Restricting calories has long been known to help fend off physiological signs of aging. Studies show that decreasing calorie intake by one third can reap myaid health benefits and in some cases even extend life. While this advice works for some, it may be impractical for many, and even dangerous for others.
This first known study suggests that this novel compound given to humans over a period of time is well tolerated and appears to activate some of the key biological pathways that calorie restriction does, and included 24 healthy and lean women and men between the ages of 55-79, of which half were given NR for the first 6 weeks then a placebo, while the other half were given a placebo for 6 weeks followed by 500 mg of nicotinamide riboside chloride twice daily. Participants did not report any serious adverse side effects. Researchers monitored participants and took blood samples along with other physiological measurements at the conclusion of each treatment period. It was found that daily 1000 my doses of NR boosted levels of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide by 60%, which is required for activation of sirtuin enzymes largely associated with beneficial effects of caloric restriction, and is involved in metabolic actions throughout the body that tend to decline with age.
It is suggested by the researchers that as an evolutionary survival mechanism the human body conserves nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide when subjected to caloric restriction. The idea that supplementing nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide precursors like nicotinamide riboside chloride can promote healthy aging has just begun to be explored by researchers. It is hypothesized that supplementation in older adults may restore function and ability lost with aging and possibly ramp up activity of enzymes that are responsible for helping to protect the body from stress.
It was found that in 13 of the participants with stage one hypertension or elevated blood pressure that systolic blood pressure was 10 points lower after supplementation, a drop of which could translate to 25% decrease in the risk of heart attack. Such an impact may have broad biomedical implications, but needs to be confirmed in a larger clinical trial.
Caloric restricting mimicking compounds could provide an option to be paired with dietary changes and physical activity to help individuals whose blood pressure is not high enough to warrant medication but are still at risk for heart attack.
Researchers are not making definitive claims due to the small size of the study group, but suggest the results warrant further investigation on a much large sample of the population in clinical trial to look specifically at the impact of supplementation on arterial health and blood pressure, launching separate trials investigating impacts on older adults with mild cognitive impairment, both of which to confirm if the compound is safe and effective for the population.
