Sirtuins
Sirtuins are major regulators of cellular ageing due to their ability to manipulate and fundamentally influence functions such as DNA repair or a bodies inflammatory response. They also play an integral role in whether our cells enter a replicative cycle or die a programmed death.
Activation of sirtuins has shown extreme promise in preserving healthy brain function and fighting heart disease however, they simply cannot function in anyway without sufficient levels of NAD+. While this information may seem like gobbledegook to many of you, this really is a brief dive into the fundamental steps involved in the ageing process.
So how can NAD+ supplementation help
Well for an in-depth answer to this question I strongly recommend a book (or audiobook) called lifespan written by David Sinclair PhD however here are some of the science backed highlights that are directly relevant to the information above.
#1 - NAD+ has shown in a multitude of studies to be critical in the functioning of sirtuin proteins which are required to help maintain the length and health of telomeres.
While there is also evidence that foods and supplements rich in polyphenols, such as pterostilbene and resveratrol may also help in the activation of sirtuins, evidence suggests they function much more effectively when NAD+ is activated.
#2 - DNA can fight back and repair itself by activating an enzyme (PARP-1) which carries out DNA repair within our cells. However, to achieve this PARP-1 relies on...............you guessed it, NAD+.
When PARP-1 carries out DNA repair, it consumes vast quantities of NAD+ and as we get older our natural NAD+ levels deplete which has a significant impact on our ability to repair our DNA.
Replenishing your NAD+ levels holds the key to your body’s ability to restore the DNA repair process and can also prevent cell death under stress.
#3 - Adequate levels of NAD+ are critically important for youthful cellular energy, one of most important factors in avoiding immunosenescence. It’s also vital for maintaining our defences against autoimmune disease and infection.
#4 - A growing number of studies show that raising levels of NAD+ is an extremely rapid and effective way of restoring 'electron transport chain function'. NAD+ achieves this by promoting the production of a number of essential enzymes involved in sustaining youthful cell function as well as energy extraction. This helps to reduce physiological decline and provides protection from age-related disease.
#5 NAD+ Helps stabilise chromosomes - In order to function properly the enzymes involved in ensuring 'stable chromosomal structure' require NAD+.
In animal studies it was shown that when NAD+ was present in sufficient levels it contributed directly to longevity. However, when the enzymes that require NAD+ to function were inactive, cells were found to replicate abnormally and chromosome structure suffered considerably.
#6 - Multiple studies show that NAD+ is vital for sustaining healthy brain function due to its effects on neurotransmitters. In fact, a study published in the Journal of biomedical science suggests that NAD+ actually meets all of the criteria to qualify as a neurotransmitter itself.
#7 - NAD helps to regulate cellular ageing by activating sirtuins - Humankind has long searched for the secret elixir to unlocking endless youth and more recently this search has been focussed on supplements that have the ability to regulate or boost our sirtuins.
Supplements such as quercetin, resveratrol and pterbolene have shown some promise as potential activators. However, none of these compounds can even function where NAD+ is lacking.
A very long story short…..without sufficient levels of NAD+ sirtuins simply cannot function, DNA repair would cease and our inflammatory process would be severely compromised.
NAD+ was first discovered as an integral part of the process which channels chemical energy from the food we consume to the ATP fuel our cells need to survive. It is also a functioning signalling molecule involved in processes that relate to the production of energy in both sirtuins and PARP-1 so its ‘kind of a big deal’.
The advantages of sufficient levels of NAD+ in this area are 2 fold. PARP-1 needs to consume large quantities of NAD+ to work efficiently while high levels of NAD+ is also known to activate sirtuins.