NAD+ for testosterone; an indispensable cofactor?

[Hans]

NAD+ for testosterone; an indispensable cofactor? » MENELITE

NAD is well known as an important compound (nucleotide) to prevent aging. Many supplements are designed to boost NAD maximally, such as nicotinamide riboside (NR), nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), etc. Can these supplements also boost testosterone? Let’s find out! Steroidogenic enzymes use NAD...

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In summary
NAD is used as a cofactor for steroidogenic enzymes to create testosterone. Niacin and niacinamide, which boost NAD levels, have been shown to increase testosterone in rodents.
However, on the flip side, depleting NAD didn’t lower testosterone.
Low NAD is mostly due to increased oxidative stress that increases with age and not a lack of dietary tryptophan and vitamin B3 (R).
Thus, to prevent NAD from decreasing:

• Eat a low-inflammatory diet
• Eat a nutrient-dense diet rich in zinc, selenium, magnesium, manganese, etc, that helps to reduce reactive oxygen species.
• Avoid toxins that cause oxidative stress (heavy metals, plastics, pesticides, xenoestrogens, etc.)
• Prevent NAD catabolism by blocking CD38 with apigenin (R, R) (apigenin can also boost testosterone)
  • Niacinamide also inhibits PARP and CD38, thus sparing NAD.

A good stack to boost NAD is to take niacinamide and apigenin together.

 

[Highserotonin90]

@Hans Would doing this chronically then reduce NAD instead of increasing it?

 

[Hans]

@Hans Would doing this chronically then reduce NAD instead of increasing it?

Do you mean that boosting NAD with niacinamide and apigenin might lower NAD long term? Not sure what you're asking.

 

[Mufasa]

@Hans You often talk about anti oxidants in a "positive" way:

Eat a nutrient-dense diet rich in zinc, selenium, magnesium, manganese, etc, that helps to reduce reactive oxygen species.

But I thought that NAD was most beneficial because of it being oxidant (or an anti-reducer, or anti anti oxidant).

Ray Peat and @haidut often talk about anti-oxidants (reducers) in a negative way because they inhibit oxidation in oxidative metabolism, and basically drive cells towards cancer metabolism where the cell is not able to use oxygen anymore. And that cancer is basically "reductive stress", too much reducers giving electrons, and too little oxidants. Causing the Warburg effect.

I think Ray Peat mentioned that not only in cancer, but everywhere where metabolism is impaired, (injury, cancer, inflammation), there is a buildup of those electron donors, causing reductive stress.

And that to restore the flow of molecules, you don't need more of those electron donors, but less, and you need more oxidants, such as O2 (or indirectly CO2), NAD, quinones, vitamin K2 etc. To make sure the electrons start flowing again from donor to acceptor.

What do you think about that? I don't think I ever seen you mentioning this.

 

[Hans]

@Hans You often talk about anti oxidants in a "positive" way:



But I thought that NAD was most beneficial because of it being oxidant (or an anti-reducer, or anti anti oxidant).

Ray Peat and @haidut often talk about anti-oxidants (reducers) in a negative way because they inhibit oxidation in oxidative metabolism, and basically drive cells towards cancer metabolism where the cell is not able to use oxygen anymore. And that cancer is basically "reductive stress", too much reducers giving electrons, and too little oxidants. Causing the Warburg effect.

I think Ray Peat mentioned that not only in cancer, but everywhere where metabolism is impaired, (injury, cancer, inflammation), there is a buildup of those electron donors, causing reductive stress.

And that to restore the flow of molecules, you don't need more of those electron donors, but less, and you need more oxidants, such as O2 (or indirectly CO2), NAD, quinones, vitamin K2 etc. To make sure the electrons start flowing again from donor to acceptor.

What do you think about that? I don't think I ever seen you mentioning this.

Yes I totally agree with that, that's why I focus on what the body needs...vitamins and minerals instead of supplementing high amounts of anti-oxidants. Vitamins and minerals are needed to create energy and for everything to run smoothly. They are also used to get rid of ROS and inflammation, which is what you want. Too much ROS leads to aging and disease.

 

[Highserotonin90]

@Hans Yes, I was thinking of a medium-long term under-regulation. One thing I wanted to tell you is that niacinamide is supposed to promote mitochondrial fission so if you want biogenesis (opposite process) it's best to avoid stearic acid when using niacinamide.

 

[Osukhan]

great article thanks !

 

[imaginaryfolk]

I've read absolute wonders about nicotinamide nucleotide for massively boosting NAD+ but the FDA banned it recently given it has strong anti viral properties

 

[Hans]

@Hans Yes, I was thinking of a medium-long term under-regulation. One thing I wanted to tell you is that niacinamide is supposed to promote mitochondrial fission so if you want biogenesis (opposite process) it's best to avoid stearic acid when using niacinamide.

Perhaps it will downregulate the production of B3 from tryptophan a little and reduce NAD production form B3, but NAD will still stay above baseline though as long as you supplement. After stopping, natural production will ramp back up. But by sparing NAD with apigenin for example shouldn't downregulate NAD production.

 

[Hans]

great article thanks !

thanks for reading.

 

[Hans]

I've read absolute wonders about nicotinamide nucleotide for massively boosting NAD+ but the FDA banned it recently given it has strong anti viral properties

I don't know how a ban works exactly, but it seems to still be available. Perhaps you should stock up. :)