Originally published on phlabs.org
At just 25-years-old, it’s as if Justin Bieber has lived multiple lives. Rising to fame so fast as a young child and growing up in the public eye couldn’t have been easy, which some might say is why he battled addiction issues.
Bieber says he is now sober from marijuana, “Lean (Purple Drank)”, pills and other substances, and now, reportedly, part of his health and recovery regimen includes weekly IV infusions of NAD+.
(If you are unfamiliar with infusion therapy, read here).
What is NAD+?
Well, according to David Sinclair, co-Director of the Paul F. Glenn Center for the Biology of Aging at Harvard Medical School, “NAD+ is the closest we’ve gotten to a fountain of youth.” (Referenced in this Time magazine article).
“It’s one of the most important molecules for life to exist, and without it, you’re dead in 30 seconds.”
Short for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, NAD+ is a coenzyme (a molecule) found in all living cells.
NAD+ is important for the following:
Energy metabolism
Proper cell functioning and functioning of the entire body
Proper functioning of mitochondria - which are, “The parts of cells that turn sugars, fats and proteins that we eat, into forms of chemical energy that the body can use to carry on living,” according to one source.
Controlling cellular aging and DNA repair (damaged DNA is believed to be the root cause of many diseases, including cancer).
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), NAD+ therapy has been administered in intravenous form since the late 1960s in order to “significantly lessen withdrawal from a variety of drugs and alcohol.”
This may have to do with NAD+’s potential to repair DNA and improve brain function. As you likely already know, abusing drugs and alcohol may cause serious cognitive issues and damage.
But keep in mind the caveat by the FDA. “Limitation is that recovery tends not to be complete with IV NAD alone.”
“With addition of specified amino acids complex, recovery is found to be significantly more profound, complete and lasting.”
So in other words, you may need a “cocktail” of NAD+ and other nutrients.
(The pH Drip Lab specializes in all kinds of nutrient cocktails).
But what about this "fountain of youth that Sinclair mentioned?
Well, NAD+ is important for controlling cellular aging and repairing DNA, but let’s dive into this a bit further.
NAD+ is needed for telomere maintenance.
“Telomeres are the protective caps on the ends of the strands of DNA called chromosomes, which house our genomes. In young humans, telomeres are about 8,000-10,000 nucleotides long,” reports Stanford Medicine.
As we age, our telomeres shorten. Shorter telomeres have been linked to cardiovascular disease, dementia and even cancer.
Our levels of NAD+ also naturally declines with age, so increasing our levels of NAD+ through IV therapy may help keep our telomeres in better shape.
I think the National Institute of Health (NIH) reports the overall potential benefits perfectly:
“NAD+ levels steadily decline with age, resulting in altered metabolism and increased disease susceptibility. Restoration of NAD+ levels in old or diseased animals can promote health and extend lifespan, prompting a search for safe and efficacious NAD-boosting molecules. Such molecules hold the promise of increasing the body’s resilience, not just to one disease, but to many, thereby extending healthy human lifespan.”
Furthermore, “Mounting evidence has indicated that NAD+ levels decline with age in multiple types of tissues, which include the liver, skeletal muscle, adipose tissue, heart, brain, kidney, pancreas, lungs, spleen, skin, as well as extracellular fluids,” (ScienceDirect).
Studies have provided evidence suggesting that maintaining healthy levels of NAD+ may help with memory, maintaining a healthy weight and having a longer life span. Additional benefits may include reduced symptoms of depression, less stress and chronic fatigue and better skin.
How to get more NAD+ in your life?
NAD+ is not something that we can get from eating healthy foods (such as fruits and vegetables). There are NAD+ supplements in pill form, however, some might say NAD+ IV therapy is more effective because the NAD+ (and other nutrients) are delivered directly into your bloodstream.
I personally recommend IV therapy. I take advantage of IV vitamin drips at the pH Drip Lab on a monthly basis to boost my immune system and address my inevitable nutrient absorption issues with vitamin C. At the pH Drip Lab, we offer all sorts of vitamin “cocktails.” My go-to is the “Pick Me Up Buttercup,” which is an injection of 1,000 mg of vitamin C. I believe this has successfully boosted my immunity, energy and good health.
Whatever your decision, be sure to first consult your doctor or a competent healthcare professional, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or have any existing health issues.
Enjoy your healthy life!
