NAD Deficiency in Your 20s — Full Breakdown & Transcript

[00:03] 30 extra years of health span. Certain foods, exercise, sauna, and um can all boost energy levels a little >> Okay. >> The problem is we needed to increase our

[00:20] >> The problem is we needed to increase our energy levels on average by 100%. We energy levels on average by 100%. We know the optimum if it goes beyond 100 micromolar, you can have uh harmful effects.

[00:39] >> Biohackers World Podcast. >> Hi, I'm Dr. Anna Marie with Happy Whole You, and I am at the Biohackers World event in LA. And you may be

[00:52] wondering, is it your mindset or could it be your biology or could it be both? it be your biology or could it be both? And today I'm joined by a Dr. Shi with And today I'm joined by a Dr. Shi with Jinfiniti Precision Medicine.

[01:06] And I would love to hear from you what you are doing in the world of health and well-being and just helping people live their best life. >> It's so nice to be with you, Dr. Marie. Um I am

[01:22] uh academic scientist for over four decades. My research has been about decades. My research has been about identifying risk factors and high-risk identifying risk factors and high-risk individuals so we can prevent diseases

[01:37] and injury. We really want to catch the problems before they actually occur. Prevention is so much better than a cure if it's possible. I believe that we have

[01:49] the tools, we have the knowledge now to give people back the 30 years that are >> I mean, I like that. That sounds delicious. 30 extra years of of health

[02:02] delicious. 30 extra years of of health and vitality. So, some people may have a feel like they're doing all the right things, but something still feels off. When it comes to their biology, what could be going on with them?

[02:16] be going on. As you know, um, As you know, um, the number one issue is a probably the lack of cellular energy. >> Cellular energy. What does that mean?

[02:31] now, um, let's say um, let's say to drive a car, you have a engine and you have a gasoline and without the gasoline, the

[02:43] gasoline, the um, car wouldn't move. All our cells um, car wouldn't move. All our cells also needed the energy for the cells to function and for the body to function. The production of cellular energy is in

[02:57] The production of cellular energy is in the form of a molecule called ATP. Many people may have heard of ATP. >> ATP, I think high school biology. >> High school biology. Anyone who has gone through high school biology classes

[03:09] should maybe remember ATP. If you don't, you can check it out. ATP is a fundamental molecule that runs our cells. >> Is it like like the battery in your cell

[03:23] that gives you energy? >> I wouldn't call it battery. I think it's >> I wouldn't call it battery. I think it's actually what's running the, uh, the bodies. So, we we eat, we we drink and

[03:37] drink and our cells turn the food into energy into the power plants within our cells. These power plants are called the mitochondria. And the mitochondria produce ATP with

[03:52] And the mitochondria produce ATP with the help of a very important coenzyme the help of a very important coenzyme called NAD or nicotinamide Unfortunately, the NAD levels decline with age and also

[04:08] is deficient in individuals who have health problems. >> So, if you already have health issues, your NADs probably already lowered. Is that what you're saying? And then when do NAD levels start to lower? When would

[04:22] >> That's a very good question. If you just look at the population as a whole and in teenagers only about 25% of them

[04:34] are deficient in NAD. If you go to individuals in their 20s 75% become sub-optimal. >> 75% in your 20s? >> 75% of people in their 20s

[04:46] >> are deficient in NAD. Now, if you go beyond 30 almost every single person is sub-optimal to deficient. We have tested tens of thousands of individuals in the last

[05:02] 6 years. I have only found one person who is not deficient in NAD and who does not take a >> What What do they do? How old are they? What are they doing in their life?

[05:16] >> This This particular person is in his 60s. >> Okay. >> not take anything that I can >> not take anything that I can consider as NAD promoting product or or

[05:30] consider as NAD promoting product or or food. I'm not sure why his NAD is >> Wow. >> I talked to him. I tried to identify all the possible factors. I have no clue. But he's one exception out of hundreds

[05:44] >> Oh my goodness. That's interesting. So, you can test Can you test NAD levels? not? >> Well, actually we developed the Well, the first NAD test about 60 years ago. It's a very simple test. It's

[06:00] drop of uh of uh you pick up a drop of blood and blood spot and then send it to the uh blood back to our laboratory and we

[06:12] can uh measure the NAD level inside uh uh the blood and that information is so important. Testing is the only way

[06:24] in it anyways. >> Well, adults Every single [laughter] can be assumed to be deficient. >> Yeah. >> What What's important is Yeah, we know we're deficient, but if you don't test,

[06:38] taking. Actually, what? >> Okay. Well, are there any natural ways to increase NAD levels in the body? And then you said something about precursors to NAD. So, is there anything natural that we should be doing right now to

[06:54] help our levels? >> Yes and no. Yes, because certain foods, exercise, uh sauna, and um

[07:07] >> Mhm. >> Maybe 5 to 10%. >> The problem is we need to to increase our NAD levels on >> Mhm. >> Increasing it by 10% isn't really going

[07:24] >> Mhm. >> That's why I said yes and no. >> Yeah, I mean 10% is better than nothing. >> 10% 10% is better than nothing. That's why I I have to say yes. I want to encourage you

[07:36] a healthy lifestyle, right? But if you want to get uh the therapeutic benefits, natural ways are not sufficient. They are helpful, >> Mhm. >> And you they are potentially many

[07:50] different ways to increase NAD levels. Just to be simple and short, the whole NAD precursor >> Mhm. >> is the best way to increase and optimize

[08:03] NAD levels. >> So, NAD NAD precursor, what would that be? >> There are many different NAD precursors. >> Okay. Well, that's what we want to know, the best. Best one or two, okay.

