NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) is a coenzyme, or molecule, found in all living cells, and it plays a vital role in energy metabolism. It also maintains proper cell functioning. It is particularly crucial for the functioning of our mitochondria, This is the engine in our cells that turn our food and oxygen into energy. The problem is that our levels of NAD+ decline significantly as we get biologically older. Which impairs mitochondrial functioning as well as other areas of well-being.
The declining levels drive the aging process. Which makes sense when you consider that under performing or damaged mitochondria are thought to contribute to a number of age-related health conditions.
One way NAD+ seems to exert its health promoting properties is by helping sirtuins do their job. Sirtuins are a class of proteins that regulate biological pathways. They turn certain genes on and off, and help protect cells from age-related decline. For example NAD+ increases the activity of one type of sirtuins (SIRT1) which has been found to induce the information of new mitochondria and extend life span, as well as SIRT6, which helps maintain the length of telomeres (the end caps of our DNA). Longer telomeres are associated with longevity. I have written about telomeres in the past. See my website articles https//www.hormoneshealthandfitness.com:
According to Ilene Puhoy, MD, PhD, an integrative neurologist and mind body green health expert, “Appropriate levels of NAD+ is used by these enzymes to modulate cellular activity in response to extrinsic and intrinsic assaults, including those triggered by environmental toxins, proinflammatory goods, trauma, and even chronic use of medication and NAD+ is essential for continued health, wellness and strength.”
As we age, when not maintained, muscle function and strength tend to decline. But according to animal studies, increasing NAD+ level by supplementing with NR seems to help. In one study researchers used mice whose genes were altered so their muscle tissue contained just 15% of the normal amount of NAD+. They then measured muscle strength, endurance which was quite low. But after giving the mice NR-enriched water to replenish NAD+ levels their exercise capacity was restored to that of a normal, healthy mouse in just one week. In another study, supplementation with NAD+ precursors led to DNA repair and an improvement in the health of muscle tissue within the first week to the point where researchers couldn’t tell the difference between the tissue of a two year old mouse and one that was four month old.
NR is converted into NMN, and then NMN is used to build NAD+. NMN is one step further down the NAD+ pathway. NR first needs to go through a process known as phosphorylated to create NMN, which then is built into NAD+.
In research on the NOVO LABS site, they say that if you look at the whole of the studies done with NMN and NR, it seems that NMN enables stronger and more diverse effects than NR. The studies done with NMN just seem more impressive.
Improvements for a wide array of aging-related symptoms and disease seems more typical with NMN than with NR.
NASA is looking into NMN to see if it can prevent muscle atrophy (the dwindling away of muscles) in astronauts, and if NMN can protect their DNA against cosmic radiation.
If this information interests you look up Professor David Sinclair from Harvard University. He is one of the biggest experts in the world regarding NMN, NR and NAD+ metabolism.
