What is NAD?

How did you wake up feeling this morning?

Did you know that nearly 2 out of every 3 Americans rarely wake up energized and rested? 

This means 65% of you suffer from brain fog, body aches, poor concentration, low energy and along with that comes a mental strain. Unfortunately, this only gets worse as we age.

Constantly struggling with this can create feelings of hopelessness, anxiety, depression and I can tell you how horrible it feels as I’ve experienced the full effects.

 At one point, I spent 6 months in bed struggling with Chronic Fatigue, Epstein Barr, Fibromyalgia, Hashimotos.

 I was in pain and inflamed.

 So I understand what it can be like to suffer this way.

 This is why I’m a huge supporter of NAD.

 NAD (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) is a coenzyme that lives in our cells that plays a critical role in energy metabolism by helping to turn food into usable energy.

 NAD has been referred to as a fundamental housekeeping molecule, a key modulator of cell signaling and survival pathways and a modulator of longevity and health.

 If you suffer from low energy, autoimmune issues, or viral infections, boosting NAD can be a way to get your body back.

To help you understand NAD a bit more, I’ve gathered a few of the most common questions I get on the topic. If you have others, make sure you join me in my Facebook group and ask me there.

What does NAD do?

NAD plays a critical role in energy metabolism by helping to turn food into usable energy. It also helps certain enzymes involved in vital cellular functions, such as cellular repair and cellular defense. NAD has also been referred to as a fundamental housekeeping molecule, a key modulator of cell signaling and survival pathways and a modulator of longevity and health.

NAD helps with:

• Regenerating cells
• Reducing inflammation
• Promoting healthy brain function
• Fighting chronic fatigue
• Slowing cognitive decline

How do NAD levels change as we age?

Unfortunately, our NAD levels drop with age and chronic inflammation causes a reduction in NAD levels. Additionally, excess alcohol consumption, excess UV exposure, inadequate sleep, poor diet, viral infections and a sedentary lifestyle also causes a reduction in these levels. To make matters worse, we also experience a rise in CD38, which is involved in our body’s processes of limiting and breaking down NAD.

This all means that as we get older, our bodies make less NAD, and it disappears faster than when we were young. By the time we hit 50, our NAD levels are half of what they were in our youth making it all the more necessary to find ways to boost NAD so we can combat this.

What can we do to raise our NAD levels?

There are things we can do to raise our NAD levels and reduce the activity of CD38—leading to more robust energy. Fasting and exercise are known to increase NAD levels; in particular, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) is especially effective at combating the age-related reduction of NAD levels. There are also two bioactive dietary flavonoids that are especially effective when it comes to inhibiting CD38, namely apigenin (found in parsley, chamomile, oregano and celery) and quercetin (found in apples, red onions, cherries, red grapes and raspberries)

You can also try NAD IV, taking high dose niacin (Vitamin B3), taking NMN, or NR supplements as well as red light therapy.

What are the three important blood biomarkers that everyone should get tested in order to get a good idea of how well their mitochondria are functioning?

hsCRP (high-sensitivity C-Reactive Protein)

HbA1c

oxLDL (oxidized low-density lipoprotein)

What is so important about mitochondria?

Although some of these concepts may seem new to people, mitochondrial resilience is such an underrated and unappreciated part of our health. It will be a major focus in the future, as nearly every disease and almost all biological aging can be tied back to mitochondrial health—and conversely, the feeling of having enough energy is directly related to robust mitochondrial health. We will soon see a major commercial rise in “mito” supplements. Mark my words: “mito” is the next keto!

What other 3 biomarker tests can help you better understand your energy baseline?

Vitamin D3 levels (often measured by testing for 25(OH)D)

Iron and ferritin levels (oxygen is required to produce energy, and iron levels determine your oxygen-carrying capacity) and

Thyroid function

What are some simpler ways we can examine our energy baseline?

Questions to Ask Yourself:

1. How do you feel when you wake up? Are you wide awake or is it a struggle to get out of bed every day?
2. Do you have energy towards the end of the day or are you dragging?
3. How difficult are daily tasks such as walking your dog, carrying groceries and taking the stairs? Are they harder than they were in the past?
4. What is your emotional state? Are you less emotive or interactive? Are you avoiding social interaction and/or pushing people away?
5. Do you get sugar, caffeine or other stimulant cravings regularly?
6. Do you have any addictive behaviors? Do you crave dopamine hits?
7. Is your hair healthy and are your eyes bright?
8. How is your circulation in your hands and feet?

Answering these questions can help you establish a baseline for self-experimentation—and you can ask yourself these questions periodically to assess your improvements. You can then try some of the above suggestions for boosting your NAD and hopefully you will start to see an improvement in your energy.