NAD+: New Treatment for Epilepsy? (+7 Ways to Naturally Boost NAD)
Numerous research studies have shown that NAD+ has neuroprotective effects, suggesting its potential use for treating the onset of seizures.
NAD, or nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, is a naturally occurring coenzyme (helps the body do its job) of niacin (vitamin B3) that is found in every cell in your body, and involved in hundreds of metabolic processes like cellular energy and mitochondrial health. NAD exists in two forms: an oxidized and reduced form, abbreviated as NAD+ and NADH, respectively.
For the purpose of this article, let’s focus on NAD+, the oxidized form, and a recent study that can become a break-through in the medical environment.
Does NAD+ Prevent the Epilepsy?
The mechanisms of seizures in epilepsy are poorly understood, and no effective therapy exists for suppressing epilepsy. A study published in 2017 by Liu & colleagues, examined the ability of a natural supplement called NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) to reduce the incidence of epilepsy. NAD+ is the natural chemical found in the brain that is involved in the synthesis of energy within parts of every living cell (in an organelle called mitochondria).
Numerous research studies have shown that NAD+ has neuroprotective effects, suggesting its potential use for treating the onset of seizures. The study induced seizures in mice and then injected the mice 3 times within 24 hours with NAD+. They found that NAD+ intervention significantly reduced the incidence of spontaneous recurrent seizure and abnormal electroencephalogram (EEG) activity.
It also reduced neuronal loss in the hippocampus, which is the region of the brain involved in memory. Furthermore, injections of NAD+ distinctly reversed the seizure-induced depletion of normal NAD+ and reduced brain cell death in the hippocampus.
The findings demonstrated that early-stage intervention with NAD+ prevents the formation of epilepsy and seizures by suppressing the death of brain cells. This research has potentially huge implications for the treatment of epilepsy in humans, particularly in the relation to potentially even stopping the onset of epilepsy following head injury.
Further research needs to be done into the applications of this naturally found brain chemical and its neuroprotective factors in clinical populations. Currently, NAD+ is used non-clinically in anti-aging clinics around the world and is seen as a miracle drug in this area, however, the benefits seem to potentially be a lot deeper than skin level.
7 Ways to Increase NAD Levels Naturally
Let’s review some of the most effective ways to boost NAD coenzyme in the body. Here they are:
- exercise;
- implement time-restricted eating or intermittent fasting;
- minimize your toxic load: water filters, air purifiers, limiting chemical exposure, etc.;
eat certain foods rich in vitamin B3 such as, but not limited to: avocado/nut butter, chicken, whole eggs (preferably pasture-raised), fish (ie. salmon), mushrooms (ie. crimini), green leafy vegetables, fermented foods; - adequate sleep;
- sublingual melts/oral (whole body, gastrointestinal health);
- topical creams (local, skin health/pain creams);
- subcutaneous injections (local);
- intravenous injections/drips (whole-body);
- nasal sprays and/or intranasal (brain nervous system health/optimization);
- supplement with Resveratrol, a plant compound that acts as an antioxidant, or the accelerator pedal for the rocket fuel (NAD+).
If you’d like to ask some more questions concerning the therapy or you are curious about your contraindications or precautions to receiving the therapy, please get in touch with us here.
