Nicotinamide riboside chloride
Nicotinamide riboside chloride(NRC)
CAS #:23111-00-4
Specification:99%
What is nicotinamide riboside chloride?
Nicotinamide riboside chloride (NRC) is a newly discovered form of vitamin B3, which is found in trace amounts in milk. No one really thought much about it until scientists discovered that our bodies convert NR into something called nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+). And NAD+—at least for aging researchers—is kind of a big deal.
NAD+ is a coenzyme found in all living cells, and it plays a vital role in energy metabolism and maintaining proper cell functioning. Levels of NAD+ also happen to decline significantly as we get older, and these declining levels seem to drive the aging process.
Potential health benefits of nicotinamide riboside chloride.
Many of the studies on NRC and NAD+ have been performed on animals, which means we can't draw conclusions for humans just yet. But here are some of the most exciting preliminary findings:
1. Nicotinamide riboside chloride (NRC) may improve mitochondrial function.
As mentioned above, levels of NAD+ decline significantly as we get older. These declining levels seem to drive the aging process, particularly the deterioration of our mitochondria—the power plants in our cells that turn our food and oxygen into energy. (This is why people whose mitochondria are not functioning optimally tend to feel exhausted.) Underperforming or damaged mitochondria are also thought to play a role in many of the age-related diseases humans experience such as heart disease, diabetes, and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.
The good news: If you increase levels of NAD+ in the body by supplementing with a precursor like NRC, you may be able to minimize mitochondrial deterioration—and thus help prevent diseases of aging. That's because NAD+ seems to exert some of its health-promoting properties by helping sirtuins do their job. Sirtuins are a class of proteins that regulate biological pathways, turn certain genes on and off, and help protect cells from age-related decline. For example, NAD+ increases the activity of SIRT1, which has been found to induce the formation of new mitochondria and extend life span.
2. Nicotinamide riboside chloride (NRC) may boost memory and combat Alzheimer's.
Alzheimer's is one of those diseases that can make getting older downright terrifying—and promising research on finding a cure, or a way to slow its progression, has been lacking. That's why this 2018 study is so exciting: Researchers developed a strain of mice with features mimicking human Alzheimer's disease, and then they added an NRC supplement to the drinking water of half the mice for three months. Over this period, researchers found that the NR-treated mice had less DNA damage, higher neuroplasticity, increased production of new neurons, and lower levels of neuronal damage. In the hippocampus area of the brain (where damage and loss of volume is found in people with dementia), NRC seemed to clear existing DNA damage or prevent it from spreading further. The NR-treated mice also performed better on memory tests.
3. Nicotinamide riboside chloride (NRC) may lengthen your life.
Several studies have found that replenishing levels of NAD+ with supplements containing NR lengthen the life span of mice by improving mitochondrial function and increasing activation of SIRT1, a specific sirtuin protein. This is the same mechanism by which restricting calories seems to lengthen life span. (Additional compounds that may mimic the life-extending effects of calorie restriction include pterostilbene and resveratrol.) Other studies suggest that NAD+ increases the activation of SIRT6, which helps maintain the length of telomeres—the end caps on DNA that are associated with longevity.
4. Nicotinamide riboside chloride (NRC) may improve muscle quality and strength.
As we age, muscle function and strength tend to decline. But supplementing with NR—at least in mice—seems to help. In one study, researchers used mice whose genes were altered so their muscle tissue contained only 15 percent of the normal amount of NAD+. They then measured muscle strength and endurance, which was pretty low. But after giving the mice NR-enriched water for just a week, their exercise capacity was restored to that of a normal, healthy mouse. This could hold promise for aging adults who experience muscle weakness or atrophy.
In another study, supplementation with NAD+ precursors led to DNA repair and an improvement in the health of muscle tissue within the first week—to the point where researchers couldn't tell the difference between the tissue of a mouse that was two years old versus a mouse that was four months old.
5. Nicotinamide riboside chloride (NRC) may counter the effects of a high-fat diet.
Animal research suggests that NRC supplementation may help boost metabolism and prevent weight gain, even if your diet is high in fat. One study found that mice on high-fat diets that received NRC gained 60 percent less weight than they did on the same diets without NRC. These positive results, researchers say, were due to increased activation of the sirtuins SIRT1 and SIRT3, which led to improved oxidative metabolism. None of the mice receiving NR showed signs of diabetes either, and their energy levels improved.
Potential Risks and Side Effects
Nicotinamide riboside chloride (NRC) is likely safe with few if any side effects.
In human studies, taking 1,000–2,000 mg per day had no harmful effects (28Trusted Source, 29Trusted Source).
However, most human studies are short in duration and have very few participants. For a more accurate idea of its safety, more robust human studies are needed.
Some people have reported mild to moderate side effects, such as nausea, fatigue, headaches, diarrhea, stomach discomfort and indigestion (30Trusted Source).
In animals, taking 300 mg per kg of body weight (136 mg per pound) daily for 90 days had no harmful effects (31Trusted Source).
What’s more, unlike vitamin B3 (niacin) supplements, nicotinamide riboside should not cause facial flushing (31Trusted Source).
SUMMARY
Nicotinamide riboside chloride (NRC) appears to be safe with few side effects. However, its long-term effects in humans are still relatively unknown. Nicotinamide riboside chloride (NRC) is an alternative form of vitamin B3 with few side effects. It is commonly marketed as an anti-aging product.
Your body converts it into NAD+, which fuels all of your cells. While NAD+ levels fall naturally with age, boosting NAD+ levels may reverse several signs of aging.
However, most research on Nicotinamide riboside chloride (NRC) and NAD+ is in animals. More high-quality human studies are needed before recommending it as a treatment.
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