What is NAD+?

What is NAD+?

The Foundation of Cellular Health

Think of the human body as a bustling city, where each cell represents an essential part of the city’s infrastructure (roads, buildings, waste disposal etc). NAD+, or Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide, functions like the delivery shuttles that transport electrons to the ‘power plants’ of our cells, which are officially called the mitochondria. These electrons are crucial for the power plants (mitochondria) to produce energy efficiently. Without NAD+, our cellular city would face blackouts, slowing down all activities and functions, similar to a city running low on power. As we age, our levels of NAD+ naturally decrease, akin to ageing infrastructure struggling to meet energy demands, which leads to reduced vitality and increased wear and tear on the cellular level.

How NAD+ Powers Cellular Processes

If we continue this analogy of NAD+ as a vital 'shuttle bus,' we can understand its indispensable role in transporting electrons that power the mitochondria, our city’s ‘cellular power plants.' Beyond merely shuttling energy, NAD+ is also similar to the city's maintenance and regulatory crew, ensuring everything from DNA repair to the optimal functioning of sirtuin proteins in the body. Sirtuins are essential for regulating how our genes are expressed, regulating metabolism, promoting cell longevity and improving resistance to stress. Sirtuins depend on optimal NAD+ levels to be activated., akin to city inspectors or regulatory bodies that ensure long-term structural integrity and compliance in an urban setting. NAD+ not only supports immediate energy needs in the mitochondria but also maintains the body’s long-term health and resilience through DNA repair, optimising cell signalling, regulating metabolism and enhancing our immunity.

NAD+ Benefits

NAD+ for Ageing

Boosting Metabolism and Energy Levels

So, let’s continue to imagine our body like a city – a complex network of highways bustling with traffic, with each vehicle powered by the fuel of nutrients derived from your diet. One of the many vital benefits of NAD+ is its role in converting these nutrients into energy, thus keeping the traffic (cellular and metabolic processes) flowing smoothly and efficiently. As we age, just as roads and vehicles wear down, our cellular mechanisms slow due to the natural decline in NAD+ levels. This can lead to traffic jams (metabolic slowdowns) and breakdowns (cellular dysfunction).

By maintaining high NAD+ levels, it's like ensuring that every fuel station is fully stocked, and every maintenance crew is on alert, ready to repair any issues immediately. This coenzyme keeps the cellular engines running optimally, thereby sustaining vital bodily functions and enhancing overall energy levels, which are particularly crucial as we navigate the later years of life.

Increased NAD+ availability ensures that our body's metabolic highways are less prone to congestion, leading to a more energetic and vibrant daily life. This improved metabolic efficiency is fundamental in slowing the effects of ageing and promoting longevity with vitality.

Enhancing DNA Repair and Cellular Longevity

So, if our body is a city, who decides which buildings are constructed and for what purpose? That’s what DNA is for! Your DNA as the city planning department, holding all the blueprints needed for building and maintaining the city's infrastructure. Over time, these blueprints can become worn or damaged from environmental exposure, usage, and age, leading to potential construction errors and glitches that affect the city’s efficiency and safety.

In this urban metaphor, NAD+ functions like a specialised restoration and maintenance team. It doesn't just ensure that the city's energy needs are met efficiently; it also helps preserve the integrity of the city's blueprints. By supporting the enzymes responsible for DNA repair, NAD+ extends the lifespan of the city's infrastructure.

This crucial role of NAD+ in overseeing and assisting in the repair and maintenance of DNA, helps to slow down some of the degenerative aspects of ageing, much like diligent upkeep helps in preserving the historical and functional integrity of a city, thereby prolonging its vitality and liveability.

Supporting Brain Health and Function

NAD+ benefits cognitive function by supporting the health and survival of neurons and brain cells. Think of your brain as the city's central government where all critical decisions and communications occur. NAD+ ensures city hall is well-powered and its electronic systems (neurons and brain cells) are in optimal working condition. This continuous support helps protect the brain against the wear and tear of ageing, maintaining its efficiency and preventing breakdowns in communication that lead to potential cognitive decline or loss of mental clarity.