B3 (NR) news: Targeting the brain's energy metabolism may hold the key for treating Parkinson's disease

[JCRO]

apple.news/A0C8At7z6SFylydU...

Nicotinamide riboside (NR) is a member of the vitamin B3 family, which can be found in foods like fruits, vegetables, meat, and milk. It is also used as a nutritional supplement to boost cellular levels of NAD (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide).

NAD is an essential metabolic factor, which is vital to a multitude of cellular processes, including energy metabolism, DNA damage repair, and control of gene expression. Increased cellular NAD levels have been linked to a longer and healthier life in animals and have been shown to protect neuronal cells against various forms of stress. The study shows for the first time that the NAD levels of the human brain can be increased by ingesting NR.

A potential new treatment

The goal of this randomized, double-blinded phase I trial was to establish whether NAD-metabolism can be augmented in the brain of individuals with Parkinson’s disease, by ingesting NR, an NAD-precursor. A total of 30 individuals with early Parkinson’s disease received either 1000mg NR or placebo for a total of 30 days. The study showed that NR supplementation significantly increased NAD levels in the patient brain, and resulted in altered cerebral metabolism and decreased markers of inflammation in the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Moreover, a mild but significant improvement of Parkinson’s disease symptoms was seen in participants who showed substantially increased brain NAD levels, and this correlated with the change in the brain’s energy metabolism pattern.

The study was led by Prof. Charalampos Tzoulis, at Haukeland University Hospital and the University of Bergen.

“We are very excited about these results. This trial represents a novel approach in experimental PD-therapy”, Tzoulis says.

“We believe that augmenting the brain’s NAD metabolism will not only target and rectify disease-related processes specific to PD, but may also optimize neuronal metabolism and fortify neurons, rendering them more resilient against age-related stress and neurodegenerative diseases. The results of the trial are highly encouraging and nominate NR as a potential neuroprotective therapy for PD, warranting further investigation in larger trials. A phase II study is already ongoing at our Center”, the Professor comments.

The study was conducted by scientists at Haukeland University Hospital and the University of Bergen, Norway, in collaboration with the The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research in New York, USA.

Link to study: sciencedirect.com/science/a...

[Gioc]

Hi JCRO,

Very interesting , thank you !

Gio

[Bolt_Upright]

And this is regular Niacin: Niacin Cures Systemic NAD+ Deficiency and Improves Muscle Performance in Adult-Onset Mitochondrial Myopathy 2020 sciencedirect.com/science/a...

"Summary

NAD+ is a redox-active metabolite, the depletion of which has been proposed to promote aging and degenerative diseases in rodents. However, whether NAD+ depletion occurs in patients with degenerative disorders and whether NAD+ repletion improves their symptoms has remained open. Here, we report systemic NAD+ deficiency in adult-onset mitochondrial myopathy patients. We administered an increasing dose of NAD+-booster niacin, a vitamin B3 form (to 750–1,000 mg/day; clinicaltrials.gov NCT03973203) for patients and their matched controls for 10 or 4 months, respectively. Blood NAD+ increased in all subjects, up to 8-fold, and muscle NAD+ of patients reached the level of their controls. Some patients showed anemia tendency, while muscle strength and mitochondrial biogenesis increased in all subjects. In patients, muscle metabolome shifted toward controls and liver fat decreased even 50%. Our evidence indicates that blood analysis is useful in identifying NAD+ deficiency and points niacin to be an efficient NAD+ booster for treating mitochondrial myopathy."

So I am taking 250 mg time released based on the Auburn PD study. This one used 750-1000 mg fast release (but is not a PD study). I have been told 250 mg is a safe dose. Increasing it might push me into a less safe area. Interesting food for thought.

[akgirlsrock in reply to Bolt_Upright]

Hello, you take regular niacin, not the other Nad that's more $$. Thank you

[Gcf51]

I switch my B3 500mg timed released to NMN,,,, Having impressive results with TTDF (B1) healthunlocked.com/cure-par...