NAD+: Is it the New Fountain of Youth?
Ponce de Leon, the Spanish explorer, spent his life looking for the “fountain of youth”.
For decades, medical research has been doing the same thing…in a more rigorous and scientific way, of course.
Thanks to that research, we now understand a lot more about what causes the symptoms we associate with aging. More importantly, science is discovering new ways to slow down or even reverse the effects of aging.
One solution that has recently attracted more attention is nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, otherwise known as NAD+.
What is NAD+?
Medical science has known about NAD+ for a long time—since its discovery in 1906. And scientists have long known that NAD+ is produced from niacin, also known as vitamin B3.
But recently, researchers have learned more about how NAD+ works at the cellular level.
For instance, we now know that NAD+ is a co-enzyme that can be found in every cell of your body. We also know that it facilitates the cellular reactions that convert food into energy and repair cell damage, among many other vital functions.
In particular, NAD+ activates enzymes called sirtuins. These enzymes act like switches that can turn off genes related to age-related processes like inflammation, fat storage, and blood sugar regulation.
The Effects of Declining NAD+ Levels
Unfortunately, with age the human body produces less NAD+. This declining NAD+ production can cause numerous issues including:
- Loss of Mitochondrial Energy:Mitochondria are the powerhouses of every cell in your body. But when NAD+ levels are low, mitochondria can be left powerless. NAD+ helps to transfer the energy housed within glucose and fatty acids to your mitochondria, where it’s converted into cellular energy. This important energy transfer breaks down if NAD+ levels are too low. The resulting loss of mitochondrial energy can cause fatigue and loss of muscle mass.
- DNA Damage:
Low NAD+ levels inhibit the activity of two groups of enzymes (sirtuins and poly ADP ribose polymerases) that are responsible for the repair of damaged DNA. This can allow DNA defects to accumulate, resulting in age-related ailments like cancer and heart disease. - Brain Cell Damage
Oxidative stress and poor mitochondrial function have been linked to age-related diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. It turns out that the production of PGC-1-alpha, a protein that protects brain cells from oxidative stress, is regulated by NAD+. This means that low levels of NAD+ will result in low PGC-1-alpha levels, which may increase the risk for developing age-related brain disorders.
Reduced NAD+ production has also been linked to vascular inflammation, fatty liver disease, abdominal fat production, and insulin resistance.
How to Restore Your NAD+ Levels
Given that NAD+ is critical to virtually every cellular function within your body, you may be wondering what you can you do to boost your NAD+ production.
Some ways to naturally boost your NAD+ production include:
- Exercise – regular workouts make your body produce more NAD+.
- Limit sun exposure – UV rays cause cell damage, and your body will unnecessarily use up your NAD+ supply to repair that damage.
- Heat – heated pools, hot tubs, and saunas make your heart pump faster, which stimulates NAD+ production.
- Food – eat more vitamin B-rich foods like fish, peanuts, avocados, and whole grains.
- Intermittent fasting and/or keto dieting – these approaches to eating cause ketosis (a fat burning state), which stimulates NAD+ production.
At Renew Youth, our clients can also supplement what their bodies aren’t making on their own by taking NAD+ via injection or nasal spray.
Getting Older vs. Aging
No matter what, you’ll keep getting older as long as you’re alive. There’s no way to turn back the clock.
But aging is different matter. The physical symptoms we associate with aging have specific physical causes. And in many cases, these age-related conditions can be reversed, managed, or delayed.
This applies to NAD+ the same way it applies to hormones. Just as your body’s natural production of hormones declines as you get older, so too does your natural production of NAD+. But NAD+ can be supplemented the same way we replace hormones. This is where Renew Youth comes in.
At Renew Youth, we’re here to help you combat the effects of aging, whatever the cause. From bioidentical hormone therapy to supplementing NAD+, we can help you to age better.
Want to learn more? Give us a call at 800-850-7511 or fill out our contact form to schedule your free consultation.
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