On the 3rd and final instalment of “The Longevity Series” of the “Beauty and The BS” podcast, Dr. Peter Grossman speaks to Dr. Charles Brenner. He is the Alfred E. Mann Chair of the Department of Diabetics and Cancer Metabolism at the City of Hope in California.
A Metabolism Pioneer
He is a pioneer in the field of metabolism and the role it plays in the aging process. In this final episode titled “Getting Real About Living Forever with Dr. Charles Brenner”, he shares some insight on bringing balance to the topic of longevity, genes, and the role of metabolism in aging.
NAD Coenzymes
His lab focuses on disturbances in the central catalyst of metabolism in diseases and conditions of metabolic stress. Through this, they identified NAD coenzymes, namely, nicotinamide, adenine, and dinucleotide, as carriers of high-energy electrons that make life possible.
The Importance Of The NAD System
Dr. Brenner shares that they also developed a quantitative metabolomic technology. This led to their discovery that the NAD system can be disturbed not only by aging, but other conditions of metabolic stress, including diabetes and cancer. If the NAD system isn’t sufficient, our bodies begin to break down. This leads to various ailments, including the body being unable to generate ATP, detoxify free radicals, repair DNA, and produce estrogen and testosterone.
NAD is essential for life, being found in every living cell, and is essential to a healthy cellular metabolism. Through their study of the NAD system, the lab also discovered Nicotinamide riboside and how it can be a vitamin booster of NAD.
Nicotinamide Riboside To Boost NAD
Nicotinamide riboside (NR) is a form of vitamin B3. It can boost and support your NAD system, which allows your metabolism to function under metabolic stress. This gives your NAD system resiliency against age-related diseases and conditions. Researchers have also studied NR for its anti-inflammatory capabilities. In placebo control trials, NR was seen to lower inflammatory markers, which Dr. Brenner calls incredible. This is important because chronic inflammation can actually age you.
Tru Niagen
Dr. Brenner’s technology in this was licensed and turned into a product named Tru Niagen, a safety-tested supplement form of NR. However, another supplement that has gained some attention for its alleged ability to boost NAD, is NMN.
Nicotinamide Mononucleotide vs. Nicotinamide Riboside
In recent years, Nicotinamide Mononucleotide (NMN), has been a hot topic, with some research suggesting that it has more extensive effects on health and aging than NR. However, Dr. Brenner shares that it doesn’t entirely make sense. He explains how NMN is actually made when NR is phosphorylated. The molecular structures of NMN and NR are similar, except NMN has an added phosphate group. This added phosphate group makes NMN a larger molecule, compared to NR. Dr. Brenner states that when you consume NMN supplements, the phosphate group comes off in digestion, which makes it turn into NR again. Essentially, you’re paying for NR.
He shares his take on the field of longevity, sharing how the research surrounding it has now become more hype than reality. He also shares his thoughts on prominent longevity doctors, and shares how most of their beliefs are not evidence based.
To hear more about growth hormones, how they accelerate aging, and what we can actually do to achieve longevity, listen to the final episode by clicking on the link below:
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