As people age, it’s only natural to pay more attention to overall wellness and ways to stay physically and mentally healthy. Exercise is helpful. And eating healthy foods has obvious benefits, but there is one drawback – the digestive process, and converting food to energy, takes time. Certain kinds of therapy may be able to get around that.
What is NAD+
NAD+ is an acronym for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, and it’s rapidly gaining attention in the fields of anti-aging and other health concerns. It’s mostly known as NAD+ because that’s its active form. The inactive form is called NADH. It’s a coenzyme found in all of our cells, and the anti-aging properties of NAD+ are interesting because of the numerous vital ways it promotes wellness and a longer lifespan. Because our natural supply of NAD+ diminishes over time, science and medicine have discovered ways to boost those levels through NAD+ therapy.
Is NAD+ Therapy Safe?
When administered in low, controlled doses, NAD+ therapy is as safe as any other kind of supplemental IV therapy. Because NAD+ is a natural substance in all living cells, introducing more in specified quantities shouldn’t pose any health risks. However, like all medical procedures, you should first consult with a healthcare provider about risks and benefits – which are typically based on your overall health, medical history, and other factors. In some cases, you may experience nausea, cramping, redness and soreness where the needle was inserted, and other minor physical symptoms.
Does NAD+ Therapy Work Different Than Supplements?
As with vitamins and nutrients, which may be administered intravenously, NAD+ therapy works much faster than dietary supplements, which are taken orally or otherwise digested when you eat. The reason why is simple. Whether you get your supplements from a pill or by drinking a nutritional beverage, the body’s natural digestive process takes over – and it may be hours before all the nutrients make it through your bloodstream. NAD+ therapy is intravenous, meaning it is dispensed through a vein directly into your bloodstream, cutting out the need for digestion to take place.
What to Know About NAD+ Therapy?
NAD+ therapy is an artificial process where low levels of NAD+ are boosted or increased through liquid supplements delivered intravenously. NAD+ therapy normally occurs in a doctor’s office, other medical facilities, or a licensed clinic and is administered by trained professionals. If your healthcare provider recommends that you receive such therapy, you will visit a clinic, undergo a brief health screening, and begin the process. A needle attached to a rubberized line and a drip bag is inserted into a vein in your arm or hand, and the NAD+ nutrients are dispensed directly into your bloodstream.
Benefits of NAD+ therapy
Many potential benefits of NAD+ therapy are still being explored and documented. According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, higher NAD+ levels may help with the following biological processes:
- Improving brain function and neurodegeneration.
- Improving vasculature. This means boosted neovascularization, blood flow, and capillary density.
- Better liver function with lowered hepatic steatosis and more capacity for regeneration.
- Muscle improvements related to less atrophy enhanced mitochondrial function and boosted physical activity.
- Improved pancreatic function, including better B-cell function, insulin secretion, and reduced inflammation.
- Lowered dyslipidemia and preventing insulin resistance.
- Less inflammation and better immune cell function.
- Higher energy levels.
- NAD+ therapy may also improve overall metabolic health.
- Higher NAD+ levels can make it easier to digest fatty acids and glucose and is critical for muscle development and hemostasis.
- There may be some evidence that maintaining NAD+ levels may improve mental wellness.
Many other biological processes may benefit from NAD+ therapy, including:
- Repairing and protecting DNA. A report by the U.S. National Institutes of Health revealed surprising results – that boosting NAD+ levels may repair aging DNA.
- Gene expression.
- Boosting NAD+ levels may make it easier to pull cellular energy from nutrition.
- Maintaining mitochondrial function.
- Preserving Chromosomal integrity.
- Calcium signaling.
- Epigenetic and posttranslational modifications.
There are other ways to boost NAD+ levels naturally. It should also be noted that many of the issues discussed thus far could also benefit from ketamine therapy.
Final Thoughts
To receive NAD+ therapy, it’s common – but not required – to first speak with a healthcare professional about its risks and benefits and whether it can help whatever’s ailing you. A medical examination is the first step in evaluating overall health and the best way to understand symptoms or underlying conditions which need to be treated.