Recently there’s been more buzz around NAD+ and some of the amazing ways it benefits the body. You’ve heard me preach about magnesium plenty of times and how it’s needed for at least 300 reactions in the body. But NAD? Over 400 enzymes in the body require NAD, more than any other vitamin co-enzyme.
I’ve recently had the opportunity to try out Qualia’s NAD+ supplement so I wanted to share my thoughts on it. And in the process, I’ve learned a whole lot more about NAD and why it’s so important for our body.
What is NAD?
In scientific terms, NAD is short for the coenzyme nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide. Most of our tissues can also convert it into another form, NADP. It helps us turn the carbs, fats, and protein we eat into ATP, which is what powers our cells.
Our bodies use NAD in so many processes across the body. NAD is also involved in so many different areas of our health.
To start with, NAD maintains our genome integrity and gene expression. It also helps our cells communicate with each other and maintain antioxidant function in our cells. It plays a critical role in our metabolic pathways and helps our cells and tissues stay healthy and function as they should. NAD also helps with DNA repair and immune cell function. One of the biggest roles it plays is in helping us maintain healthier cells and energy as we age.
The Benefits of NAD for a Healthier Body and Mind
Helps repair DNA damage from everyday wear and tear on the body. Animal studies show that this in turn helps increase lifespan. NAD also plays a big role in maintaining the length of our telomeres. These DNA end caps keep our chromosomes neat and tidy and are linked with a longer life.
NAD also helps protect our cells from the harmful effects of stress and helps them be more resilient. Researchers have linked NAD with improved energy, better muscle recovery, better memory, and concentration.
How to Get NAD
NAD isn’t something we get directly from food or supplements. Rather, when we consume vitamin B3 (niacin) our body converts it into NAD. Some foods are fortified with niacin, but they’re often highly processed breads and cereals. Our body can also convert the amino acid tryptophan into niacin. However, how well we can actually convert tryptophan to niacin varies quite a lot by person.
You can find niacin naturally in certain foods, specifically animal foods. Liver, chicken, and turkey contain some of the highest amounts. However, you would need to eat 25 servings of chicken breast or 17 servings of beef liver a day to equal the same amount of B3 in Qualia’s NAD+ supplement. And since niacin is water soluble, our body needs it daily and doesn’t store it.
If we take actual NAD, our body has a hard time using it because it’s such a large molecule. NAD isn’t very helpful when it’s in one end and out the other! Instead, when we take NAD precursors (aka niacin), our body can better make its own NAD that’s much more bioavailable.
Even with these NAD precursors our body needs other nutrients to really absorb and use the NAD.
The Trouble With Aging
As I’m quickly approaching middle age, I’m even more aware of healthy aging. Thankfully, there are a lot of lifestyle choices we do have control over that can help this process go smoother. Many times when we think of anti-aging products like anti-wrinkle creams and lotions come to mind. However, true healthy aging starts at the cellular level from the inside out.
As we age we not only make less NAD, but our body breaks down what we do make faster. Our body releases a compound called CD-38 to help keep NAD levels in check. The downside to this is that as we get older, NAD levels become much lower while our CD-38 gets much higher. So we begin to break NAD down more and levels can get too low.
Declining NAD is linked with a variety of diseases associated with aging. These include declining brain function, cancer, metabolic disease, and skeletal muscle loss. And since muscle is the organ of longevity, we want to maintain as much of it as possible!
The good news is that restoring NAD levels can help slow down and even reverse these aging side effects.
Getting Enough NAD
If you don’t feel like eating 17 servings of beef liver every day, the best way is to supplement! Simply taking niacin (the precursor to NAD) has its downsides though. Our body needs other co-factors for us to really absorb and use the niacin/NAD.
This is where Qualia’s NAD+ supplement really shines. They’ve formulated it to contain several different ingredients that all work together for better bioavailability. Here’s a closer look at some of the ingredients and why they’re included.
