24 Nov How Does NAD Therapy Affect Brain Function?

People are realizing the importance of brain health like never before, and looking for ways to improve their health care routines. NAD therapy is an emerging treatment with many benefits, but how does it benefit the brain? Keep reading to learn more about NAD therapy and brain function!

What is NAD therapy?

NAD (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) is a coenzyme that is essential to cellular energy function in the human body. NAD levels fall naturally as people age, resulting in lower levels of metabolic energy. NAD therapy is designed to help replenish NAD levels and improve NAD’s regenerative effects.

NAD therapy and brain function

Brain cells are impacted by a number of factors as they age, including:

Oxidative stress

During metabolic processes, the body produces free radicals – molecules with one or more unpaired electrons. Too many of these molecules can damage cells if they are not neutralized by antioxidants.

Studies indicate the brain utilizes 20% of the body’s oxygen supply to perform vital functions, leaving brain cells particularly susceptible to oxidative stress if there are insufficient antioxidants to prevent damage from excess free radicals.

NAD therapy IV treatments make more NAD available to brain cells so that they have better resistance to oxidative stress. NAD treatments also contain Vitamin B12, B-Complex Vitamins, Vitamin C, and glutathione to help fuel the body’s production of antioxidants and prevent cell damage from free radicals.

Misfolded proteins

As proteins form, they are made up of intricate structures designed for specific purposes. However, this process does not happen perfectly, with an estimated 1 in 7 proteins having imperfect amino acid chains.

In order to perform their function, proteins must fold themselves into specific shapes, which are more difficult for proteins with imperfect amino acid chains to achieve. These are known as misfolded proteins, which have been linked to conditions like Alzheimer’s Disease.

Studies indicate that this neurodegeneration may be linked to insufficient metabolic energy levels in the brain. NAD therapy enables the body to produce more energy for brain cells, enabling them to repair proteins and regenerate healthy cells.

Inflammation

Inflammation of brain cells has been linked by several studies to decline in cognitive function, and has been linked to conditions like Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. It also has been shown to impact physical function and mental health in older people.

The damage that occurs to brain cells over time impacts their adaptability to changing environments – known as plasticity. It also reduces their neuronal stress resistance. This can result in neurons sending messages at a higher rate than normal, or failing to send messages that are necessary, resulting in a decline of cognitive function.

As brain cells age, they lose plasticity (ability to adapt to a changing environment) and neuronal stress resistance. As this happens, the cells begin failing at passing on brain impulses, which results in declining cognitive function. It is believed the same mechanics occur in neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Research shows that NAD coenzymes are critical to plasticity retention in brain cells. Increasing the bioavailability of NAD to brain cells through regular NAD IV therapy increases regeneration signaling and cell renewal. Research indicates those who participate in regular NAD therapy experienced improvement in reaction times, concentration, and faster learning.