Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) is a crucial molecule found in every cell of your body, and NAD plus is its oxidized form. NAD plus has been linked to a variety of health benefits, including improved cellular metabolism, increased longevity, and enhanced cognitive function. Keep reading as we delve into the science behind NAD plus, its role in the body, and how it may help you achieve optimal health and wellness.
The Role of NAD Plus in the Human Body
As one of the most important and ubiquitous molecules in our body, NAD plus is involved in numerous biological processes. One reason it is so essential is its ability to help generate energy within our cells. The molecule acts as a coenzyme, facilitating metabolic reactions by helping to transfer electrons between other molecules. This oxidative phosphorylation process enables our cells to convert food into the energy needed to fuel the multitude of biological processes that keep us alive and well.
NAD plus’s role extends beyond energy metabolism. It is also intimately involved in the regulation of various cellular pathways, including DNA repair, the immune response, and cell signaling. Through these diverse functions, NAD plus contributes to overall health and wellness by promoting cellular repair, protecting against the effects of aging, and maintaining the proper functioning of vital organs such as the brain, heart, and liver.
Understanding the critical role of NAD plus in health and disease has led researchers to investigate the relationship between NAD plus levels and a variety of health conditions, including aging, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and metabolic syndrome.
Improving NAD Levels for Better Health
The gradual decline of NAD levels with age raises the question of whether boosting these levels can help stave off age-related diseases and promote overall health. In recent years, research has focused on identifying and developing strategies to restore and maintain proper NAD levels in the body. One promising approach employed to achieve this is supplementing with NAD precursors—substances that the body can convert into NAD plus.
Nicotinamide riboside (NR) and nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) are two prominent NAD precursors that have been identified as being effective in raising cellular NAD levels. Both NR and NMN are naturally occurring compounds found in trace amounts in certain foods, such as milk, broccoli, and edamame. Researchers have found that supplementing with these precursors can help restore NAD levels in animal models, leading to improvements in various markers of health, like neurological function, mitochondrial function, and tissue repair.
NAD and Mental Health
Alongside its benefits for physical health, increasing NAD plus levels may also have a positive impact on mental health and cognition. Aging and various pathological processes are known to be associated with neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and multiple sclerosis. These conditions present with cognitive decline, motor dysfunction, and other neurological abnormalities, largely due to neuronal injury and death. Emerging evidence suggests that NAD might play a protective role in neurons, promoting their health, function, and resistance to damage.
NAD plus contributes to neuronal health through several mechanisms, including maintaining mitochondrial function, modulating oxidative stress, and facilitating DNA repair. Recent studies have demonstrated that increasing NAD levels helped protect against the neurotoxic effects of beta-amyloid, a protein implicated in the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
Similarly, other research has found that boosting NAD via supplementation could protect against neurodegeneration in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease. Since these findings imply that restoring NAD levels may have therapeutic potential for various neurodegenerative diseases, further research is warranted to explore this possibility fully.
Altogether, NAD plus is a highly versatile and vital molecule in the human body, with promising potential benefits for overall health, longevity, and cognitive function. However, it is crucial to bear in mind that further research is needed to understand the therapeutic potential of NAD plus comprehensively and to determine the best approach to harnessing these benefits for optimal health outcomes.
