Here is a list of things I have learned about legitimate anti-aging supplements. For the time being most of this article will focus on the ins and outs of Nicotinomide Riboside because it is very confusing and there’s a lot of dangerous misinformation out there.
Nicotinomide Riboside (NR)
- Nicotinamide Riboside (NR) is a legitimate anti-aging supplement that helps maintain healthy levels of NAD, a molecule in the body that declines with age. You can think of NAD as an active form of Vitamin B3 stored and released by your liver. NR has been tested extensively in rats and in humans.
- There is no need to take the often more expensive Nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN). NR can be considered equal for this purpose. [Source: Chris Masterjohn PhD]
- You can NOT take high doses of regular Niacin AKA Nicotinamide AKA Vitamin B3. It is NOT a cheap alternative to NR and is unsafe. The upper limit of Vitamin B3 is 35mg daily. Ignore this at your peril. [Source: Chris Masterjohn PhD]
- NR should be refrigerated, because it degrades into plain nicotinamide that is not safe to take in high doses. [Source: Dr. David Sinclair PhD]
- Resveratrol is the “accelerator pedal” that is recommended to be included with NR. [Source: Dr. David Sinclair PhD]
- Resveratrol is light sensitive and should be kept in a dark cool place, such as a basement. [Justin: Refrigerator?] When exposed to light it turns brown and is not effective. [Source: Dr. David Sinclair PhD]
- Taking 25-30mg daily of NR is safe without any special precautions. But if you exceed this dose, you should match it in equal doses with Trimethylglycine (TMG). This is because all forms of Vitamin B3 including NR consume methyl groups when their metabolites are excreted into the urine. It is theorized that if you take really high doses of NR without TMG that you may experience a significant energy crash a few weeks in, as well as other more severe health risks. [Source: Chris Masterjohn PhD]
- Thorne is a one of the most reliable brands in supplements [Source: Rhonda Patrick PhD], and they make a NR with Resveratrol supplement called ResveraCel. It seems to be the least costly option on Amazon. Remember to store it in your fridge or it will turn brown and degrade.
- It is best to take NR spread throughout the day with meals. Conversion of NR to NAD is more effective this way. This may only apply to high doses.
- Supplementing with creatine is also a good idea when taking NR. Just the standard 5g daily is fine and adequate and what is universally accepted.
- In summary, take Nicotinomide Riboside (NR) only, take it with equal amounts of TMG, and if you side with David Sinclair you can include resveratrol. Creatine is helpful too. Refrigerate your NR and Resveratrol in the dark.
Metformin
Although Metformin is considered an anti-aging drug because it affects pathways related to aging, I have not made sufficient notes to put information here at this time. I can say that this drug has been around a long time and it is generally recognized as one of the safest drugs on the market. However it is incompatible with fasting because it may prevent the creation of glucose during fasting, and you should always consult with your doctor before taking it. I mentioned it here to let you know it exists.
Rapamycin
Although Rapamycin is an anti-aging drug, this drug has not yet been tested in humans. It is currently being tested in dogs with some success. [Source: Peter Attia M.D.] I mentioned it here to let you know it exists.