Boosting NAD+: FAQ
Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, or NAD+, for short, is an abundant and vital component in all human cells. It is responsible for hundreds of biochemical reactions in our cells, including those responsible for maintaining cell integrity, DNA repair, regulating the sleep/wake cycle, and energy metabolism.
The presence of NAD+ in our bodies is so crucial that if we didn’t have NAD+, we would die within minutes.
Are you interested in learning more about the science of NAD+? Learn more here.
For decades, health scientists have known that NAD+ levels fall as people age. With that realization came the theory that reductions in NAD+ concentrations were among the primary causes of accelerated cellular aging. Cellular aging negatively impacts the immune system, the ability of cells to renew themselves and increases the risk of developing chronic disease.
Cellular aging, as opposed to chronological aging, isn’t inextricably connected to time. In other words, cellular aging is a process that speeds up or slows down depending on our health, environment, genetics, and behaviors. For example, two 70-year-old women can exhibit significantly different levels of cellular aging, health, and thus NAD+ levels.
Retaining high NAD+ levels can help to slow down cellular aging. As a result, humans can live healthier lives for longer – potentially influencing longevity, but, more importantly for many, healthspan, or the number of healthy years we live.
Learn more about the link between NAD+, aging, and longevity.
As our cells endure damage and illness, the body begins to weaken in its ability to synthesize enough NAD+ to protect, repair, and renew cells. Some longevity specialists call this state NAD+ deficiency.
The factors that contribute to cell damage and NAD+ deficiency are the same ones that contribute to cellular aging, namely the environment, lifestyle and habits, genetics, and current and past health status.
Low NAD+ concentrations lead to an accelerated speed of cellular aging. Cellular aging is connected to low energy levels, impaired metabolic processes, a weakened immune system, and chronic disease.
Yes. Once scientists and health researchers learned about the role of NAD+ in cellular aging and disease development, they began to examine ways to prevent the loss of NAD+, or recuperate NAD+ levels.
They found that, while there are several things humans can do to slow the loss of NAD+, the loss of NAD+ concentration cannot be stopped entirely by natural means. NAD+ treatments and supplements, however, are a way to replenish NAD+ in the cell in ways that natural treatments cannot.
In short, there are two ways to prevent the loss of NAD+ and recuperate NAD+ levels to some extent. First is through lifestyle and behaviors, which we discuss in greater detail below. The second is through supplementation.
Yes. Some of the natural ways to recuperate NAD+ concentrations include:
- A balanced diet
- Regular exercise
- Minimal exposure to toxins
- Reducing stress
If NAD+ deficiency is severe, or if you are looking for a faster, more efficient way to re-establish NAD+ levels, supplementation and NAD+ treatments may be an option.
Learn more about the benefits of NAD+ supplementation therapy.
Most people may be able to increase NAD+ levels to some extent naturally. You can do this by:
- Eating a balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables and lean meats and low in ultra-processed foods
- Eating foods rich in niacin (vitamin B3)
- Exercising at least 150 minutes a week
- Getting enough high-quality sleep
- Avoiding eating, smoking, and drinking excessively
It is important to note that the relationship between lifestyle and NAD+ concentrations is complex. Since scientists know a lot about cellular aging and the behaviors that speed it up, a logical assumption is that avoiding behaviors that cause cellular damage (like smoking, excessive drinking, poor diet, and sedentarism) and implementing behaviors that promote cellular renewal (balanced diet, regular exercise, and a toxin-free environment) can help to reduce the speed at which NAD+ is lost in the body.
There are five relatively straightforward ways to increase NAD+ levels or, at the very least, slow the loss of NAD+ in your body.
- Incorporate caloric restriction. Caloric restriction triggers a salvage pathway, where a molecule called NADPH goes through a process of oxidative phosphorylation, where NADPH is eventually converted into NAD+.
- Practice healthy eating habits. A balanced diet helps ensure that you are meeting nutrient needs and that your body has the components needed to keep the immune system healthy. More specifically, foods rich in tryptophan and niacinamide help to provide the building blocks for NAD+ production. We go into detail here about foods that are naturally rich in NAD+.
- Break a sweat every day. Exercise and physical activity pushes the body into the NADPH salvage pathway and increases NAD+ stores. Aerobic exercise, specifically, may have a special influence on NAD+ concentrations by boosting a specific enzyme in skeletal muscles.
- Sleep enough. NAD+ is bound to a healthy circadian rhythm. So healthy sleep hygiene and getting enough sleep is essential to NAD+ synthesis.
- Minimize exposure to environmental stressors. Extreme weather, pollution, and overexposure to the sun can all reduce your NAD+ stores.
Learn more about the ways to naturally increase NAD+ levels.
Certain components, called NAD+ precursors, need to be present in the body for NAD+ to be produced. Some foods are particularly high in these components. Some NAD+ precursors found in foods include niacin (vitamin B3) and tryptophan.
Some foods that are high in these components and other nutrients that help to boost NAD+ production and reduce the speed of cellular aging include:
- Fish
- Dairy milk
- Pork
- Beef
- Turkey
- Whole grains
Some fruits and vegetables are high in nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), a NAD+ precursor.See a more complete list of NAD+-boosting foods here.
Yes. Exercise and physical activity require our metabolism to go into overdrive. When you carry out moderate exercise for at least 30 minutes, an increased energy demand pushed the body into the NADPH salvage pathway. The NADPH salvage pathway increases NAD+ stores. Aerobic exercise, specifically, may have a special influence on NAD+ concentrations by boosting a specific enzyme in skeletal muscles.
Initial evidence shows that fasting, specifically intermittent fasting, may increase NAD+ levels. Most of the evidence we have is using animal models. Still, we know enough about the parallels between human metabolism and other mammal metabolism to assume there is some level of benefit, at least in the short term. However, more clinical studies with larger populations are required before making any recommendations on fasting to increase NAD+ levels.
Lifestyle choices are vital to health and longevity. However, lifestyle choices are only effective for preventing the loss of NAD+ and potentially increasing NAD+ levels if they are implemented sustainably.
NAD+ supplements are one of the most efficient ways of increasing NAD+ levels in the body. Clinical studies have demonstrated the direct link between NAD+ and NAD+ precursor supplementation and NAD+ levels. However, NAD+ supplementation will be less effective if a person has an unhealthy lifestyle.
The most recommended way to increase NAD+ levels is to do both: lead a healthy lifestyle and, after approval from your medical team, implementing a NAD+ treatment.
