What is life without the ability to move around and be able to do work, play, recover during rest, and basically every activity involved whenever we’re awake or asleep? All these are possible because they are fueled with cellular energy. It is also responsible to keep the heartbeat, to enhance the brain activity, and protect the body against DNA damage. Cellular energy is clearly significant, and in this article, you’re about to know where it comes from and how it works.

The Need for Cellular Energy

Cellular energy, or also called cellular respiration, is the process by which cells break down nutrients and turn it into energy, which is then used to perform work at the cellular level. To put it simply, it provides cells with the energy they need to function. The human body needs some energy to be able to perform various activities, and cellular energy is needed to maintain and boost physical and mental health.

 

Cellular Energy: Where does this come from?

The proteins, carbohydrates, and fats from the food we eat and the supplements we take all convert into these nutrients and serve as the energy that makes our bodies work. Powerhouses of cells in the body called Mitochondria are the ones that convert the nutrients into cellular energy, which go through molecules called NAD.

NAD+’s Key Role

Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide or NAD+ is a coenzyme, or in simpler terms, a helper molecule that is key to cellular energy production. It allows the Mitochondria to function and perform oxidation, the process of transferring the energy produced from food into significant cell functions. 

Scientists have made recent breakthroughs in confirming the importance of NAD+ in cellular energy and how boosting these may help promote a long life. It also is necessary to defend against oxidative stress in the body, repair DNA damage, create the building blocks for DNA and RNA, and to turn on ‘longevity-promoting’ proteins called sirtuins.

 Video courtesy of About NAD (https://aboutnad.com/)

Declines with Aging and Unhealthy Lifestyle

However, NAD+ can’t escape the inevitable effects of aging, and so declines which can cause the body to become weaker. It loses half of what it used to have, and the processes involved become less productive and possibly lead to various illnesses. Unhealthy lifestyle habits such as excessive alcohol consumption, smoking, unhealthy diet, lack of weight management, lack of exercise, lack of sleep, and environment can also come together and cause a decrease in NAD+ levels, and impair the ability of the body to produce enough cellular energy.

How to Increase NAD+

Increasing NAD+ levels are a strategy studied and recommended by science to continue sufficient cellular energy production. There are various ways on how you can keep cellular energy production in good work.

 

• Regular exercise
• Consumption of NAD-boosting food such as dairy milk, fish, mushroom, yeast, and more
• Intermittent fasting
• Intake of cell revival and NAD revival supplements

 

Sometimes we go through life losing the realization of how cellular energy is key to our ability to be able to do the things we wish to do every day. While the process may seem complex to understand at times, the recommended methods to keep the energy production running is very simple, and mostly lies on your lifestyle habits. With determination and self-discipline, start living healthily today!