Over the years, blood vessels tend to deteriorate and lose their elasticity, and the number of capillaries also tends to decrease. This causes a reduction in the supply of blood, and therefore of oxygen, to organs and tissues, with consequences for the whole body. Fortunately, this is a situation we can help prevent, first and foremost through a healthy lifestyle, and then with the help of supplements that counteract the age-related reduction in peripheral vascularization.
Studies on NAD
The consequences of a reduced blood supply can be extremely varied, from cognitive decline to reduced muscle function. Muscles are particularly affected by poor vascularization, which incidentally creates a vicious circle: physical exercise in itself has a beneficial effect on the health of blood vessels, but a limited blood flow to the muscles causes a decrease in muscle mass and, therefore, a reduced ability to exercise.
As explained in a video published on social media by David Sinclair, professor at the Harvard Medical School (United States) center for research on the biology of aging, a solution to this vicious circle could be supplementation with NADNAD (Nicotinamide adenindinucleotide ) is a co-enzyme essential to the metabolism of the cell, intervening in the activity of more than 200 enzyme proteins that govern the energy process of the cell itself. With age, one becomes deficient in this co-enzyme by altering cell catabolism. precursors: NAD levels tend to decrease with age, and through a cascade of events it promotes vascular regeneration in muscles. NAD (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) is present in all cells and plays a central role in the metabolic processes that lead to energy production.
According to a study conducted in mice, published in 2018 in Cell by Sinclair’s own research group, restoring NAD levels through its precursors promotes the activity of sirtuinsSirtuins are proteins expressed by SIRT genes that perform an enzymatic activity, which means they stimulate chemical reactions essential for the body. Their function has been ascertained by several studies, although there still seems to be a lot to know about them. SIRTs in short:
• are proteins with enzymatic properties
• regulate the metabolic processes related to insulin resistance
• have a control over immunity
• have a fundamental role in epigenetics
• are involved in defences against cancer
, a class of proteins found in our body that perform countless functions. Increasing NAD levels means in particular promoting the activity of a specific sirtuin, SIRT1, which in turn promotes an increase in the number of capillaries in muscle fibers, thus helping to reverse the process of vascular aging. The results of the study in fact show that treatment with NAD precursors improves physical endurance by up to 80% in old mice.
CardioAge
CardioAge, the supplement produced by SoLongevity, contains niacin (or vitamin B3), a NAD precursor. For this reason it is suitable for promoting the health of blood vessels and of the cardiovascular system in general. In addition, CardioAge helps counteract the formation of atherosclerotic plaques in blood vessels by reducing homocysteine levels, an amino acid whose high concentration in the blood (hyperhomocysteinemia) is a cardiovascular and neurovascular risk factor.