Trans-resveratrol – Resveratrol is naturally found in dark colored berries and grapes. This polyphenol antioxidant has been shown to decrease brain inflammation and may help sharpen memory. When it’s used alongside NAD, trans-resveratrol and other antioxidants help prevent NAD from breaking down too quickly in the body.
B Vitamins – Niacin (the precursor to NAD) is also known as vitamin B3. Qualia’s NAD+ supplement also contains a full spectrum of B vitamins. If we only take B3 it can cause an imbalance in the body over time. We also need B vitamins for energy, cellular repair, and brain function. And unlike synthetic versions, these are cultured in brewer’s yeast for optimal absorption.
Magnesium – While I regularly take a magnesium supplement, it can also help the body better utilize NAD. Magnesium supports the enzymes that make NAD and helps keep the mitochondria healthy so NAD can better do its job.
Aquamin – a trace mineral blend that’s made from red algae. Minerals play a role in helping enzymes in the body that use NAD for things like DNA repair to help it work more efficiently. These minerals also help mitochondria stay healthy and maintain optimal NAD ratios.
Organic coffeeberry – This is not the coffeeberry shrub that grows along the west coast. Also known as coffee cherries, it’s the fruit of the coffee bean plant. For a long time coffee cherries were discarded as waste, but more recently scientists are discovering their benefits.
More on Coffeeberry
Coffee fruit is high in antioxidants that fight cellular aging and disease and improve the immune system. It also plays a role in protecting healthy brain function and fighting against age related brain issues. Coffee fruit also has some caffeine which helps us better use NAD.
Caffeine turns on the AMPK enzyme, which helps our cells manage our energy levels. When energy drops, AMPK then boosts NAD production. It’s also linked with regulating our metabolism and helps cells with functions like autophagy.
What Does the Science Say on Qualia NAD+?
There have been lots of studies in recent years on NAD and how it benefits the body. Since Qualia’s supplement also contains a blend of cofactors, I was interested to see how it performed in studies. One placebo-controlled study looked at how Qualia’s NAD helped both men and women.
Across the board, Qualia NAD increased NAD levels by an average of 67%. However, women specifically saw even more benefits. The women saw an over 19% decrease in health challenges that tend to come with aging, nearly twice that of the placebo group. They had significant improvements in various markers, including the following:
- Less irritability
- Better mood
- Decreased nervousness
- Improved general well-being
- Better sleep
- Feeling less exhausted
My Experience With Qualia NAD+
I was recently able to experiment with taking Qualia’s NAD supplement. They recommend taking it in the morning, as NAD plays a critical role in supporting your circadian rhythms. I did notice some increased energy and more focus.
If you’re not used to taking supplements with niacin in them though, you may need to start slow. Some people can experience “flushing,” when the skin becomes redder from increased circulation. While my skin didn’t get red, I did feel a little warmer due to the circulation boost!
The other thing to be mindful of is that Qualia’s NAD does have some caffeine from the coffeeberry extract. It contains 28 mg of caffeine, which is equivalent to a cup of green tea. If you’re really sensitive to caffeine, you may want to avoid this supplement. I don’t like to have a lot of caffeine in one day, and while I don’t drink coffee every day, I did opt for more decaf coffee while I was trying the supplement. Overall, it’s still a very low amount and not anything I feel alarmed over. Plus, the coffeeberry plays a key role in helping the NAD work better.
Final Thoughts on Qualia’s NAD+
I really like that Qualia sticks to high-quality, bioavailable nutrient sources when it comes to their supplements. And as we start to age, NAD+ is a really great way to support our brains and bodies in the process.
If you’d like to learn more about Qualia NAD+ or try some for yourself, you can do that here. Their product is backed by a 100-day money-back guarantee. And be sure to use the promo code WMNAD for 15% off.
Have you ever tried an NAD+ supplement before? Did you notice any benefits? Let me know in the comments!
