NAD Benefits
Health Benefits of NAD
It is a fact that the body can live up to four minutes without oxygen, but did you know that your body could not even live for a few seconds if you did not have NAD? This is because NAD is used by every living cell to perform over 500 different types of essential functions. For example, without sufficient NAD, the muscles in your lungs would not be able to expand and contract, thus it would be impossible for you to breathe without NAD. This is just one of the many health benefits of NAD.
NAD IV
NAD For Sleep
Poor sleep quality can have a serious effect on overall health, and is a crucial factor for healthy aging, as well as the body’s healing process. Poor sleep quality is mostly due to your circadian rhythm, or your sleep-wake cycle. As we age, our circadian rhythms can become disrupted and easily influenced by factors such as lifestyle, diet, and exercise. Did you know that NAD can help regulate your circadian cycle, thus help improve your sleep quality?
Your circadian rhythm is regulated by certain types of genes and molecules, such as NAD. Throughout the day, your NAD+ levels naturally decline and elevate because the coenzyme is continually shifts between its oxidized form (NAD+) and it’s reduced form (NADH). When your cells have high levels of NAD+, certain genes are turned on, and other genes are turned off.
Scientists have found a strong link between optimal levels of NAD and the balance of the circadian rhythm. It is no surprise why many who have increased their NAD levels, either through some form of supplementation or intravenous repletion, can reported better sleep patterns. Those who under intravenous treatment for NAD therapy often see quicker improvements in sleep quality, than those who choose to do oral supplementation of one of the precursors. Mainly this is due to the amount of NAD that is delivered to the body. An intravenous treatment for NAD can supply up to 1,500 miligrams at a time!
NAD Energy
NAD works tirelessly to provide your cells with energy so that the cell can function properly. However, supplying your cells with energy doesn’t necessarily translate with feeling more energized yourself.
NAD is a crucial part of your metabolic process, or the way that your body breaks down food for energy. Conversely, if your body isn’t efficient in breaking down food for energy, or your NAD levels are low, fatigue and low energy levels are a common symptom.
NAD works inside the cell to help the mitochondria provide energy in the form of ATP. If you remember from high school or college biology, food is broken down into proteins, fats, and sugars, known as glucose. Glucose has the highest energy content of the macronutrients, meaning it creates the most energy for a cell to utilize. For a cell to metabolize one molecule of glucose, the body will require two molecules of NAD+. And will produce pyruvate. The mitochondria of the cell will transfer the pyruvate to ATP in a process called the citric acid cycle. For one molecule of pyruvate to be metabolized into ATP, four molecules of NAD+ are consumed.
In summary, when your cells don’t have enough energy, or NAD, the cell doesn’t function as well. This is mostly due to the cells inability to create energy, and in time can lead to the development of age related ailments.
NAD Reduce Inflammation
Inflammation is a lot like stress. A little amount of stress, or inflammation, is not harmful to the body, and in fact, can be beneficial because it tells the body to repair itself. However, long-term and high levels of stress, or inflammation, can have a damaging effect on the body. Research from the Buck Institute explains exactly how chronic inflammation can cause a reduction in NAD, which will eventually lead to age-related diseases.
One of the reasons for inflammation is due to cellular senescence. In layman’s terms, cellular senescence is the process of cell death. When a cell is about to die, it releases a distress signal known as SASP, or senescence-associated secretory phenotype. This distress signal is a collection of signal molecules that stimulate inflammation to the surrounding cells. In small amounts, the distress signal can promote healing in the body, similar to the body’s natural response for healing a wound. When there is a constant distress signal for a long period of time, it has a damaging effect on the surrounding tissues that can lead to aging and age-related diseases.
Maintaining, or increasing, optimal levels of NAD may help the body regulate the immune system and possibly reduce inflammation. Research has shown that supplementing with NAD can reduce inflammation markers, such as IL-5 and IL-6 in healthy elderly subjects, as well as