Should you take NAD Boosters?
With the growing anti-aging research, NAD boosters have become a hot topic. Hundreds of “longevity” supplements contain NAD boosters, promising health and anti-aging effects. As a result, thousands of people are taking these supplements and promoting them. But do these supplements work, and should YOU take them? After reading this article, you will be familiar with NADs (a little scientific knowledge you can brag about), their health benefits, and whether they live up to their hype.
What are NADs?
Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) is an essential molecule that supports a chemical reaction called “redox” (I know, I know, this is bringing you back to your high school chemistry classes). And you cannot take it directly from food.
Based on whether NAD has lost or gained electrons, it can be either oxidized and called “NAD+” or reduced and called “NADH.”
NAD+ is required in over 500 enzymatic reactions and plays a crucial role in numerous biological reactions in our bodies [1]. Thus, you can imagine how important it is for our health.
NAD in health and disease
Given the hundreds of reactions that NAD+ participates in, it makes sense that it has a substantial impact on the state of our health.
NAD+ deficiency can be primary or secondary. Primary NAD+ deficiency is often inherited, and it often causes severe clinical symptoms.
Secondary NAD+ deficiency can occur as a result of other diseases, but more importantly, as a result of aging (which is the focus of our article). Research shows that NAD+ levels are depleted in tissues in older humans, such as the skin [2] and brain [3]. Unfortunately, scientists need to fully understand what causes this depletion.
This decline in NAD+ is associated with a change in metabolism and makes the person more susceptible to diseases, such as metabolism-related diseases, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases.
Do NAD boosters work? Science answers.
NAD+ boosters are small molecules that increase NAD+ levels. NAD+ boosters are currently highly promising for treating multiple diseases and increasing longevity.
Because of the decline in NAD+ levels with aging, scientists have thought of NAD+ booster supplementation to reverse this effect. There have been major positive results of NAD+ booster supplementation in animals, mainly rodents.
These results include improved cardiac, liver, kidney, muscle, and vascular functions. In addition, research also shows that NAD+ supplementation can reduce inflammation [4].
And here is what you are looking for: aging. NAD+ supplementation slowed down aging in mice and improved age-related symptoms [5].
The controversy around NAD+ supplementation stems from the fact that most experiments have only been performed on animals.
Additionally, these experiments do not investigate the effects of long-term NAD+ supplementation.
Nevertheless, A study on middle-aged and older adults who took a form of an NAD+ booster called NR (nicotinamide riboside) for 2-6 weeks has shown that it is well-tolerated and effectively stimulates NAD+ metabolism [6].
Yet, another study has shown that NAD+ booster supplementation might increase human blood sugar levels [7].
A recent study on 14 older adults has shown that NAD+ supplementation does not improve muscle function [8].
While there is abundant evidence of the benefits of NAD+ booster supplementation on aging, these studies were mainly performed on short-term and on animals. Research on humans is still lacking, and the benefits of NAD+ supplementation still need to be determined.
Should you take NAD boosters?
The commercialized NAD booster, NR, is available as a supplement. However, although most companies claim that the supplement increases NAD+ levels (as a booster should do), they do not provide strong evidence of its anti-aging effects.
Research on some NAD booster supplementation has shown that NAD boosters, at least, are safe and do not cause adverse events [9].
Nevertheless, a clinical study on 13 post-menopausal women has reported that the metabolic benefits seen in rodent models were not seen in humans, except for increased insulin sensitivity.
In a nutshell, NAD+ boosters have been shown to be safe, yet like most biohacking approaches, they have yet to be assessed in the long term to either prove or reject that the benefits seen in animals can translate to humans.
Bottom Line
NAD+ is a small molecule that is essential for hundreds of biological reactions. Unfortunately, with age, our NAD+ levels decline. In mice, NAD+ supplementation has shown numerous beneficial effects, including anti-aging and anti-inflammatory properties.
While research on the effects of NAD+ booster supplementation still needs to be extended and yet regarded as controversial, researchers cannot deny their benefits.
Despite advances in scientific research, it is still slow, and maybe in a few years, the benefits of NAD+ would be better identified. But, until then, NAD+ is a crucial molecule for your body, and there is no harm in adding it to your list of supplements to optimize your body’s functions.
Most side effects are mild and will resolve on their own. However, if you experience any severe or persistent side effects, it’s essential to contact your healthcare provider.
Be sure to tell your doctor about any other medications or supplements you’re taking and any medical conditions you have. This will help them determine whether IV nutrients are safe for you and how to customize your treatment best.
Reference:
[1] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29514064/
[2] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22848760/
[3] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25730862/
[4] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29514064/
[5] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24825348/
[6] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-03421-7
[7] https://nutritionandmetabolism.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12986-022-00653-9
[8] https://academic.oup.com/jn/article/151/10/2917/6311833
[9] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/