All about NAD+
NAD (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide) is a substance found within the body that naturally declines with age or stress.It is responsible for maintaining the regulation of energy through the mitochondria and as a consequence it can lead to an up-regulation in mood, mental and physical performance,restoration of previous energy levels and has started to point to having a beneficial impact on biomarkers,98567 organs and key systems. Naturally and consequently it is being referred to as an ‘anti-aging’ product and has been in both capsule and IV form for quite some time.
Why do you need NAD+
NAD+ is essential in the Krebs Cycle, which turns food molecules into energy. It enables DNA repair and cellular regeneration. NAD+ also works with the neuro-transmission of signals between neurons (including in the brain).
Lower levels of NAD+ result in your cells not being able to metabolise as much of the food molecules as may be needed, making less energy available for you to use. As cells replicate, DNA is damaged and, without repairing this damage, copies of this damage can be passed on to future replications of the cells. Without the NAD+ supporting neurotransmission between cells, so the signal generated by one neuron is not passed on as efficiently as possible to the next, leading to a weaker, slower signal. These slow signals add up to cogitative slowing and even cogitative decline.
How do I take it?
There are four main routes which can be used to top up your NAD+ levels:
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Orally: NAD+ can be swallowed in pill form, but the bioavailability (the amount your body can absorb) is extremely low as NAD+ is a fragile molecule and is broken down during digestion. NAD+ precursor molecules can also be consumed and are more stable through digestion but there are questions over the safety of such supplements. The FDA is currently investigating these precursors as there may be side effects, such as cancer, caused by heavy consumption of these supplements.
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Intravenous injection: The fastest way to boost your NAD+ levels is through IV drip, where 500mg/1000mg of NAD+ can be administered in a matter of hours. The downside of this is that the experience can be unpleasant, with strong tightening of the chest, waves of nausea and abdominal pain. It also requires someone trained in canulation (eg a nurse) to administer and can take 2 hours or more. The huge boost to the system is an excellent way to get to optimal NAD+ levels immediately, but wears off over time unless administered again or supplemented in another way, such as IM or Sub.cut injections (see below)
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Intramuscular injection: An effective way to maintain NAD+ levels in the body is to have small IM injections of NAD+ multiple times a month. This tops-up the system very effectively, but has its own side effect of being an extremely painful injection into the muscle. It also requires “drawing up” (taking the NAD+ from a vial into the syringe) and involves long needles, which many customers are uncomfortable with. Finally, the IM injection requires the customer to find someone to inject them or for them to inject themselves, which is also tricky for many customers.
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Sub-cutaneous injection (sub.cut.): The VAION+ PEN (patent pending) is the first sub.cut. auto-injector pen for NAD+. It precisely administers the right amount of NAD+ 4mm under the skin… which is exactly where the fatty layer is. This fatty layer has fewer nerves than muscle and a slower blood flow, resulting in significantly less painful injection. The dose is small and administered every other day to build up and then maintain your healthy NAD+ levels.
Why choose a combi-pen injector?
The VAION+ PEN is the easiest, most painless and most convenient way to top up your NAD+ levels.
This new method of administering is via a subcutaneous method using a combi pen. The
grade is reputed to be pure and the administration via the subcutaneous means its not
downgraded by the GI tract and digestive process.
NAD is still not mainstream but is rapidly going that way. Some quantification of just how
quickly it is growing in awareness would be useful via google search trends or equivalent.
The Science
NAD+ is short for Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide and it is a co-enzyme that is critical for life. It is found, naturally, in every living cell in your body where it plays an important part in over 500 biological pathways.
NAD+ Reference (increasing energy, reducing free radicals, anti-ageing)
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Benfeitas R, Uhlen M, Nielsen J, and Mardinoglu A. New challenges to study heterogeneity in cancer redox metabolism. Front Cell Dev Biol 5: 65, 2017
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Braidy N, Guillemin G, and Grant R. Promotion of cellular NAD(+) anabolism: therapeutic potential for oxidative stress in ageing and Alzheimer’s disease. Neurotox Res 13: 173–184, 2008
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Braidy N, Poljak A, Grant R, Jayasena T, Mansour H, Chan-Ling T, Guillemin GJ, Smythe G, and Sachdev P. Mapping NAD(+) metabolism in the brain of ageing Wistar rats: potential targets for influencing brain senescence. Biogerontology 15: 177–198, 2014
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Tao R, Kim SH, Honbo N, Karliner JS, and Alano CC. Minocycline protects cardiac myocytes against simulated ischemia-reperfusion injury by inhibiting poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol 56: 659–668, 2010
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Yin F, Boveris A, and Cadenas E. Mitochondrial energy metabolism and redox signaling in brain aging and neurodegeneration. Antioxid Redox Signal 20: 353–371, 2014
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Alano CC, Garnier P, Ying W, Higashi Y, Kauppinen TM, and Swanson RA. NAD+ depletion is necessary and sufficient for poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1-mediated neuronal death. J Neurosci 30: 2967–2978, 2010
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Godoy JA, Rios JA, Zolezzi JM, Braidy N, and Inestrosa NC. Signalling pathway cross talk in Alzheimer’s disease. Cell Commun Signal 12: 23, 2014
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Godoy JA, Zolezzi JM, Braidy N, and Inestrosa NC. Role of Sirt1 during the ageing process: relevance to protection of synapses in the brain. Mol Neurobiol 50: 744–756, 2014
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Marohnic CC, Bewley MC, and Barber MJ. Engineering and characterization of a NADPH-utilizing cytochrome b5 reductase. Biochemistry 42: 11170–11182, 2003
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Massudi H, Grant R, Guillemin GJ, and Braidy N. NAD+ metabolism and oxidative stress: the golden nucleotide on a crown of thorns. Redox Rep 17: 28–46, 2012
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Zeng J, Libien J, Shaik F, Wolk J, and Hernandez AI. Nucleolar PARP-1 expression is decreased in Alzheimer’s disease: consequences for epigenetic regulation of rDNA and cognition. Neural Plast 2016: 8987928, 2016
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NAD+ metabolism and its roles in cellular processes during ageing