More than You Wanted to Know About NAD+ in Metabolism and Aging

Manipulating levels of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) so as to improve mitochondrial function in older individuals is a popular topic these days, particularly now that numerous groups are selling supplements alleged to raise NAD+ levels usefully. These might be thought of as a form of exercise mimetic drug, in the cases where they actually perform. Even given an intriguing early human trial, this is most likely a road to only minor benefits in the matter of aging. At 90, even the best of former athletes looks like a 90-year old, with a significant degree of dysfunction, and a high chance of failing to live to see 91. The research community can and must achieve better results than this class of intervention, by focusing on repair of underlying damage rather than compensatory adjustment of faltering cellular machinery. In recent years, interest in nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) biology has significantly increased in many different fields of biomedical research. A number of new studies have revealed the importance of NAD+ biosynthesis for the pathophysiologies of aging and aging-related diseases. NAD+ is an essential component of cellular processes necessary to support various metabolic functions. The classic role of NAD+ is a co-enzyme that catalyzes cellular redox reactions, becoming reduced to NADH, in many fundamental metabolic processes. There are five major precursors and intermediates to synthesize NAD+: tryptophan, nicotinamide, nicoti...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs