What is NAD+ and what does it do in your body?
NAD+ is an indispensable molecule for energy, DNA repair and cell health, but the question of whether you should actively raise those levels for better health has not yet been answered for humans.
NAD+ is a small molecule found in every cell of your body that is indispensable for converting food into energy. In the mitochondria, the power plants of your cells, NAD+ acts as a kind of molecular relay baton that passes electrons along. Without NAD+, energy production grinds to a halt.
NAD+ is also the fuel for two types of proteins that keep your cells healthy. First, for enzymes that repair DNA damage: these consume NAD+ every time they seal a break in the DNA. Second, for sirtuins, proteins that help manage oxidative stress and keep the mitochondria active. When NAD+ becomes scarce, both systems perform worse.
As we age, the amount of NAD+ in your tissues declines. In rodents, this decline is associated with muscle weakness, cognitive deterioration and metabolic problems. In animal research, restoring NAD+ was able to slow some of those effects. Whether the same holds true in humans has not yet been convincingly demonstrated.
NAD+ also has an ambiguous role in inflammation. Immune cells consume large amounts of NAD+ when they spring into action, which is beneficial during an infection. In chronic intestinal inflammation, such as Crohn's disease, however, that same consumption drives the inflammation forward. NAD+ is therefore both essential for healthy cells and a fuel for inflammatory processes.
Finally, breakdown products of NAD+ influence the calcium balance in cells and, with it, whether a cell undergoes programmed cell death. And a special production route via the amino acid tryptophan yields substances that influence communication between brain cells, relevant to brain function and possibly psychiatric conditions.
The basic roles of NAD+ in energy metabolism are strongly supported. Its role in ageing, DNA repair and sirtuins is plausible but largely based on animal and laboratory research; evidence in humans is more limited.
What is NAD+ and why does it decline as you age?
NAD+ is an indispensable energy carrier and guardian of your DNA, and your body produces less of it as you age. The mechanisms behind that decline are reasonably well understood, but what you can practically do about it is still very much under investigation.
What is the relation between NAD+ and vitamin B3?
Vitamin B3 is the only dietary building block for NAD+ in your body -- that relationship is causal and well supported. Whether NAD+ supplements such as NMN or NR genuinely deliver health benefits has yet to be proven.
What does your thyroid do to your metabolism and energy?
Your thyroid is one of the most powerful regulators of your resting metabolism, and both too little and too much hormone has measurable consequences for weight, heart and metabolism. If you suspect your thyroid is not functioning properly, a blood test at your GP is the logical first step.
What does taurine do in your body?
Taurine has several demonstrable functions in your body: it supports the retina, heart, and brain, and helps cells maintain their balance. For ageing and weight management, the evidence in humans is still too thin to draw conclusions from.
What does NAD+ do for your brain?
NAD+ is biologically crucial for your brain and declines with age, but whether supplementation via NMN or other means genuinely protects humans has not yet been convincingly demonstrated. Wait for the results of larger clinical studies before drawing firm conclusions.
Which foods or habits effectively raise NAD+ levels?
Exercise and NAD+ supplements (NR or NMN) demonstrably raise NAD+ levels, but whether higher levels also confer health benefits in humans has not yet been proven. If you want to take action, regular physical exercise is the only approach for which broader health benefits have also been demonstrated.