Is NAD your best shot at longevity?

Question

It’s the super-supplement that claims to help you sleep, perform and focus. We put the latest form to the test.

NAD, or nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, is an injection supplement proven to increase stamina and endurance and potentially increase longevity. It can supposedly reverse the aging of cells and restore youthful attributes.

Answer 1

This claim does not have enough data to support that it is a fact. NAD, or nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide is a coenzyme central to metabolism that is found in all living cells. NAD decreases with age. The Financial Times article listed above poses a potential conflict of interest when describing the benefits of NAD. Many of the quotes come from people who are invested in NAD, whether that be injections or supplements. Diving deeper, according to the National Library of Medicine, NAD still needs more research before it should be sold commercially. " We conclude that promising, yet still speculative, results have been reported for the treatment of psoriasis and enhancement of skeletal muscle activity. However, further trials are required to determine the optimal method of raising NAD levels, identifying the target conditions, and comparing them to the present standard of care for these conditions." (NLM 2020). Even in the Financial Time article it's mentioned that "molecule is too big for the cells to incorporate it. It is possible, but it’s not efficient.”. NAD should be studied more as it has shown promising results for addressing skeletal and muscular injuries. 

Sources:

 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7558103/#sec1-pharmaceuticals-13-00247  

 https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-1016/nadh 

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6277084/#:~:text=Significance%3A%20Nicotinamide%20adenine%20dinucleotide%20(NAD,modulated%20gene%20expression%2C%20intracellular%20calcium 

Comments

I appreciate your response to this claim. You provide substantial evidence and use multiple sources to support the idea that this claim is exaggerated and misleading. You mentioned, 'According to the National Library of Medicine, NAD still needs more research before it should be sold commercially.' This is particularly valuable because it highlights why the super-supplement that claims to improve sleep, performance, and focus may be exaggerated.

Answer 2

The claim of NAD increasing longevity is false. This article did not back any of their claims with factual evidence. This overly objective article promotes NAD+ injections from a specific brand. The article only uses quotes from people who are a part of the brand and doesn't back up with scientific evidence. NAD is still under clinical trials and is just starting long human trials. As stated in an article by the Seattle Times, "evidence for benefit is minimal because clinical studies have been short and small and used widely varying doses." NAD is still far from being safe and being able to increase longevity. Using NAD as it currently poses health risks, "NAD boosters are claimed to be safe for humans, it has been found that repeated intake of it can increase the total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol levels in the blood."

https://www.seattletimes.com/life/wellness/are-nad-boosting-supplements-really-the-modern-fountain-of-youth/

https://www.seattletimes.com/life/wellness/are-nad-boosting-supplements-really-the-modern-fountain-of-youth/

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7352172/