What is NAD+?

First up, let’s take a quick look at what NAD is.

The full name is nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide – so you can see why it’s easier to shorten it to NAD! It’s a co-enzyme that is found in every single cell of the human body.

WHY WE NEED NAD

To put it simply, we cannot live without NAD. It is required to form ATP – the energy source for our cells. But it also has dozens of mechanisms that help to keep us youthful and healthy. It can repair DNA, reduce oxidative stress and boost multiple anti-ageing pathways.

Without sufficient NAD, you can experience issues such as:

• Chronic fatigue

• Decreased brain function

• Obesity

• Premature ageing

• Increased zombie cells (more on these here)

• Higher oxidative stress and inflammation

• Increased risk of chronic disease, particularly those related to ageing

• Less DNA repair, leading to a higher risk of mutations and a shortened life span

Unfortunately, once you hit 40, NAD levels decline by up to 50%. From there, your levels continue to drop, particularly if you have additional lifestyle factors that reduce NAD.

Can you boost your NAD via diet?

Most of our essential enzymes and co-enzymes can be supported by eating a nutritious diet. We are able to consume the building blocks needed to build these compounds via wholefoods.

But unfortunately, that’s not the case with NAD. The major precursor for NAD that is known to boost NAD levels is NR (nicotinamide riboside).

You can get some NR through specific foods. For example, cow’s milk has been shown to contain NR. But the research shows that even across multiple brands of milk, the NR content is minuscule. It certainly does not come close to the dose of NR that research shows can support NAD.

Another option that is known to contain NR is brewer’s yeast. But there isn’t enough research to confirm the average amount of NR that brewer’s yeast contains. It’s also not something that you would consume in a large amount, so your NR intake will likely be minimal.

In theory, any food that contains B3 could also contain NR. But we simply don’t know of any dietary source that contains a significant amount – and certainly not a therapeutic dose.

How to support your NAD levels naturally

So if you can’t get enough of a boost to your NAD via the diet, what other options are there?

There are two major steps to take:

#1 – REDUCE THE FACTORS THAT DEPLETE NAD

No, you can’t hit pause on your age, but there are other factors that can churn through your NAD reserves. They include:

• A nutrient-poor, highly-processed diet

• Overeating

• Poor sleep (quality and quantity)

• Alcohol consumption

• Overtraining (excess high-intensity training and/or lack of recovery time)

• Inflammation

#2 – SUPPLEMENT WITH NR

Many people think that NAD supplements are the solution – but our cells aren’t able to absorb NAD. That’s why we want a precursor that can cross over into our cells, so they can make their own NAD internally.

This is where NR becomes our new bestie.

NR supplementation can increase NAD levels by up to 60% in middle-aged and older adults. So it really is a game-changer when it comes to supporting NAD!

WANT TO SEE THE DIFFERENCE THAT NR AND NAD CAN MAKE FOR YOU?

I’ve formulated my own innovative supplement designed to support healthy ageing – and I’m so excited to share it with you! Learn more about Energy Glow NR here.

What is NAD+?

NAD+ stands for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (that’s quite a mouthful, which is why we shorten it to NAD!)

NAD is a co-enzyme that is found in every single cell of your body. It helps to process nutrients and form ATP – energy for our cells.

We cannot live without NAD. If you run out of it, you die because you can’t fuel your tissues & cells. But what NAD actually does is a bit more complicated, particularly when it comes to the prevention of premature ageing.

WHAT DOES NAD+ DO FOR US?

This is where the science gets a little complex, so bear with me here. The major function of NAD is to support energy production and DNA repair throughout all of the cells in your body. This helps to maintain the wellbeing of every organ, every gland, everything from your skin to your gut and even your metabolism.

But NAD also has some specific actions when it comes to longevity and healthy ageing, including:

• Delaying cellular senescence (aka zombie cells – more on those right here)

• Reducing oxidative stress

• Protecting against age-related diseases and premature ageing

• Boosting major anti-ageing pathways including sirtuins, mTOR and AMPK (stay tuned for more info about why they are so amazing!)

Because of these benefits, researchers believe that NAD+ is key to improving your healthspan and potentially even your lifespan!

NAD+ as we age

It’s a pity that NAD is such an amazing compound for protecting against ageing – and yet it decreases as we age! Once you’re over 40, NAD levels decline by up to 50% and continue to drop as you age further.

This leads to symptoms including chronic fatigue, decreased brain function, obesity and accelerated ageing. That’s why we want to ensure we maintain our levels, particularly once you hit your 40s!

HOW TO SUPPORT NAD+ LEVELS

There are 3 key steps for supporting NAD levels, particularly to prevent the decline caused by ageing.

Step 1 – cut the factors that deplete NAD

You can’t stop yourself from ageing, but there are also lifestyle factors that deplete levels. To address these, make sure you:

• Eat a wholefood-based diet

• Reduce your intake of processed & high-sugar foods

• Prioritise high-quality sleep

• Moderate your alcohol intake

• Stick to an exercise regime that is moderate intensity (not high!)

• Address any underlying causes of inflammation

Step 2 – Increase your intake of NAD precursors

Yes, you can eat foods that support NAD levels naturally. I’ll explore these foods in more detail in a future article, but the main precursor we want plenty of is NR (nicotinamide riboside).

Unfortunately, diet alone is not enough to increase NAD levels, particularly once the age-related decline kicks in.

Step 3 – supplementation

The benefits of an NR-rich diet and a NAD-supportive lifestyle, while useful, are also limited. That’s where supplements can help to bridge the gap, particularly if your levels are already dropping due to age.

NAD supplements and infusions are popular options. But NAD is too big to get through the cell membranes, meaning that it can’t actually boost NAD where it actually matters – in the cells. The way we can get around that is by using a precursor that can enter the cells and convert into NAD.

This is where NR becomes a key player.

NR can increase NAD levels by up to 60% in middle-aged and older adults. So it really is a game-changer when it comes to supporting NAD!

That’s why I’ve formulated my own innovative supplement designed to support healthy ageing – and I’m so excited to share it with you! Learn more about Energy Glow NR here.