NAD, NAD+ and NADH: How they help us live and breathe
330 words, 2 minutes read time
Updated on May 4, 2024. Fact checked by Robert Underwood, Head of Research.
- NAD (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide) is a vital coenzyme that regulates chemical reactions, powers cells, and supports brain and muscle function.
- Discovered in 1906, its biological role was understood by the 1930s.
- Produced through cellular respiration, NAD+ acts as an electron carrier, converting to NADH, which donates energy to cells.
- NAD levels decline with age, which may affect cell function and energy production.
- NAD can be replenished through foods rich in Vitamin B3 (Niacin or Nicotinamide).
NAD is a compound that functions as a “coenzyme” and is essential for enzymes’ functioning. The primary role enzymes play in our bodies is regulating chemical reactions, which allow us to live and breathe! By live and breathe, we mean everything in your body that is functional, including our brains, muscles, central nervous system and everything else.
NAD was discovered in 1906, but it wasn’t until the 1930s that its importance to biology became clear. Euler-Chelpin referred to this as “one of the most widespread and biologically important activators” within plants and animals during his Nobel Prize speech just two years before he died (1932).
The body can produce NAD on its own, but it requires the raw materials to do so. Foods high Vitamin B3- Niacin or Nicotinamide are required to create NAD. So when you eat these healthy nutrients, they help keep your levels high.
Your cells need NAD to power their daily functions, but as you age, this becomes a challenge. Your body produces a lot when you are young, but unfortunately, as we age, NAD production reduces over time. This reduction can lead your cells to struggle for energy which causes them to function poorly.
How is NAD produced?
Nutrients fuel our bodies through the breaking down of the food we eat through a process called cellular respiration. Cellular respiration refers to the breakdown of food items, including glucose, carbohydrates and proteins, into energy storing and internal transporting molecules called Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP).
Part of the process of cellular respiration is the removal of hydrogen from the digested food, known as oxidation. These hydrogen atoms contain high-energy electrons.
What is the significance of NAD?
NAD acts as the hydrogen atom (or electron) carrier molecules, carrying the high-energy atoms to the parts of the cells that creates energy – the mitochondria. NAD can be found in two forms, depending on whether it carries a hydrogen atom.
“NAD+ is the form when not carrying electrons. It collects hydrogen/electrons from nutrients and food molecules we consume, transforming NAD+ into NADH.”
NADH is like a cellular supercarrier, transporting electrons to the mitochondria, helping them produce energy! This process occurs in every living cell and keeps us healthy.
NADH donates its hydrogen atom, then transforms back to NAD+ and starts the cycle again.
Watch a video
Here are two very helpful (in depth!) videos to watch.
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