NAD+

Before you get into reading all about NAD+ (used interchangeably with NADH and often just NAD), what's proven, what's speculated, and what's just being wildly claimed all over the internet, there are a few things you need to know about the infusion itself.

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1) The minimum time for an NAD+ infusion is 2 hours. That's at the lowest dose (250mg). The large dose (500mg) requires at least 4 hours. NAD APPOINTMENTS MUST START NO LATER THAN NOON.

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2) There's also additional "prep" time for you, and our staff. You'll have to read a pretty detailed consent IN ADDITION to the standard consent, and be damned sure you're in agreement.

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3) We have tighter restrictions for who is allowed to receive NAD+ infusions from us. Your heart has to be as solid as a rock and as strong as an ox. If you've got anything on your Kardia Mobile EKG (which we perform before EVERY NAD+ infusion) that looks out of the ordinary, you won't qualify.

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4) We clamp down the range of acceptable blood pressures as well, and anyone who is outside the narrow range of acceptable BPs or is on blood pressure medication will not qualify to receive NAD+.

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5) Your nurse is going to spend much more time with you than they will during a standard infusion.

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6) You are GOING TO feel flush at the beginning of the infusion, and will likely have some minor tightness in your chest, and possibly even a slight headache. NAD+ is powerful and when an infusion starts your body will have an immediate reaction.

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7) Everyone who gets NAD+ from us, whether they've had 100 infusions at other places or not, has to start with the 250mg dose because we want to see how it affects you with our own eyes before giving you the big dose.

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8) We never, ever give NAD+ during a house call. It's only given in the office.

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Okay, if you're still interested, let's discuss Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide in its reduced form.

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Put simply, Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD+) is a "cofactor" in cellular metabolism. A "cofactor" is a molecule (chemical compound) necessary for an enzyme to function. It's called a "dinucleotide" because it's a group of two nucleotides (one is nicotinamide and the other is an adenine nucleobase) which are joined together by a phosphate group. You can think of it as a double railcar joined together with a link, that moves material from one station to another to allow the work at the receiving station to progress. 

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The simplest way to put what NAD+ is/does is that it moves electrons from Point A to Point B, so the station at Point B can use the electrons to perform a job. NAD+ "picks up" a Hydrogen molecule (one electron), becomes NADH, then essentially deposits the electron and becomes NAD+ again. The electron is now in the mitochondria (remember your teacher calling it the "power plant of the cell"?), helps generate ATP, and the product created is used to power the specific function of the cell. 

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That's a really basic explanation, but it does the trick. If you really want to get into the DEEP science of the compound, how it acts and reacts, and the known effects, you can try this link at ScienceDirect.

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So, why does it matter? Well, imagine your memory as a computer chip running at 60% power. Now imagine you introduce something to increase the transfer of electricity from the outlet to the computer chip. Viola. More computing power. Think of a cell that's in the process of undergoing repair. More fuel to repair means a quicker, more efficient repair job. Anything a cell does in your body can be done better by that cell if it has a quicker, larger energy supply.

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Now you're wondering what people claim it's good for, and what kind of proof there is.

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Probably the best studied use for NAD+ is improved cognition. A massive study of mice showed that those with signs of cognitive impairment improved fairly dramatically with large, frequent doses of NAD. Remember, that's just mice, but brain functions are very similar in most mammals, suggesting improved cognition in humans who use NAD is likely. Many physicians use NAD infusions or injections to fight the effects of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. A complete, double-blind, controlled study hasn't been conducted in enough humans to determine if people without any mental impairment benefit from NAD to the extent of increased mental capacity/function, but it's certainly a logical conclusion that they would. WebMD says "NADH is used for improving mental clarity, alertness, concentration, and memory; as well as for treating Alzheimer’s disease and dementia." They do go on to say that there isn't sufficient testing to prove that it works effectively, but until there are prolonged, placebo controlled, double-blind studies in large groups of humans, we won't have all the data we need. 

 

NAD+ has been shown in clinical studies to improve liver function and repair liver damage in mice. Mice again... but that's where all clinical trials start. 

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Other than focus, the most common use for NAD is to combat chronic fatigue. WebMD (again) does say that NAD has shown effectiveness in fighting the symptoms of chronic fatigue, which makes sense as NAD is used by your mitochondria to increase metabolic rates in cells. Athletes worldwide have been using NAD infusions and supplements to enhance performance, though many sports governing bodies have added NAD to their "performance enhancing drug" list, prohibiting its use in many sanctioned events and leagues.

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Here's the one you're all waiting to hear: Does NAD extend your lifespan? You can't really expect us to say "of course it does". Here's what had led to that claim: In 2013 a study was published in Neurobiology of Aging that had results which suggested that the deterioration of cognition was slowed significantly, if not reversed, in mice which were given increased levels of NAD. That's not to say that a 60 year old suddenly stops aging, but that the decline of the cells tested almost entirely halted. Now those mice were given a boatload of NAD, and they certainly weren't checked for other possible long-term side-effects, but the data did suggest that the expected age-related deterioration of the studied cells halted. You make of that what you will. We wouldn't claim anything other than that we read the study and it excited us too.

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So, what is it? Uncle Sham's Miracle Elixir of Complete BS, or super supplement? We can't say. There aren't enough tests, but there's no question that many people who use NAD regularly swear by it. It certainly has an immediate, recognizable physical effect on your body, suggesting at least some efficacy.

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If you're interested in booking an NAD+ infusion,

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CLICK HERE for a 250mg NAD+ infusion,

or HERE for a 500mg NAD+ infusion.

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If you're interested in reading more about the science of NAD, or the experience, use these links:

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National Library of Medicine Neurobiology of Aging summation, and NAD+ studies and articles: LINK

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WebMD overview of NAD+ uses: LINK

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ScienceDirect's look at NAD studies: LINK