Eating a healthy diet can do a lot more than make you feel better, when it’s rich in NAD+ it might just help you live longer too.
We all have to eat to live, but what if the simple act of eating the right foods help us to live longer? Generally, we know what foods are good for us, which are nutritious, and which ones are not, but where longevity is concerned, good nutrition is only half the battle.
The reason? As we age, we start to produce less of a key coenzyme central to metabolism, and we use more of our stores as our bodies experience more and more damage and stress. Science has also identified low levels of this metabolic-driver as at least one of the central phenomena causing age-related health issues.
This essential coenzyme is NAD+, or Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide. A vital regulator of protein interactions and DNA repair identified more than a century ago has had Harvard Scientists very busy in recent years. Longevity researchers have shown that low levels of NAD+, which dramatically decline with age, are also linked to diseases such as, Type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s, increased risk of heart disease and accelerated aging.
Although NAD+ exists is all living cells, not just human, but plants and all living things, one would assume a veg-based diet the best source of NAD+ over other foods. That is true to a point.
The following five foods are NAD+ powerhouses, and are top of the crop for NAD+ content per serve, and the best way to keep your NAD+ stores in tip-top shape! One or two might even surprise you.
NAD+ levels decline with age but a balanced lifestyle and eating more of NAD+-rich foods will boost NAD+ naturally in the body.
Avocados
An already super, super food, the humble Avocado earns its place as a nutritional powerhouse, and tops our list as a chief source of NAD+. What makes it special? Avocados have a killer combination of B vitamins, specifically B3 (niacin) which is a key nutrient for production of NAD+ in our cells, and one of the best good fat foods around, clocking up a whopping 77% of the calories from fat (Oleic acid), making it one of the best, fattiest plant foods on the planet!
You guessed it; a diet of predominately healthy fats increases production of the NAD+ coenzyme. The added health benefits of a diet containing good amounts of oleic acid has been associated with reduced inflammation and studies have shown beneficial effects on genes linked to cancer.
Milk
Milk? Yes, milk. In recent years milk and dairy products have been linked to all sorts of ailments, with lactose intolerance firmly at the center of most people’s intolerance issues. Despite its varied reputation, milk is an undisputed champion as a superior source of NAD+.
Milk’s secret weapon? Cow’s milk contains a very high value of Nicotinamide Riboside (NR), a precursor of NAD+. According to a study performed by the University of Iowa, there is 3.9 μmol of NAD+ per liter of ordinary cow’s milk, in fact, interestingly, organic milk scored lower in NR concentrations. It turns out the advertisements in the eighties were correct! Milk really is good food.
Fish
Oily fish like tuna, salmon, sardines and mackerel have high amounts of NAD+ in them and are optimal over white fish.
Nutritional reviews of tuna found on average it contains 20.5mg (milligrams) of NAD+ and salmon comes in a close second with 10.1mg for the same 200gram portion. Oily fish is full of good fats, creating a healthy environment for the body’s own NAD+ production.
Dark Green Vegetables
As NAD+ is a life-compound, the most obvious food choice to increase NAD+ in the diet should be eating more green vegetables. Besides the overall excellent nutritional values of veg, and high values of B vitamins, many are known to contain NAD+ worthy amounts of the chemical enzyme, with asparagus notching up a very healthy 3.2mg of NAD+ for a typical 150–200 gram serving.
Yeast
Like milk, another vast source of NR is yeast, actually out-preforming milk for NAD+ content per equal part.
A single tablespoon of dried yeast has three grams of protein, high levels of iron, and is a great source of B vitamins. Consumption of yeast products, like milk, can come with a cost, as more and more people suffer from autoimmune disease, yeast has been found to be a trigger for gut sensitivities.
Over-all, a healthy life is about balance; equal amounts of exercise, sunlight, meditation and living as stress-free as possible. But when imbalance intrudes, supplementing with Nicotinamide Mononucleotide (NMN) is an exceptional alternative, or an added boost to naturally occurring NAD+ consumption. NMN, the precursor enzyme to NAD+, is found in premium brands like Reinvigorator by Herbalmax.