[08:16] NMN. >> Mhm. >> Nicotinamide mononucleotide. The second best one is called NR. The second best one is called NR. Nicotinamide riboside. NMN is a one-step

[08:30] precursor. It takes only one enzyme to convert NMN to NAD. >> So, these precursors that you take, are they a supplement? Is it a powder? pill? >> There There various

[08:46] >> Mhm. >> And they are capsules. They are powders. And they are tablets or chewable. And we know that the chewable or lozenges

[09:02] have the best efficacy because you have sublingual absorption. >> Okay. So, what about somebody who is cuz I've seen that you can take NAD orally,

[09:16] sublingual, you can do injections. So, if someone's doing the injections of NAD, should they have the precursors first? >> Delivery methods. IV infusion, injection,

[09:30] uh nasal sprays, >> Okay, so suppositories. >> Patches, nose, swallow, >> Yeah. >> and suppositories.

[09:45] >> Suppositories, six six different ways to to deliver only the product. >> Okay? And then you can combine with different types of products. You have the only the molecule itself. That's very big. It does not get inside the

[10:00] precursors. >> Oh, okay. >> was the tryptophan was? >> Tryptophan takes a long way to to be converted into NAD. Tryptophan is actually

[10:13] one of the molecule that we make NAD naturally in >> Interesting. >> But it's not a very efficient way. increase NAD is not going to work very well.

[10:28] Okay. So, if you Um there are products Um there are products with IV NAD, IV NMN, IV NR. None of the

[10:40] IV infusions can increase intracellular NAD. >> So, the IVs do not increase NAD within your your research. >> Correct.

[10:52] >> Okay, so then how do >> Yeah. Patches. >> Okay, patches. >> Okay. >> And there's a spray.

[11:04] Depending on how how many times you use spray, how much you spray, and it may or may not be sufficient. So is the injection. It depends on how >> Okay. >> Most of people are not getting enough.

[11:19] >> Um based on the current recommendations, okay? The best way is the oral delivery of only the precursor NMN or NR. But um most the are not getting their NAD optimized

[11:35] right. And some people may be getting too much. >> Okay. >> So, we through extensive studies we know

[11:48] >> So, we through extensive studies we know the optimum levels of NAD is between 40 and 100 micromolar. If it goes beyond 100 micromolar, um, you can have harmful

[12:00] be? cardiovascular risk. Um, a lot of people are taking niacin to reduce the cholesterol level. >> Mhm.

[12:15] >> Mhm. >> your NAD level can be extremely high and >> Oh, interesting. >> We made this discovery about a year ago.

[12:28] link between niacin intake and the insomnia. >> Oh, wow. >> that observation. And we were shocked

[12:40] that how well it works. If you take um, niacin away, you can sleep like a baby uh the same night. The harm for effects are discovered in the next

[12:53] couple of years. That's related to vascular inflammation, uh cardiovascular risk. And we made the observation of between insomnia and high dose niacin. >> Interesting. Yeah. Okay, when was NAD

[13:09] discovered? Can we go back in time? Like >> Right. I I don't remember exactly when was it discovered. It was probably discovered over 100 years ago. it. >> The impact, the clinical functional

[13:25] benefits of NAD was discovered in the last two >> Mhm. >> And it has become popular in the last five years. And now NAD is

[13:39] >> That's the good news. The bad news is the vast majority of the consumers still does not know what to do.

[13:51] >> What are the benefits they can expect? >> Mhm. >> NAD can give you incredible benefits. But you can only get the incredible benefits if your NAD levels are

[14:05] >> And what are those incredible benefits? >> The incredible benefits can be from A to >> Okay. >> Increase the energy. I think many people

[14:17] >> Yes. >> And second one is cognitive function improvement. You can benefit the patients >> Mhm. >> and brain fog.

[14:31] >> The third one is improvement in sleep >> Yeah. >> Faster recovery, you can increase your peak performance as well.

[14:46] >> Uh-huh. Uh benefits for patients with heart failure, metabolic syndromes, you can increase And I I I >> So like

[15:00] >> go on [laughter] and on. >> Like we need like NAD the absence of NAD >> Like we need like NAD the absence of NAD is sounding to me like that could be why we're aging faster. >> It It's one of the fundamental

[15:15] >> It It's one of the fundamental factors that can either increase aging when it's deficient or help uh improve the aging process. uh improve the aging process. >> NAD may be the next step to really

[15:28] optimizing their health. >> NAD absolutely is the next step that they have to do or I would say is actually the foot or the first step and that everyone should do. And obviously I mean I want to emphasize,

[15:43] you know, NAD is very important. I spend a lot of my time and my energy to study it to uh help people with them, but NAD is not sufficient. It's necessary but not sufficient. And in in my studies, in my

[16:00] sufficient. And in in my studies, in my program, we encourage a holistic, >> Yes, I love that. It has to be personalized. Absolutely. It's one piece of the equation, one piece of the pie. Thank you so much, Dr. Shea. Thank you

[16:14] insightful for me. I appreciate the work you're doing. >> Thank you very much. >> [music]