This Supplement Can Stave Off Aging For Real!
Scientists have ventured in many ways to stave off aging. Finally, a new discovery by CU Boulder scientists is giving light to this endless quest to counter the human aging process and it has something to do with restricting calories through supplementation.
According to the study, when people consume a natural dietary supplement called nicotinomide riboside (NR) daily, it mimics caloric restriction, aka “CR,” kick-starting the same key chemical pathways responsible for its health benefits.
Supplementation also tends to improve blood pressure and arterial health, particularly in those with mild hypertension, the study found.
This amazing discovery was confirmed by senior author Doug Seals, a professor and researcher in the Department of Integrative Physiology.
Seals said, “We found that it is well tolerated and appears to activate some of the same key biological pathways that calorie restriction does.”
Calorie Restriction (CR) is the process of limiting caloric intake with the intention of slowing down aging. Some people refer to the concept as an anti-aging diet.
The Discovery
In the study, the respondents of the study who included 24 lean and healthy men and women ages 55 to 79 from the Boulder area took a 500 mg twice-daily dose of nicotinamide riboside (NR) chloride (NIAGEN).
After six weeks, the respondents reported no serious adverse effects. The researchers also discovered that 1,000 mg daily of NR boosted levels of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), a compound that tends to decline with age. The NR was able to increase the levels of compound by 60 percent.
“The idea is that by supplementing older adults with NR, we are not only restoring something that is lost with aging (NAD+), but we could potentially be ramping up the activity of enzymes responsible for helping protect our bodies from stress,” Martens said.
Other Benefits of NR Supplement
The researchers also made a stellar discovery about the NR supplement. The researchers found that in 13 participants with elevated blood pressure or stage 1 hypertension (120-139/80-89 mmHg), systolic blood pressure was about 10 points lower after supplementation. This could mean a possible drop to a 25 percent reduction in heart attack risk.
“If this magnitude of systolic blood pressure reduction with NR supplementation is confirmed in a larger clinical trial, such an effect could have broad biomedical implications,” the authors note.
However, the researchers highlighted that further research is needed to support the claims of the study. But, the new discovery is a breakthrough in the quest for that anti-aging pill.
Martens said, “We are not able to make any definitive claims that this compound is safe or going to be effective for specific segments of the population. What this paper provides us with is a really good stepping stone for future work.”
