Healthy Aging NAD
 
    When the news with a title like “Stunning anti-aging breakthrough could see humans live to 150 and regenerate organs by 2020 'for the price of a coffee a day’” reached friends and family, I got the inquiry about what is the scientific base behind that.
 
    The news involves the molecule nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), which is derived from vitamin B3. NAD helps your body metabolize foods, create energy, and produce and repair cells. NAD levels decline with age, and maintaining higher levels of it could help slow the aging process. 
 
    The beneficial effect of NAD on healthy aging has been gaining attention. In particular, two key NAD+ intermediates, nicotinamide riboside (NR) and nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), have been extensively studied over the past several years. They are proposed to boost similar pathways as what caloric restriction may have.
 
    In 2016, scientists from Washington University (1) reported that nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) supplementation enhanced NAD+ biosynthesis and improved health conditions in mice. They tested two doses of NMN over 12 months. The NMN supplementation suppressed age-associated body weight gain (~4% to 9% less weight in the low and high NMN treated groups vs that of the control group), enhanced energy metabolism, promoted physical activity, improved insulin sensitivity, lipid profile, and eye function. NMN-administered mice switched their main energy source from glucose to fatty acids that they would be less likely to accumulate fat.
 
    Another study by Zhang et al. (2) found that feeding the NAD+ precursor nicotinamide riboside (NR) to aging mice protected them from muscle degeneration. NR treatment enhanced muscle function and also protected mice from the loss of muscle and neural stem cells, which are the cells that can regenerate new cells. Both young and old mice benefited from NR supplementation showing better functions such as longer running times and distances, compared to those mice in the control groups.
 
    When NR was given to mice starting at 24 months of age (a very advanced aged for mice), it resulted in a modest (~5%) yet significant increase in longevity. If the supplementation started at a younger age, then its effect on lifespan could be much greater.
 
    The overall findings from these studies suggested that restoration of NAD+ levels in old animals or boost levels in young animals by supplementation can promote function, health and extend lifespan.
 
   Nutritious foods, especially those rich in B-group vitamins, can help your body create, store, and use more NAD. B vitamins are known for their cofactor roles in energy metabolism. When a person is aging, the metabolism slows down and the person will feel to have less energy. An increase in B vitamins can boost energy production, thus make a person feel more energized, a younger feeling.
  
    My point of view on this recent news is that these B3 derivatives may help to extend the lifespan by 10-30%, so if someone lives to 80 years of age naturally then living 100 years of age is possible. Living 150 years sounds an exaggerated statement. In today’s society, many people may need help to improve their diets so that it may contain more NAD-boosting foods for more functional muscle and neural cells, more energy, and to live a longer healthier life. 
 
References:
1. Mills KF, Yoshida S, Stein LR, et al. Long-Term Administration of Nicotinamide Mononucleotide Mitigates Age-Associated Physiological Decline in Mice.
Cell Metab. 2016; 24(6):795-806.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5668137/
2. Zhang H, Ryu D, Wu Y, et al. NAD+ repletion improves mitochondrial and stem cell function and enhances life span in mice. Science 2016; 352:1436-1443.
http://science.sciencemag.org/content/352/6292/1436.long