Early Study Finds Nicotinamide Ribosome Supplementation Offers New Hope for Parkinson's Disease Management

Parkinson's Disease (PD)

https://parkinsonfoundation.org/about-parkinsons-disease PD is the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's disease. There is currently no cure. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9463300/ suggests that lifestyle changes may manage PD symptoms in the early stages of PD when only one side of the body is affected. Researchers have worked for the past decade to increase the amount of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) as a potential treatment. The results look promising.

NAD+ and PD

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36839301/ Previous studies suggest that an NAD+ deficiency and increasing it might alleviate symptoms and lead to other factors to control the progression of the disease. As we grow older, the level of NAD+ decreases naturally in all our organs, especially the brain. Increasing NAD+ at the cellular level could help age-related diseases, including PD.

PD patients typically have lower levels of NAD+. Is this deficiency a cause of neurodegeneration in PD patients? We do not know yet, but it may be a contributing factor. Safely restoring NAD+ levels to normal must be fully evaluated. The pathways of energy metabolism are not completely understood. Restoring NAD+ levels safely and keeping them at normal levels for extended periods must be fully researched. So, how is that done? https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33989633/

Increasing NAD+ Levels

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9571518/. Nicotinamide ribosome (NR) offers a relatively safe way of increasing NAD+ levels. NR is a newly discovered form of vitamin B3. Laboratory studies prove that NR, nicotinamide (NAM), and nicotinic acid (NA) safely increase NAD+ levels at the cellular level. The latest studies have homed in on NR as the preferred precursor to increase NAD+. Previous studies using NR to treat other neurodegenerative diseases, metabolic disorders, and some cardiac issues strongly support the use of NR to potentially assist in alleviating PD symptoms.

During the pandemic, health scientists discovered that the SARS-CoV-2 virus reduces NAD+ levels and increases inflammation and cellular dysfunction. It is now thought that NAD+ deficiency combined with other pre-existing medical conditions might be the cause of death in many afflicted with the COVID-19 virus, especially those with diabetes cardiovascular, and respiratory diseases. Research is underway to evaluate NAD+ as a potential treatment for coronavirus infections.

Current NR Trials

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/form-of-vitamin-b3-may-help-manage-parkinsons-disease One clinical trial is using high-dose supplementation of NR in PD patients. Positive results show that some PD symptoms have been reduced. Additionally, testing is required to fully understand the mechanisms and pathways affected by higher-dose NR supplementation and neurodegenerative disease. See the November Journal of Nature Communications, https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-43514-6 for the details.

Mitochondria and Cellular Energy

https://www.genome.gov/genetics-glossary/Mitochondria#:~:text=Mitochondria%20are%20membrane%2Dbound%20cell,called%20adenosine%20triphosphate%20(ATP). When our body is not producing the required energy to maintain health, one possibility is that our cells are not operating properly. Many of the reports and studies I have reviewed in the past couple of years point to the cause of cellular dysfunction and mutation as a metabolic problem with energy synthesis and mitochondria. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7963035/

PD is like many diseases with many pathways. Understanding one cause and treating it effectively does not discount the effect of the progression of other pathways to disease. Controlling inflammation is a great starting point. Almost every disease begins with chronic low-level cellular inflammation. When oxidative stress builds because there is no effective control of inflammation, anything is possible given enough time.

The Journal of Clinical Parkinsonism and Related Disorders is not directly involved with NR and PD clinical studies. However, the Truon Neuroscience Institute at the Memorial Care Orange Coast Medical Center opined that NR has expected benefits in treating aging, energy metabolism, mitochondria function, and DNA repair. Additionally, NR may also have neuroprotective properties.

Conclusion

NR increases NAD+ naturally and is safe. Initial results indicate greater expectations for PD patients using high-dose NR in therapeutic treatments. Longer-term studies are needed. However, at this stage of research, it looks very promising.

Because high-dose NR has demonstrated anti-PD results, it does not mean that anyone with PD or treating this in their families with PD should start their treatment protocol. Talk to your physician. Show your doctor the studies and results. Everyone is different, and what works well for one patient may not yield the same results for others.

The studies done to date are generally small-scale and short-duration. Yes, the results are promising. But, safety and caution should be exercised, especially when treating any neurodegenerative disease.

Live Long & Enjoy Life! - Red O’Laughlin – RedOLaughlin.com

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