During last week’s appearance on the “World of DaaS” podcast (transcript and video below), Harvard’s Dr. David Sinclair made a compelling case for all NAD+ boosters. We know he’s a proponent of taking NAD+ booster NMN (FAQs, Anecdotes). But in this latest podcast, Sinclair appears to acknowledge more broadly that “NAD boosters, as they’re called, seem to be really beneficial”. So, if you recognize that Sinclair’s previous arguments in favor of NMN over NR are less than compelling (including an incorrect statement about NR stability), and you’re wondering what to do following the FDA’s recent NMN ban, Sinclair appears to be telling you that other NAD boosters are also worthwhile:

Dr. David Sinclair (at the 21:45 mark of the podcast below):

“NAD is required for life.

It’s involved in chemical reactions.

But it’s also used as a sensor for the body for adversity.

When we have no adversity, we’re eating a lot and sitting around, NAD levels go down.

That’s true as we get older as well.

So, a 50 year old has half the levels of a 20 year old for NAD. 

And what we like to do is to boost the levels of NAD back up to youthful levels, and mimic exercise, mimic dieting, or even enhance those modalities.

Now, we’ve even got human clinical trial data.

I was mentioning one of my companies has done clinical trials already for the last few years.

And by raising NAD levels, we can actually improve human health.

And we hope that this will be a drug one day to treat diseases ranging from kidney failure to even covid-19 survival.

So, what about NMN?

Well, NMN is a precursor that the body uses to make NAD.

And by ingesting NMN, we’ve shown in humans that you can raise your NAD levels by about two to three-fold.

And that’s beneficial in humans based on clinical studies.

…NAD boosters, as they’re called seem to be really beneficial.

I take NMN and I’ve been doing so for probably about eight to ten years.

And so far so good.

I’ve only seen benefits.

HOST:

“So, basically you’re saying the goal is to increase your NAD.

One way to do that is through exercise.

You can do that by fasting, sauna.

But there’s this other way to do it is to take this NMN.

Essentially it’s a supplement, and that can also boost your NAD.

DR. Sinclair:

“Yes, that’s what the science is saying.

And others have shown it to improve six minute walks.

So, it’s being used for performance, endurance, and overall health.

It’s not proving that it extends lifespan — in fact, we’ve only just recently found it extends mouse’s lifespan. I haven’t published that yet.

So, it’s early days.

We still have a lot to go on or to do at least.

HOST:

“Are there side effects for taking it, or does doing one thing make it harder to do something else?

DR. Sinclair:

“It doesn’t seem to be.

I mean in mice, there’s a couple of studies…

In some rare cases of genetically inbred mice that don’t have an immune system that there’s hints that cancer might spread slightly more frequently in a very small study.

But these are mice that are inbred and have no immune system.

So it’s still full steam ahead with human clinical trials.

There’s been no adverse events in any of the patients that have been tested, or the subjects I should call them.

And, so, I’m not yet ready to say that there’s any known or at least tangible, provable risks that…

I want to be the first person to know if there’s a risk because my father takes it.

My friends and family take it.

I take it.  

So, I’m not selling it.

I just want to know the science.

But I do know that my father is too old to wait till there’s 100% proof that this extends lifespan.

You and I are getting to that point where we can’t wait.

And so that’s really what I’m doing is I’m educating the public about the risks and rewards.

There are a couple of mouse studies that I want to point out.

But, all weighed up, I think that the risk right now for me and my family is it’s worth taking that risk until further notice”

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