reading because we’re going to discuss:
- What NAD+ is
- The benefits of increasing your levels of NAD+
- Whether or not NAD+ boosters are effective
What is NAD+ (and why you should care)
Get to know a little more about this important part of your body
NAD+ is nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, and it is a part of all kinds of lifeforms, from one celled organisms to humans. NAD+ plays a large role in important processes such as converting food to energy, ensuring our cells function properly, helping us age well, and maintaining the integrity of our DNA. It is a coenzyme, which means it’s a helper molecule, and transports electrons from one cell to another in order to complete biological processes. We need a certain amount of NAD+ in our systems so our body’s systems are running properly—we wouldn’t be able to get much done without the energy that comes from NAD+’s ability to ensure the metabolic process of converting food to energy occurs.
While all of our cells come with a certain amount of NAD+, unfortunately those levels decline as we age. This increases the likelihood of disruptions occurring with the cellular metabolic process, which can lead to folks developing age-related diseases. The decreased NAD+ amounts occur for a variety of reasons:
- The immune system must work harder as we age, and thus consumes more NAD+
- The coenzymes that help with DNA repair as we age (PARPs) use a good amount of NAD+ for their work
- Proteins called sirtuins help with body processes as well age, and they too use NAD+
You can also experience reduced amount NAD+ in your body as a result of certain stressors like:
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Excess sugar intake
- High fat diets
- Excess amounts of alcohol
Even if you aren’t exposed to those stressors, you may still be susceptible to a decrease because as we age NAD+ naturally declines. Disrupting the metabolic process can lead to age related disorders, chronic conditions, weight gain, and heart disease.
NAD+ has come into the spotlight recently because of research done in animal trials that shows by boosting NAD+ levels, we see anti-aging effects, improved lifespan, and possibly reversing age related diseases. This is a big deal since we are dealing with a lot of aging people in the U.S. who may benefit from having the tools to help their DNA repair itself.
What are the benefits of increasing NAD+ levels?
What can you expect to experience if you increase your NAD+ levels?
If you’re interested in learning about what boosting your NAD+ levels can do for you, you’ll be happy to know that there are a variety of benefits to your body!
- Helps with aging
One of the major reasons NAD+ is so popular right now is because of its effect on aging. We know that sirtuins need NAD+ in order to help repair and restore DNA and help protect us from diseases and dysfunction. They are one of the reasons that NAD+ levels decrease as we age, because they need their “fuel” (NAD+) to complete their jobs. When their fuel source starts to decrease, we see an increase in disease and deterioration.
Increasing levels of NAD+ can help these “guardians of the genomes” do their jobs and prevent diseases such as cognitive impairment and heart disease. Increasing the amount of NAD+ in animal studies has even shown to increase lifespan, as it can continually work to repair and restore the integrity of DNA.
- Improves muscle function
NAD+ also has a large role to play in converting food into energy, so we can not only go about our daily business, but engage in physical exercise as well. In order to do this, our bodies need a steady supply of energy, which NAD+ can easily assist with. Increasing levels of NAD+ improve mitochondrial function, which means we may be able to increase our physical exercise performance, build muscle, and continue to stay active as we age.
Exercising and physical activity are essential as we get older, but oftentimes we don’t have the energy or our muscles aren’t strong enough. Perhaps by increasing NAD+, older folks will be able to stay active and move their bodies with more ease.
- Assists with metabolic disorders
In addition to helping us maintain a solid energy level, NAD+ is also responsible for ensuring that we have enough energy so that our body can function. This includes running all the important processes, but it also includes how we manage our weight. Obesity is one of the most common chronic diseases, and not only is it difficult to manage on its own, but it can lead to other debilitating problems such as diabetes and heart disease.
Maintaining a healthy weight is something we all should strive to do throughout our lives, as it not only keeps inflammation and chronic problems away, but it helps our muscles and bones stay strong and support us. Increasing NAD+ helped age-related and diet-related weight gain in mice, and the same may be true for humans as well. Exercise is a crucial component to reaching a healthy weight, but so is our diet. Avoiding high fat and high sugar diets can help us stay clear of weight gain and obesity.
- Helps with our cells’ stress resistance
NAD+ helps cells survive, function properly, and complete their tasks. When NAD+ decreases as we age, cells may experience more stress because there is less NAD+ to help with repair. By increasing your levels, you can help your cells become more resistant to stress, since they are more likely to get repaired when they need to be.
