Sir Arthur Harden found a component with a low molecular weight present in boiling yeast extract that may drive fermentation and alcohol synthesis in vitro. This chemical was later named Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide, or NAD+ for short. It was discovered more than a century ago.
Studies conducted in the following years suggested that the structure of NAD+ was composed of 2 mononucleotides that were covalently joined. These mononucleotides were Nicotinamide Mononucleotide, also known as NMN and Adenine Dinucleotide. Furthermore, these studies purported that the primary role of NAD+ and NADH may have been that of enzyme cofactors that mediated hydrogen transfer in either oxid.
NAD+ is one of the most prevalent and vital molecules in all creatures, from simple single-celled organisms like bacteria to complex multicellular species like humans. If organisms did not have NAD+, the aging process would develop much faster, and life would be significantly shortened. Research suggests the operation of the cell’s power plants, the mitochondria, may be dependent on this molecule in a significant way. Findings imply that not only does NAD+ assist in transforming food into usable energy, but it may also play an essential part in guarding the integrity of the DNA and ensuring that cells work as they should. This process helps protect the organism from the degenerative effects of age and illness.
How Does NAD+ Work?
Investigations purport that NAD+ may function as a shuttle bus within a cell, moving electrons from one molecule to another to carry out various chemical reactions and other operations. This essential molecule and its chemical counterpart, NADH, participate in various metabolic activities responsible for the cell’s energy production.
Without enough NAD+, the cells in the body would be unable to produce any energy at all, making it impossible for them to live and carry out their duties. NAD+ has also been hypothesized to regulate the circadian rhythm, the biological clock that determines when organisms sleep and when they are awake.
NAD+ Peptide and Aging
The levels of NAD+ in the body tend to drop over time, which may have significant repercussions for metabolic function and age-related disorders. The accumulation and progression of damage to DNA is a natural consequence of aging.
The disruption to the genetic code triggers the activation of several proteins, which are enzymes known as PARPs. Studies suggest that PARPs may repair DNA because NAD+ may aid them.
It seems that the depletion of NAD+ caused by the activation of PARP throughout the aging process contributes to the development of different illnesses. According to several experts, PARPs are thought to contribute the most to these different processes that need NAD+.
NAD+ also seems to be used by enzymes that are part of our immune system. The more active the immune system is, the greater the amount of NAD+ used by the enzyme.
Sirtuins are a different group of enzymes that are capable of using NAD+. Research suggests these proteins may use NAD+ to control metabolism, stabilize chromosomes, and repair damaged DNA. Healthy aging and lifespan are both speculated to be tied to the presence of these proteins. The accumulation of DNA damage and chromosomal instability that comes with aging causes sirtuins to consume an increasing amount of NAD+.
NAD+ Peptide Research
The findings from several studies implied that NAD+ may be capable of the following theorized properties:
- It may reduce the consequences of aging
- It may improve muscle function
- It may improve metabolic diseases
- It may ensure optimum performance of the heart
- It may have neuroprotective capabilities
Decreased levels of NAD+ are connected with the hallmarks of aging and various age-related illnesses, including metabolic disorders, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases. The hallmarks of aging are the physical changes that occur over time. NAD+ seems to ward off age-related disorders effectively and slows the aging process.
It is imperative to note that increasing the levels of NAD+ has been speculated to increase the longevity of various experimental animal models, including worms, flies, and rats. Implications of NAD metabolism are changed in metabolic diseases.
NAD+ Peptide and the Heart
Because of their suppleness, the arteries are a buffer between the pressure waves the beating heart produces. However, over time, the arteries get stiffer, which is one reason that contributes to high blood pressure. High blood pressure is one of the most prominent risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
An enlarged heart and clogged arteries are two potential side effects of hypertension, which may also contribute to strokes. Increasing levels of NAD+ have been theorized to protect the heart, which may improve its functioning.
NAD+ boosters have been indicated to restore NAD+ levels in the heart to their baseline levels in mice, preventing damage to the heart that a reduction in blood flow would have caused. In other research, NAD+ boosters have also been speculated to be practical in preventing aberrant cardiac enlargement in mice.
Click here if you are a researcher interested in purchasing NAD+ for your scientific studies.
