Science
What is NAD+ effect on disease and aging
Dr. David Sinclair, Co-Director of the Biological Mechanisms of Aging at Harvard Medical School was named to the Times Magazine list of “Most Influential People in the World” after his research found a key cause of aging and a potential weapon to reverse it.
He and his team found that as we age, our cells become less and less efficient due to the lack of an essential metabolite called Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD+).
WHAT IS NAD+
NAD+ is a key co-enzyme that the mitochondria in every cell of our bodies depend on to fuel all basic functions. (1,2)
NAD+ play a key role in communicating between our cells nucleus and the Mitochondria that power all activity in our cells (3,4,5,6)
Low NAD+ levels impair mitochondria function and are implicated in health problems such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, immune problems, and perhaps even aging itself (,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13).
NAD+ LEVELS DECREASE WITH AGE
As we age, our bodies produce less NAD+ and the communication between the Mitochondria and cell nucleus is impaired. (3,6,8).
Over time, decreasing NAD+ impairs the cell’s ability to make energy, which leads to aging and disease (6, 3) and perhaps even the key factor in why we age (3).
“NAD+ levels drop by as much as 50% as we get older” .
Why NAD+ is so important?
NAD+ enables cells to convert the food that we eat into the energy that we need. NAD+ is also the communication molecule between the cell nucleus and the mitochondria which are the energy producing factories in the cell. If NAD+ levels are low, then communication may be impaired and mitochondria dysfunction may result. When this occurs, everything begins to breakdown.
Multiple Benefits Of Increasing NAD+ Cellular Levels
· Promote sirtuin gene activation,
· Enhance growth and efficiency of mitochondria—supporting energy levels and physical performance,
· Favorably modulate metabolism,
· Contribute to neuronal health—supporting cognitive function during aging.
CAN INCREASED NAD+ REVERSE AGING?
There is reason to think that increased NAD+ can at least slow the aging process.
When taken orally, NAD+ does not survive the digestive system long enough to enter your cells (12)
The ground-breaking paper published by Dr Sinclair found that supplementation with the precursor to NAD+, could boost NAD levels in mice and resulted in the “equivalent of a human 60 year old becoming more like a 20 year old”(6).
More importantly, their research revealed that mitochondrial dysfunction is reversible with supplementation to boost NAD+
The 2013 study by Dr Sinclair at Harvard is explained in this video below: