Topline wellness: NAD + therapy
Our fact-filled, fluff free page of wellness
Outline NAD+ stands for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, a molecule present in every cell of our body. It’s vital for converting food into energy, helps maintain a healthy sleep cycle and produces proteins linked with increased lifespan. Basically, it is key to fighting ageing and disease.
Could NAD+ be the secret to eternal youth?
Helpline Unfortunately, levels of it can fluctuate and the body produces less NAD+ as we age, which leads to a whole host of issues as cell function drops. Enter NAD+ therapy, which boosts memory recall, mental clarity and energy according to a Harvard study. The findings led one of its biologists to dub it ‘the closest we’ve gotten to a fountain of youth’.
Beeline A growing number of wellness gurus and celebrities believe that their levels of NAD+ are inadequate. Their answer? To infuse themselves with more of the ‘miracle molecule’ in a bid for fewer wrinkles and better mobility. Supermodels including Kendall Jenner and Hailey Bieber have even filmed themselves hosting ‘drip parties’ to get an extra IV hit of this important substance. Holland & Barrett predicts it will be one of the top wellness trends of next year for us normal people, too.
Timeline The idea of ingesting more NAD+ started in the 1960s. An American doctor found that giving it to drug and alcohol addicts helped reduce the symptoms of going cold turkey. A trial of the treatment in the early 2000s also found that infusions ‘significantly reduced’ side effects of acute withdrawal, improving the chance of recovery.
Waistline Studies have also shown that NAD+ therapy boosts your metabolism – in other words, it helps you lose weight quicker. The practitioner I saw at London’s Marylebone NAD Clinic (nadclinic.com) also told (a slightly hungover) me that it’s the perfect remedy for festive overindulgence, because it helps remove the toxins from your body faster.
Guideline As NAD+ is a naturally occurring substance in the body, the therapy is said to be completely safe. The drip allegedly has no lasting side effects, so you can get on with your day afterwards. Pregnant or breastfeeding? Step aside – it’s so new there’s limited safety data (which sounds slightly worrying).
Recline More like a salon than a medical setup, Marylebone’s NAD Clinic is all comfy leather chairs and there’s a screen so you can watch Netflix – which is needed, because the treatment can take up to four hours, depending on your tolerance for what the nurse calls ‘slight discomfort’.
Hardline It can be unpleasant. Hooked up to the drip for at least 45 minutes, side effects include stomach pain, dizziness and chest tightness. Yet I was assured by the nurse that these were nothing to worry about. Slowing down the rate of the infusion should reduce the side effects. Staff are also on hand with hot-water bottles for your back or tummy.
My line By the end of the infusion I was feeling pretty lightheaded, but it stopped soon afterwards, as promised. My practitioner told me most people have ‘pretty nasty’ side effects, but said it’s worth an hour of feeling jittery for all the promises of eternal youth. I’d say: be prepared for a rough ride.
Down the line I left the clinic with a definite spring in my step (my colleague said I looked ‘buzzed’). I also slept better and felt lighter in the following days. But I can’t say I felt like I’d drunk from the fountain of youth.
Bottom line My session cost £449, so the treatment is pricey even by the standards of seasoned wellness aficionados, especially if you plan to have monthly top-ups. For a cheaper option, you could instead try taking NAD+ supplements, which will set you back around £20 a pack.
Supply line You could ignore the hype and get off the sofa to boost your own NAD+ levels naturally – try more exercise, lots of vitamin B-rich foods, plus intermittent fasting and NAD+-producing trips to the sauna.
Source: Read Full Article
