Common Nutrient IMPROVES Parkinson’s Symptoms
Parkinson’s disease itself isn’t fatal. In fact, most people with Parkinson’s disease have a “normal” life expectancy.
The problem comes with the quality of life… the tremors, stiff muscles, unsteady gait, and coordination problems that only get worse with time.
That’s because Parkinson’s is a nervous system disease that affects your ability to control movement.
Fortunately, researchers have just identified a common nutrient that can improve symptoms in people suffering from Parkinson’s.
There’s a critical compound in your cells called NAD (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide). It’s an essential metabolic factor that’s important for everything from energy metabolism to DNA repair.
Animal studies have shown that higher levels of NAD have been tied to a longer and healthier life.
But the reason researchers wanted to study its potential benefits for Parkinson’s disease is because it’s been shown to protect neuronal cells against stress.
The way to boost cellular levels of NAD is by taking a NAD precursor. It’s called nicotinamide riboside—or more simply, NR — a member of the vitamin B3 family.
In a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 30 people with Parkinson’s disease took either 1,000 mg of NR or a placebo for 30 days.
Three important benefits occurred in those taking the NR:
- Taking NR significantly increased levels of NAD in the brain
- Increased NAD levels led to altered cerebral metabolism and reduced markers of inflammation in the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord.
- There was an improvement in Parkinson’s symptoms in the patients who substantially increased NAD levels.
Ultimately, the researchers believe that boosting NAD levels with NR helped make the brain cells more resilient against both age-related stress and neurodegenerative diseases.
More research is necessary before they can definitively say that boosting NAD with NR can help Parkinson’s symptoms.
But other studies have shown that NR supports cellular energy production, brain function, healthy metabolic function, and more.
Plus, the supplement is safe and readily available.
