Explaining NAD to a Non-Scientist

You’ve likely heard the acronym, N. A. D., but you don’t really know what it means. Well, you’re not alone. Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide, what? To add to our challenge, NAD scientists often struggle to explain it themselves. But, this week, on the Genius Life podcast, NAD+ scientist Dr. Charles Brenner (FAQs) made it a little more accessible:

At the 36:30 mark of the podcast embedded below:

HOST:

“What is NAD for somebody listening who’s never heard the term, and isn’t a scientist?

How would you simply explain it most simply?

DR. CHARLES BRENNER:

“The fundamental way to think about it is electricity.

So, our bodies are electrical devices.

So, unlike the electric car that I drove here with, that has a huge battery, that has to be plugged into something, OR a toaster downstairs that is plugged into a a wall outlet, the energy that we get ultimately comes from the sun.

The sun is shining on the earth.

The earth is growing green plants.

And, then we’re coming along and we’re either eating the plants or we’re eating the animals that eat the plants.

And that food has energy in it.

And our cells harvest what are called “high energy electrons” from the food.

It’s harvested onto NAD.

And, so, NAD is harvesting “high energy electrons” and transferring “high energy electrons” to make ATP that powers everything in our body.

HOST:

And, so we have NAD.

It powers everything in our body.

But as we get older….

DR. BRENNER:

“As we get older, and as we experience these conditions of metabolic stress (alcohol/overnutrition/infection…), the NAD system comes under attack, and benefits from oral supplementation (i.e. Nicotinamide Riboside “NR”)”

RELATED:

• The 1-Minute Case (Video, No Science!) for taking NAD+ booster Nicotinamide Riboside “NR” (Link)
• NR (FAQs) (Life Changing Anecdotes)
• How much NR should you take? (Link)

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