NAD+, or nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, is vital to your body. In fact, the main purpose of NAD+ is to reverse aging from the inside. Further, NAD+ helps with:
- Turning food into energy
- Controlling your internal clock
- Repairing damaged DNA
- Helping your cell's defense systems
What is NAD+ Deficiency?
As a result of aging, our NAD levels go down. Low levels of NAD leave you at higher risk for chronic diseases and more visible signs of aging. For example, a NAD deficiency increases your risk of diabetes, vision loss, heart disease, and Alzheimer's disease.
How can you raise NAD levels naturally?
Although NAD levels decrease with age, there are ways to increase them naturally. For example, you can:
- Exercise.
- Find heat (saunas, hot tubs, hot showers, etc.)
- Avoid too much time in the sun.
- Change your diet. Add more avocados, fish, peanuts, milk, kombucha, and sauerkraut. Avoid rice, bread, and white flour products.
- Try Keto diet or fasting. The change in your eating pattern will shock your body and cause it to create more NAD+.
How much NAD+ should you take in a day?
NAD+ comes in both pill and capsule form. Here is the recommended daily dosage of NAD+ by age:
- 0-6 months - 2 mg
- 7-12 months - 4 mg
- 1-3 years old - 6 mg
- 4-8 years old - 8 mg
- 9-13 years old - 12 mg
- 14+ years old (WOMEN) - 14 mg
- 14+ years old (MEN) - 16 mg
- Pregnant women - 18 mg
- Breastfeeding women - 17 mg
What are the benefits of NAD+?
NAD+ has many benefits that help reverse signs of aging. Here are some of them:
- Promotes healthy aging by activating enzymes. For example, a group of enzymes called sirtuins improve overall health and lifespan. Further, they lower stress, repair damaged DNA, and lower inflammation. In addition, another enzyme called Poly (ADP-Ribose) polymerases (PARPs) repair damaged DNA and help you live longer.
- May help with brain cell protection. NAD+ helps produce a protein called PGC-1-alpha within your brain. This protein protects brain cells from damaged function of the mitochondria and oxidative stress. In fact, research has linked damaged mitochondria function and oxidative stress to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
- May reduce your risk of heart disease. As we age, our bodily functions start to decline. For instance, our blood vessels get stiffer and thicker as our blood pressure rises. As a result, our heart has to work harder. However, NAD+ helps reverse these consequences of aging.
- Weight loss. NAD+ boosts the metabolism in mice, so it could do the same in humans.
- Lower risk for cancer. NAD+ protects your body from oxidative stress and DNA damage, both causes of cancer.
- Reduce jet lag. NAD+ helps regulate your internal clock.
- Support aging of healthy muscles. High levels of NAD+ help with endurance, strength, and muscle function in mice.
What are the side effects of NAD+?
For most people, there are no known side effects of NAD+ when taken in any form, and even with large doses. However, studies are usually short-term with few participants. In some cases, people experience:
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Fatigue
- Stomach pain
- Indigestion
- Headaches
Who should take caution with NAD+?
Pregnant and breast-feeding women should take caution when taking NAD+. Experts recommend only taking 18-17mg (respectively) or less per day. However, there is no research to verify that this is safe.
There are no known drug interactions with NAD+.
