Why do we get low levels of NAD+?
It’s just a fact of life that our NAD+ levels naturally decrease as we get older. By the time we reach the age of 40 our levels have decreased by around 50%. And this jumps to 80% by age 60. But there are certain environmental and lifestyle factors that can cause our NAD+ levels to decline more quickly than normal.
These include but are not limited to:
- Obesity
- Poor diet
- Chronic illness
- Excessive alcohol consumption
- Chronic stress
- Overexposure to the sun
What can happen when we have low levels of NAD+?
While NAD+ might be something you’re unfamiliar with, having low levels can actually seriously affect your health. You may not know your levels of NAD+ are low but if they are, it could lead to the following health issues…
Physical and mental fatigue
Because NAD+ literally energises your body on a cellular level, having low levels of NAD+ can leave you feeling extremely fatigued both physically and mentally. If you’re feeling very lethargic throughout the day or having mental problems such as brain fog, memory loss or you’re having trouble concentrating, it could be due to low levels of NAD+.
More severe COVID outcomes
Ongoing research into COVID-19 has shown strong links between the severity of outcomes and low levels of NAD+ within the body. Various studies have proposed that increasing NAD+ levels improves immune function in COVID-19 infection and those with depleted levels seem to suffer more severe outcomes. Additionally, lower levels of NAD+ have been shown to inhibit vitamin D uptake - another line of defence in terms of COVID.
Premature ageing
Oxidative stress has been linked to low levels of NAD+ and can damage cells, proteins, and DNA. All of which can contribute to premature ageing. This is because one of NAD+'s primary roles is maintaining healthy cellular functioning. Without high enough levels of NAD+, our cells can fail to work properly and can even begin to degrade too early which leads to the physical signs of premature ageing such as joint inflammation, dull skin, memory issues, aches and pains and general fatigue. Additionally, low NAD+ reduces SIRT1 activity, and low SIRT1 activity is associated with ageing.
Chronic illnesses
Low levels of NAD+ can also increase your likelihood of developing a range of chronic illnesses and health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s. In fact, NAD+ is being tested as a possible treatment for cardiovascular disease.
Weight gain and metabolic syndrome
NAD+ turns on genes that improve metabolism, help with weight loss, and reduce LDL cholesterol. In a mouse study, supplementation with nicotinamide riboside (a precursor of NAD+) protected against diet-induced obesity. These animals were also able to better burn fat, burn more calories, and become more insulin sensitive.
NAD+ supplement benefits
Taking the above into consideration it’s therefore imperative that we take steps to increase our NAD+ levels and slow the natural decline we experience due to age. NAD+ supplements are one of the easiest and most effective ways of boosting NAD+ levels in the body and are ideal if you don’t have the time to dedicate to frequent NAD+ IV treatments. To experience NAD+ supplement benefits, visit our store and shop online for NAD+ supplements today.