Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide – which we just call NAD+ for short – is a coenzyme found inside every living cell. It plays a pretty critical role in all the daily cellular processes that keep us alive, especially when it comes to energy production and the basic stuff that gets cells working properly.
Its importance in all this is one reason why NAD+ has become such a big deal in the wellness, longevity, and biohacking communities – especially for adults who want to do some more advanced – and guided – support for their cellular health. If you’re here to figure out what NAD+ actually does and whether you should be paying attention to your levels, this guide will walk you through what NAD+ is, why levels go up and down, how to naturally boost your NAD+ and where things like NAD+ nasal sprays fit into the picture when it comes to healthy ageing and overall wellness.
What does Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD+) do for our bodies anyway?
Okay so basically, NAD+ is what your body uses to get on with its daily business. It helps support energy production – as a key electron carrier in major metabolic pathways like glycolysis, the TCA cycle and oxidative phosphorylation – and it works with loads of enzymes to help out with important stuff like cell signalling and immune responses. If your NAD+ levels drop, that can mess with your ATP production and dna repair. NAD+ is a bit of an unsung hero when it comes to cellular health.
Researchers are still trying to figure out the full lowdown on NAD+ and its role in healthy ageing, metabolism, and all that cellular stuff.
Why are people all of a sudden so fascinated with NAD+?
You can blame the scientists for this one – they’re the ones who have been studying NAD+ and figuring out just how important it is to our health. With loads more research showing how NAD+ levels plummet by 68% from birth to adulthood, and another 60% decline from middle age onwards, people are starting to get interested in how they can support their NAD+ levels. This one’s getting pretty hot stuff in the world of healthy ageing and there’s a lot of research going on about how NAD+ is linked to things like cancer and diabetes, though more study is needed to really confirm the impact on human health.
Does NAD+ just happen naturally?
Yep, your body’s always producing NAD+, and you can top up with foods rich in vitamin B3 rather than taking NAD+ itself, as the body makes it from these precursor compounds used in day to day metabolism. Those precursors are nicotinic acid, nicotinamide riboside and nicotinamide mononucleotide, and you can also boost NAD+ with supplementation using NMN or NR; and then there’s de novo production which starts with tryptophan.
Why do NAD+ levels go up and down in energy production?
Well NAD+ levels fluctuate over time, and all sorts of things can influence just how much NAD+ you’ve got floating around in your body. At a cellular level, NAD+ is operating across the mitochondria, cytoplasm and nucleus, and in healthy tissues the NAD+/NADH ratio is roughly 700:1. The mitochondria hold the highest share of total cellular NAD+, around 40% to 70%. Here are a few reasons why levels might go up and down:
- Just by getting older
- Your lifestyle – how much exercise you get, what you eat, how well you sleep
- Your level of activity
- What you’re eating and drinking
- How well you’re sleeping
- When you’re stressed
Levels also shift because proteins and other enzymes get involved in dna repair – like PARPs – which consume NAD+ and produce adp ribose. Scientists are still trying to work out how all these factors play out with the body’s natural NAD+ production.
So how do people actually boost their NAD+ levels for cellular processes?
Some people aim to get a balanced diet with lots of foods rich in vitamin B3. Others try to get regular exercise, plenty of sleep and manage their stress levels. And then there are people who might go for other wellness options – like IV therapy, which delivers NAD+ directly into the bloodstream – though this typically involves a 30 minute to one hour infusion.The right approach to using NAD+ will depend on your personal health goals and history – let’s be real, it also has a lot to do with what makes sense with your lifestyle. Commonly talked about benefits include support for mood and sleep quality as well as relief from inflammation-related discomfort, and that’s because NAD+ supplementation may give a bit of a boost to serotonin levels and NAD+ is known to reduce inflammation which can help out with pain management. Some folks also explore NAD+ as a treatment for things like addiction recovery because it can help with craving support, anxiety issues, and general relief from related symptoms – that being said, you should definitely talk it over with a healthcare pro.
NAD+ Frequently Asked Questions
Is NAD+ a vitamin?
Not exactly – it’s more like a helper that your body uses to get things done.
Is NAD+ in every cell?
Pretty much – NAD+ is in just about every living cell and it plays a pretty key role in cellular function.
Why is NAD+ such a big deal in the world of longevity?
Well, scientists are really fascinated by NAD+ because it plays a big role in cellular function and healthy aging, and they are also studying its role in the brain and how NAD+ helps regulate the body’s internal clock and sleep/wake cycle. To be honest, there’s just a lot more to learn about NAD+ and its broader therapeutic potential is still being studied – especially in age-related diseases.
Can I actually boost my NAD+ levels?
Well, eating right, getting some exercise, and getting enough sleep all help with that. If you are looking into using products or therapies related to NAD+, they can be trying to raise low levels of NAD+ and give you a bit of an energy boost, but some options use precursors rather than NAD+ itself, and you should only consider those with the input of a healthcare professional.
Learn More About NAD+ With LaviMD
At LaviMD, we are all about educating people – and if you are curious about NAD+, its role in cell health, and your options for supporting your overall well being, then you can check out our NAD+ Nasal Spray and what we’re all about.
