For something so crucial for everyday living, most people don’t know nearly enough about NAD, or nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide. It’s a small yet mighty molecule that exists in every single cell in your body, responsible for the health of your brain, heart, and muscles.
Without nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, you can’t turn food into energy, use your muscles, or even stay alive. NAD levels naturally drop as you age, but how we live our lives contributes to just how much those levels drop.
How Does NAD Work?
Through years of study with tests and research-grade peptides, researchers have learned that NAD exists in two main forms:
- NAD+: The oxidized form, also known as the ‘empty’ form because it can accept electrons during chemical reactions.
- NADH: NAD with hydrogen, is the reduced type of NAD, frequently called the ‘full’ form because it carries electrons that can be used to make energy.
Together, NAD+ and NADH shuttle electrons back and forth, enabling your body to convert food into energy. The constant cycling ensures energy keeps flowing inside your cells.
Our cells can make nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide by themselves or recycle it from other molecules, and our bodies use enzymes to drive the reactions that enable these processes. If enzymes don’t work as they should, NAD levels plummet, affecting energy production and cell health.
What Does NAD Do?
Alongside turning our food into energy we can use, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide supports a variety of vital functions that we need to remain healthy, including:
- DNA repair by helping enzymes fix genetic material damage
- Enhancing metabolism by supporting the chemical reactions that break down nutrients in our bodies
- Protects cells by limiting the harmful byproducts that can begin to build up when cells encounter stress
- Supports the regular function of bones, heart cells, brain cells, and muscles
What Happens When Levels Decline?
Through years of research, scientists have found that our nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide levels naturally decline as we get older. Some of our cells start using NAD faster than we can replace it, causing lower levels. With less nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide available, cells can’t make energy or repair damage as efficiently. Reduced levels are linked to a whole host of age-related bodily changes and conditions, such as:
- Type 2 diabetes
- Obesity
- Muscle weakness and fatigue
- Heart problems, including heart failure and arrhythmia
- Cognitive decline
How to Increase Levels
Knowing that lower NAD levels can put you at risk of more bodily changes, it’s only natural to wonder if it’s possible to increase your levels. Researchers continue to study the effect of lower nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide levels and have determined that your body can make nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide from specific nutrients, including the amino acid tryptophan and the vitamin B3.
Foods that contain tryptophan:
- Turkey
- Chicken
- Eggs
- Dairy products, including yogurt, cheese, and milk
- Nuts and seeds
- Soy products
Foods that contain vitamin B3:
- Meat
- Fish
- Legumes
- Nuts
- Whole grains
By consuming more of these foods, you can support your body to produce more NAD. However, beyond diet, some lifestyle changes may assist with achieving balanced NAD levels:
- Healthy sleep levels
- Limiting alcohol consumption
- Stress management
- Regular physical activity
- Social and mental activity
NAD is crucial for everyday living, yet not everyone knows that it exists. Understanding how valuable it can be, especially as we age, it becomes even more important to make healthy choices through our food, sleep, activity levels, and mental well-being.
As with anything you read on the internet, this article should not be construed as medical advice; please talk to your doctor or primary care provider before changing your wellness routine. WHN neither agrees nor disagrees with any of the materials posted. This article is not intended to provide a medical diagnosis, recommendation, treatment, or endorsement.
Opinion Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy of WHN. Any content provided by guest authors is of their own opinion and is not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual, or anyone or anything else. The Food and Drug Administration has not evaluated these statements.