- Improves heart function
As we age, and due to diet, we may find that our arteries are harder than what we would like. This not only makes it difficult for blood to properly pump through, but it means that there is more stress on the arteries each time the heart beats. Hard arteries can lead to high blood pressure, and put you at a serious risk of developing heart disease.
Additionally, high blood pressure and hardened arteries can also lead to an enlarged heart or a potential stroke. When you increase the amount of NAD+ in your body, you may be able to promote the repair of the heart, and improve cardiac function.
- Is good for our brains
The likelihood of getting age-related diseases like dementia and Parkinson’s increases as we age. We all want to keep our brains sharp and avoid cognitive impairment, but how? Well perhaps by increasing our levels of NAD+. Studies in mice have shown that a higher level of NAD+ can decrease the protein build up that causes the disruption in cell communication we know as dementia. It also helps the blood flow to the brain, which prevents brain cell death.
NAD+ can work to repair damage that’s done, and possibly prevent additional damage to the cells of the brain. While more studies are needed in humans, this is promising information as the population continues to age.
What are NAD+ boosters and do they work?
So how do you increase the amount of NAD+ in your body?
Since NAD+ is a coenzyme, it isn’t something you can just take in supplement form, or get out of food. It is created through the biosynthesis of our cells, however, it does have precursors that might be useful. If you want to increase the amount of NAD+, you want to increase the amount of its building blocks in your system, which means you should consider taking supplements that contain NMN (nicotinamide mononucleotide) or NR (nicotinamide riboside). These smaller precursors are able to enter the cells and stimulate the formation of NAD+ through its natural process.
One of the best ways to get more NMN into your system is with Dr. Emil’s NMN for Healthy Aging and Longevity.
Made with 400mg of NMN, this is a great way to naturally boost your body’s NAD+ levels. This supplement will help increase your energy levels, promote a healthy metabolism, and suppress age-related weight gain. We know that when there is more NAD+ in your system, you’re less likely to experience problems with your metabolism and develop inflammation. When you reduce your chances of experiencing these issues, you’ll also decrease your risk of getting chronic diseases like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
These capsules are easy to take, and you only need to have one per day with a glass of water. This bottle contains 30 capsules and is reasonably priced at $59.95.
Are NAD+ boosters safe?
Yes it is safe to take NAD+ boosters like NMN or NR. These are the building blocks of NAD+, and once they are absorbed into your cells, they will be converted to NAD+. However, like with any supplement, make sure you first discuss this with your doctor. This is especially true if you’re taking medication, or you have a health condition. While NAD+ is something that is naturally produced by our bodies, you always want to be sure that the supplement you want to take will benefit your body.
NAD+ FAQs
Does NAD+ cause weight gain?
NAD+ does not cause weight gain, however, as we age and it declines, you may experience weight gain. Because this coenzyme plays such a crucial role in proper metabolic management of our cells, when there’s less of it to help out, you could find yourself a little heavier. This is why boosting your NAD+ with a precursor like NMN might be right for you.
Does NAD+ cause liver problems?
NAD+ does not cause liver problems, neither does taking one of its precursors, NMN. In fact, if you have issues with your liver (such as alcohol induced and non-alcoholic induced liver disease) taking a precursor like NR or NMN may help your liver out. These precursors encourage more NAD+ to form so it can assist with the repair of the liver.
Can NAD+ reverse aging?
It is not a miracle drug as some on TikTok claim, but increasing your levels of NAD+ may help you feel better and more energetic. This is because with more NAD+, your body can more easily perform tasks like converting food to energy, and ensuring the brain and heart have appropriate amounts of oxygen. While nothing will reverse the aging process, NAD+ may help you age better, and according to studies in animals, may help prolong your life.
What foods contain NAD+?
While there are no foods that contain NAD+ since it is created from cellular processes, there are foods that may boost the building blocks needed to create NAD+ and keep you feeling your best. These foods include:
- Whole grains
- Cow’s milk
- Fish
- Yeast
- Green vegetables
You may also want to consider other lifestyle choices to help boost your NAD+ levels such as exercising consistently, drinking alcohol in moderation, fasting, portion control, and including fermented foods in your diet. All of these options are great ways to naturally give your NAD+ levels a boost.
Is an NAD+ precursor something you should add to your routine?
While you can’t turn back the clock when it comes to aging, there are things you can do to help your cells function at their best as you age—and adding supplements to promote NAD+ is one of them!
