The Fountain of Youth?

• Back 9 Team
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• Health Issues

 

TBN Staff:   We came across this interesting article and though we would ask YOU if you have had any experiences with Niagen.  I’m sure we would all like to find a supplement that would restore our vigor but frequently rather than getting solid information we are sold some hype that we pray will be the home run but sadly is frequently just another sales gimmick stripping us of our hard earned income.   Please take a moment and share your thoughts.  If this is the real McCoy we would all like to hear from the Back 9 community.

ABOUT NIAGEN

Niagen is a nutritional supplement that’s claimed to provide a variety of anti-aging benefits, including improved brain and cardiovascular health, increased muscle endurance, in addition to a boosted metabolism. In order to accomplish this, Niagen is claimed to be clinically proven to increase levels of Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD) within your body, which helps improve communication within your cells and reduce their age by up to 66%.

We have to admit that, based on the wording on Niagen’s website, it really does sound like a breakthrough supplement—almost like someone’s finally discovered the “fountain of youth” and put it in a neat little capsule. After all, who wouldn’t want to reduce their age (and perhaps their appearance) by two-thirds? We’re sure you do too, which is precisely why you’re here.

But here’s the fact of the matter: Answering some of the most basic questions you have about Niagen requires some fairly in-depth explanations. So let’s begin from square one, shall we?

HOW IS NIAGEN CLAIMED TO WORK?

Each capsule of Niagen is claimed to include only one ingredient; a 250mg dose of nicotinamide riboside, which is a NAD precursor (don’t worry, we’ll talk more about this in a moment) that improves communication between the mitochondria and the nucleus inside your cells. As a result, Niagen is claimed to provide the following benefits:

•Prevents cellular damage caused by free radicals from occurring, instead of addressing the damage only after it’s occurred (like most mainstream antioxidants do).

•Supports healthy cholesterol levels.

•Supports cellular metabolism and enhances the amount of energy your body naturally burns, without requiring you to restrict your diet or increase your exercise habits.

•May help prevent age-related brain degeneration (e.g. Alzheimer’s) by preventing the degeneration of axons and neurons (nerve cells responsible for the transmission of information; think of them almost like “information highways”).

According to the company, each capsule of Niagen is claimed to be manufactured in Southern California without the use of stimulants, allergens, or toxins, and to be tested by the company for quality and purity, as well as by an independent third-party lab.

The manufacturer claims you should take one capsule of Niagen each morning upon waking, on an empty stomach, and with a glass of water. There are no known side effects from the use of Niagen (more about this later).

Alright! Now that you know more about how Niagen works, let’s break everything down into digestible bites so that you can be more informed about whether or not you should spend your money on it.

WHAT’S ALL THIS TALK ABOUT NICOTINAMIDE RIBOSIDE, NAD, & MITOCHONDRIA?

Ok, so…we’ll need to include a little more science at this point so that you can better understand the basics of how Niagen is claimed to work. With this in mind, here’s the whittled-down series of events that occur after you take a capsule:

•The nicotinamide riboside contained in Niagen is transformed by your body into Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD), which is why it’s known as a precursor (e.g. a substance from which another is formed).

•Within the human body, NAD’s primary function is to transfer electrons from one molecule to another, which is a basic part of energy production and is almost wholly achieved by the mitochondria within each of your cells. Think of mitochondria as little engines that power your body.

•NAD also acts as a precursor to the messenger molecule cyclic ADP-ribose, which can help improve the transmission of information, both inside and outside cells.

As we age though, the communication between the nucleus (the “brain” of a cell) and its mitochondria becomes interrupted, which can lead to common signs of aging, such as certain types of dementia (e.g. Alzheimer’s), wrinkles, the weakening of bones and muscles, and more.

But does supplementing NAD actually translate into real-world benefits? Let’s see what the available evidence says.

IS THERE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE SHOWING THAT NIAGEN WORKS?

In short, no.

So, if there’s no clinical research available for Niagen, what clinical research is available for NAD?

WHAT CLINICAL TRIALS HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED USING NAD?

According to the Niagen website, nicotinamide riboside (remember, this is the chemical that turns into NAD) was only recently discovered to have anti-aging properties in late 2013 by Harvard Medical School’s Dr. David Sinclair, during his clinical research performed on mice. After the study was complete, the researchers examined “muscle from two-year-old mice that had been given the NAD-producing compound for just one week, [and] looked for indicators of insulin resistance, inflammation and muscle wasting. In all three instances, tissue from the mice resembled that of six-month-old mice. In human years, this would be like a 60-year-old converting to a 20-year-old in these specific areas.”

However, keep in mind that just because these benefits were shown to have occurred at a cellular level in mice, this doesn’t necessarily translate into any real-world benefits—whether for mice or for humans. In fact, of those NAD studies conducted on humans (such as for Parkinson’s disease), the benefits are murky, and even completely non-existent in some instances.

On top of this, in the 2013 Harvard study noted above, mice were injected with 400mg of nicotinamide riboside, versus the 250mg found in each dose of Live Cell Research’s Niagen. In other words, these mice—which weigh much less than humans—were given a higher dose than what you’ll receive in this supplement.

IS NIAGEN THE ANSWER TO REVERSING AGING?

Chopping to the Point: When it comes down to it, the benefits of nicotinamide riboside supplementation could possibly have a huge impact on how we age. As WebMD notes though, at this point in time there is insufficient clinical evidence showing that NAD can reliably provide any of the anti-aging or health benefits advertised by manufacturers, or by resellers such as Live Cell Research.

With this said, many online customers seem to have experienced positive results from using Niagen, and Live Cell Research seems to stand behind their products with a 90-day no-hassle satisfaction guarantee. So after everything’s said and done, you might only lose S&H charges by giving it a shot (no pun intended)

Have a thought, comment or willing to share your experience?  Save us as a favorite in your browser (www.thebacknine.us) or send in your comments to our https://back9.us/contact-us/ link on the bottom of our home page.