Can Supplementing This Trending Coenzyme Really Improve Your Energy Levels?
Trending beauty terms often divide experts. Those buzzy new supplements that some are preaching sermons about might not be the recipe for success where others are concerned. But there’s one name unanimously on the lips of wellness experts right now and that’s NAD.
Once the reserve of a doctor's office, uttered only in medical and health circles, NAD supplements have been thrust into the beauty mainstream lately, with experts touting the importance of healthy levels of NAD for, well, everything – from supporting our mental energy (think mood, brain health and day-to-day battery levels) to our sleep and health span.
So are you, too, in need of a NAD+ supplement? Below, school up on the basics of NAD+, the best supplements to know and discover why everyone is suddenly talking about this crucial coenzyme.
What is NAD+?
NAD+ - sometimes referred to simply as NAD, or its medical term, Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide - is a coenzyme. 'It's involved in over 500 critical reactions in the body,’ shares Rhian Stephenson, a nutritionist, naturopath and founder of ARTAH. ‘Think of it as a helper nutrient; it acts as a catalyst for different reactions in the body and without it, these reactions would not occur,’ she says.
A prime example is energy production, in which NAD plays a fundamental role, she notes. ‘Ultimately, the food we eat needs to be broken down into different components in order to create ATP (Adenosine triphosphate), which is our unit of energy. There are a number of sequential reactions that need to take place in order for ATP to be produced, and each of these require NAD. So, in the absence of NAD, we cannot create energy efficiently,’ Stephenson explains.
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‘NAD is like your cellular energy currency,’ agrees aesthetic doctor and skin expert, Dr Sophie Shotter. ‘It helps to fuel all sorts of reactions and processes in the body.' Essentially, without NAD+ your body can't perform critical functions, whether that's helping to regulate the body’s circadian rhythm (the sleep/wake cycle) or aiding DNA repair. ‘It’s also crucial for healthy muscle function, helping to protect our genes from physical stress,’ adds Dr Shotter.
'Our genes are exposed to thousands of little stressors everyday, whether it's from environmental toxins or pro- inflammatory compounds, and we have a built in system of proteins that can recognise and repair this damage. But, these proteins require NAD to function properly, which is another reason why NAD is so compelling as a longevity molecule; it has a protective effect on our genetic material,' agrees Stephenson. It also plays an important role when it comes to inflammation. 'NAD is required for our nutrient sensing pathways (like insulin) to work effectively, for regulating inflammation, and for the functioning of different genes involved in cellular health and repair,’ she adds.
Like all good things (looking at you, collagen), NAD levels decrease from the moment we are born. In fact, they halve for every twenty years of our life, says Dr Shotter, which is where supplementation comes in (more on this later). ‘From our forties we tend to really notice its decline, certainly in terms of energy levels, so taking supplements to support our levels is important,' she adds.
If you don't have adequate levels of NAD, it can impact everything from energy production to inflammation, your metabolism and cellular ageing. ‘Depleted NAD+ has been identified as a key hallmark of cellular ageing, so for anyone interested in improving their health span, it’s a great inclusion to a supplement routine. Anyone struggling with depleted energy levels and brain fog will also benefit,’ adds Dr Shotter.
Why are we suddenly talking about NAD supplements?
NAD isn't novel in the world of wellness. 'It's been a key marker for health to help optimise mitochondrial health (responsible for producing energy in the body)', says Stephenson. But with more research within the realm of longevity – specifically the growing data on cellular ageing – there is further evidence to prove its importance.
'Targetting NAD levels has shown great promise for a variety of applications, including pain management, mitochondrial health, inflammation, muscular health, skin conditions, and cognitive function,' says Stephenson. 'There have also been studies that show associations between certain metabolic and inflammatory conditions and low NAD levels, like PCOS, cognitive decline, and type two diabetes.'
But boosting your own NAD levels isn't a sure-fire thing where supplements and skincare are concerned, plus, not all formulas are created equal. ‘NAD+ as a molecule is inherently unstable, and notoriously difficult to work with in a laboratory as it requires freezing,’ shares Dr Shotter. ‘I have yet to see any skincare product which has evidence of NAD+ in a formulation which will be stable or effective, so for me as a skincare ingredient at present is not beneficial,’ she says.
NAD supplements, on the other hand, are more promising. 'NAD is unstable as an oral supplement, which is why NAD precursors are used instead, and these can benefit a wide array of people,' shares Stephenson. Stephenson's own Enhanced NAD+ Complex combines a cocktail of ingredients to work harmoniously on your energy levels, such as saffron, an age-old ingredient for improving low moods.
Who should supplement with NAD?
There are multiple reasons why someone might start supplementing with NAD. 'From an age perspective, many people start taking an NAD complex in their mid to late thirties to help combat the natural decline we see with age, so it's very popular as a longevity supplement,' says Stephenson.
'Others choose to take it for more specific applications, like endurance sport or to combat chronic stress. It's also extremely promising as a supportive supplement for fertility; some studies have shown beneficial effects to ovarian ageing and egg quality, sperm quality, PCOS and more,' she says.
Those suffering from chronic stress, poor diet and lack of exercise, or a more general lack of energy, could also benefit from supplementing with NAD.
The benefits of NAD supplements
The benefits can be both long- and short-term. 'Usually the most immediate benefit is energy - both mental and physical,' says Stephenson. 'Because NAD is so integral to energy sensing pathways and therefore metabolism, optimising levels can also benefit blood sugar levels and appetite.'
In the long run, you can see considerable differences to your cellular health (including your skin health), inflammation and improved recovery.
As always, it's important to consult with a nutritionist or expert before adding a new supplement into your line-up. However, if you do feel like you're growing more knackered by the day, or your energy levels are dwindling, NAD might just be the thing to bookmark.
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