LONGEVITYSPECIAL SECTION
There’s a new longevity ingredient on the block, promising to turn back time. We take a look at NAD+ and its precursors, plus how to get more of it both into your body – and on your face!
EVERYONE IS AFTER THE ELIXIR OF youth it seems. Some go to great s to extend their life and health a , for cosmetic procedures to look or try look – younger outside, while following certain eating plans, or “eating clean as it were, to cut down on toxicity within. Eating well, reducing stress, moving tting enough sleep (so crucial!) i meaningful relationships are all helpful epath to longevity – just watch rt How to Live to 100, presented by , which aired on Channel 4 and All 4 this year for examples of ties getting it right. But there are other , more specific and direct ways we can c elife and health of our bodies at the very cellular level.
The supplement market has grown exponentially over the past decade; in a 2022 ,survey of 2,000 people, company My Vitamins reported at the average Brit was spending a month on supplements and superfoods (myvitamins.com). And it’s no wonder, what with all the new and improved formulas and exciting ingredients never heard of back in the 1990s when this magazine launched – when popping a Haliborange (which advertised in that launch issue!) was about the pinnacle of what “healthy” people did in terms of supplementation. Just look how far we’ve come since then.
Surely we now know how to stay young and beautiful? Isn’t the supplement market saturated? Seems not, as 2023 is all about longevity boosters, specifically NAD+, which is a coenzyme that plays an important role in energy metabolism and DNA repair. This naturally occurring co-enzyme is found in all living things, and in humans it’s present in all cells responsible for metabolic processes. ‘Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, or NAD+ for short, is the fuel that every cell in your body needs to keep functioning,’ says Edward van Harmelen, founder of supplement brand Youth & Earth (youthandearth.com).
High levels of NAD+ correlate with high levels of cellular energy, which keeps you alert and energetic. It also helps improve energy metabolism, DNA repair and activates sirtuin genes – these defend your body against premature ageing by repairing DNA – to encourage good overall health.
And as with many biological processes, production of NAD+ begins to plummet after age 40. ‘By age 50, you may have only half the levels of NAD+ you had in your 20s, so by increasing your intake through supplements, you can help rejuvenate your cells to act younger and give you a natural boost in energy,’ says Max Way, founder of supplement brand Longevity Box (longevitybox.co.uk).
Nutritionist Gabriela Peacock
