Boosting NAD+ levels to slow down the aging processes might be the biggest “biohack” project emerging on the horizon. Most importantly, in the context of anti-aging, NAD+ (Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) activates sirtuins.
What are sirtuins?
They are signaling proteins that take care of essential functions in our body including DNA repair and other housekeeping functions, for instance, maintaining our hair and fertility. Sirtuins are also involved in protecting us from age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and heart failure. For Sirtuins to work properly, sustaining adequate levels of NAD+ is essential.
How are NAD+ levels and Sirtuin activities associated?
Unfortunately, NAD+ levels decline as we age (Figure 5):
The red curve represents NAD+ level in males from age 0 to 77; Pearson’s correlation coefficient = -0.769. The blue curve represents NAD+ levels in males post puberty; Pearson’s correlation coefficient = -0.706. This Figure borrowed from Massudi e tal, “NAD+ Depletion in Aged Human Tissue”, PLos One July 2012 Vol 7 Issue 7 pg.6.
For Sirtuins to work properly, sustaining adequate levels of NAD+ is essential. However, with this decline in NAD+, sirtuin activities cannot be sustained and age-related diseases escalate.
Can we delay aging by boosting NAD+ levels?
The bold hypothesis that we could delay aging processes by boosting NAD+ was proposed by renowned scientists such as David Sinclair at Harvard Medical school. Successful animal studies of that hypothesis have been published in well-established journals Nature, Science, and Cell. Boosting NAD+ levels could be the spring that leads us to the fountain of youth.