01 Sep Three Reasons Why I Recommend Boosting NAD+ to My Patients
In partnership with Tru Niagen®, I’m excited to uncover the potential health benefits of this daily supplement as well as the rigorous science behind it. All opinions below are mine. – Dr. Abe Malkin, MD
Many patients asked me how to improve their energy levels and fight back the effects of metabolic stress. I told them the best way is to take care of their cellular health by giving their cells enough energy to stay resilient. One way of doing this is to boost nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), a coenzyme found in every living cell and involved in many body functions.
There are many ways to do this such as through NAD+ IV therapy, NAD+ SubQ shots, or by taking NAD+ precursor nicotinamide riboside (NR) supplements. Whichever way you choose, it’s important to support your NAD+ levels as your cells rely on this coenzyme to generate the energy they need to function optimally.
Here are three reasons why boosting NAD+ may help improve your overall cellular health.
Boosting NAD+ Can Increase Cellular Energy Production
NAD+ is a huge contributor to cellular energy production. It works alongside coenzyme Q10 and several enzymes in the mitochondrial membrane to support practically all of the metabolic processes that cells use to power your body.
NAD+ helps fuel the “cellular machine” that creates the energy needed by every major function in your body at the cellular level.
Boosting NAD+ Can Help Support Cellular Defense
Besides playing an important role in cellular energy production, NAD+ helps facilitate DNA repair to keep our cells resilient. It does this by working with NAD-dependent enzymes called poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARPs) to regulate cellular response to metabolic and physiological stressors such as a poor diet, lack of sleep, overdrinking, and a sedentary lifestyle.
Without NAD+, our cells wouldn’t have functioning PARPs, which are essential for cellular defense.
Boosting NAD+ Can Promote Cellular Repair
Every day, our cells are exposed to environmental toxins, hazardous compounds, and pathogens attempting to damage them. Cell damage can cause cell cycle arrest, where duplication and division are placed on hold. As a result, our cells must find a way to repair any damage before the cell cycle can resume.
When the DNA in cells is attacked, our cells rely on NAD+ to help facilitate cellular repair processes. NAD+ then assists in generating cellular energy and by activating important enzymes called Sirtuins, which play an active role in cellular repair.
The Decline in NAD+ Levels
When the NAD+ levels in your body are low, cells have a harder time generating the energy they need to perform at their best. Unfortunately, our NAD+ levels naturally decline as we age by as much as 50% between the ages of 40 and 60. Other factors that contribute to a decline in the NAD+ levels include metabolic stressors such as overeating, alcohol consumption, sleep disruption, and a sedentary lifestyle. Therefore, it’s important that we replenish declining NAD+ levels to support our cellular health.
How You Can Boost Your NAD+ Levels to Support Cellular Health
As mentioned, you can boost your NAD+ levels with NAD+ treatments or by taking NAD+ precursor nicotinamide riboside (NR) supplements.
A product that I personally recommend is Tru Niagen®. The product’s key ingredient Niagen®, or NR, is the most well-studied form of nicotinamide riboside, proprietarily developed by ChromaDex. NR is proven to safely increase the production of NAD+ by 40 to 50% with daily supplementation, supporting energy production and repair at the cellular level.
Also, ChromaDex has demonstrated the safety and efficacy of Niagen® in 11 published human studies with over 40 ongoing studies. It has achieved regulatory acceptance by the four most rigorous regulatory bodies in the world: the US FDA, Health Canada, the European Commission, and Therapeutic Goods Administration of Australia.
The relationship between Niagen® (NR) and NAD+ is continuously being studied and expanded upon in a variety of health-related fields. While much of the research shows early signs of promise through preclinical research, further research and clinical studies are underway to determine the full range of benefits Tru Niagen® may have on our overall cellular health.