Increasing NAD+ levels may improve vascular dementia | David Sinclair
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Nicotinamide riboside and nicotinamide mononucleotide, molecules commonly referred to as NAD+ "boosters," exert beneficial effects on the brain, especially in the setting of vascular dementia. These boosters enhance cerebral blood flow, mimicking exercise and promoting regrowth of the aging cerebral vascular system. In this clip, Dr. David Sinclair and Dr. Rhonda Patrick discuss the brain health benefits associated with NAD+ boosters.
David: So, at least in mice, a couple of labs have published now in top journals like "Cell" that raising the NAD levels in the brain also improves memory and slows down the advancement of Alzheimer's. In mice, admittedly, I know we've cured Alzheimer's in mice [inaudible 00:51:23]...
Rhonda: Well, both nicotinamide riboside and nicotinamide mononucleotide have been shown to do that in animal studies, right?
David: Yeah. You've been... Yeah, I'm amazed how much you know. So that's true. I would love to do a human study. Actually, one of the benefits that we might see is also improved blood flow and that might be helpful for vascular dementia because, as I'm sure you know, we've shown that NMN and others have shown for NR that it also helps with blood flow and actually mimic exercise and regrow the vascular system. And we've done that for muscle. We've got some early results that it also helped restore blood flow in the brain, which is badly needed for a lot of elderly people.
Rhonda: Right. Yeah, I know that's a big... I mean, that's a big thing for cognitive function. So NMN was able to do that.
David: In mice, yeah.
A neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive memory loss, spatial disorientation, cognitive dysfunction, and behavioral changes. The pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease include amyloid-beta plaques, tau tangles, and reduced brain glucose uptake. Most cases of Alzheimer's disease do not run in families and are described as "sporadic." The primary risk factor for sporadic Alzheimer's disease is aging, with prevalence roughly doubling every five years after age 65. Roughly one-third of people aged 85 and older have Alzheimer's. The major genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's is a variant in the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene called APOE4.
A general term referring to cognitive decline that interferes with normal daily living. Dementia commonly occurs in older age and is characterized by progressive loss of memory, executive function, and reasoning. Approximately 70 percent of all dementia cases are due to Alzheimer’s disease.
Important for the endocrine enhancing properties of exercise. Exerkines are exercise-induced hormonal-like factors which mediate the systemic benefits of exercise through autocrine, paracrine, and/or endocrine properties.[1]
- ^ Helge, Jørn Wulff; Moritz, Thomas; Morville, Thomas; Clemmensen, Christoffer; Dela, Flemming (2020). Plasma Metabolome Profiling Of Resistance Exercise And Endurance Exercise In Humans Cell Reports 33, 13.
A chemical that causes Parkinson's disease-like symptoms. MPTP undergoes enzymatic modification in the brain to form MPP+, a neurotoxic compound that interrupts the electron transport system of dopaminergic neurons. MPTP is chemically related to rotenone and paraquat, pesticides that can produce parkinsonian features in animals.
A precursor molecule for the biosynthesis of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), a coenzyme that participates in the production of cellular energy and repair. NMN helps maintain cellular levels of NAD+, thereby facilitating NAD+-dependent cellular activities, such as mitochondrial metabolism, regulation of sirtuins, and PARP activity. Animal studies have demonstrated that NMN administration is effective in increasing NAD+ levels across multiple tissues while improving the outcome of a variety of age-related diseases. Although NMN administration has proven to be safe and to effectively increase NAD+ levels in rodents, the safety and efficacy of NMN supplementation in humans remain unknown. NMN is available in supplement form and is present in various types of food, including broccoli, avocado, and beef. It is also an intermediate compound in the NAD+ salvage pathway, the recycling of nicotinamide into NAD+.
A precursor molecule for the biosynthesis of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), a coenzyme that participates in the production of cellular energy and repair. NMN helps maintain cellular levels of NAD+, thereby facilitating NAD+-dependent cellular activities, such as mitochondrial metabolism, regulation of sirtuins, and PARP activity. Animal studies have demonstrated that NMN administration is effective in increasing NAD+ levels across multiple tissues while improving the outcome of a variety of age-related diseases. Although NMN administration has proven to be safe and to effectively increase NAD+ levels in rodents, the safety and efficacy of NMN supplementation in humans remain unknown. NMN is available in supplement form and is present in various types of food, including broccoli, avocado, and beef. It is also an intermediate compound in the NAD+ salvage pathway, the recycling of nicotinamide into NAD+.
One of four nitrogen-containing molecules that comprise DNA. A nucleotide consists of one of four chemicals, called a “base,” plus one molecule of sugar and one molecule of phosphoric acid. Nucleotides are typically identified by the first letter of their base names: adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), and thymine (T). They form specific pairs (A with T, and G with C), and their bonds provide the helical structure of the DNA strand.
The highest level of intake of a given nutrient likely to pose no adverse health effects for nearly all healthy people. As intake increases above the upper intake level, the risk of adverse effects increases.
A progressive worsening of memory and other cognitive functions that is thought to be due to chronic reduced blood flow to the brain which is commonly due to the accumulation of cholesterol and other substances in the blood vessel walls that obstruct the flow of blood to the brain.
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