73: NAD Supplements That Actually Work

Michael Kummer: Have you ever wondered if there's a secret to slowing down the aging process? Well, what if I told you there is a molecule inside every one of your cells that might just hold the key? But there is a twist. Despite trying every trick in a book, from cutting edge supplements to trying high tech skin patches, I couldn't seem to unlock this potential.

My NAD levels stubbornly refused to budge until I stumbled upon something unexpected. So stay with me because what I discovered could change everything you think you know about aging.

INTRO:

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Michael Kummer:

Welcome back to the Primal Shift. If you're new here, this is where we dive deep into the science of optimizing your body and mind using everything from ancestral wisdom to the latest breakthrough in modern health. And today we are talking about.

NAD, short for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide. It's a mouthful, I know, but stick with me because NAD is one of those molecules that's absolutely essential to life as we know it. It plays a critical role in energy production, DNA repair, and cellular communication. In short, it's involved in pretty much everything.

Every major process in the body that keeps your life in functioning. Now, as we age, our NID levels naturally decline. And that's a big deal because low NID is considered one of the hallmark signs of aging. And researchers have found that this decline is linked to a host of age related issues, including decreased energy, cognitive decline, and even a slower metabolism.

So in theory, boosting your NID levels should help slow down or even reverse some of those aging processes. Sounds promising, right? So naturally, when I first heard about NAD supplements, I was all in. I tried everything from oral supplements to transdermal patches, uh, brands like Renew NAD plus Complete and Ion Layer promise to elevate my NAD levels.

And by extension, my energy focus and overall vitality. But here's the thing, despite the hype, none of these products moved the needle for me. I monitored my NID levels through blood tests, and after months of supplementation, I was left disappointed. My levels didn't change at all. I mean, that went maybe from 21 micromolar to 24.

So, very insignificant. And those levels are, by the way, considered low. And At that point, I was ready to write off the whole idea of entity supplementation. It seemed like one of those things that sounded great in theory, but just didn't deliver in practice. And then something interesting happened. I met Dr.

Uh, Chin. And I apologize if I butchered that name because my Chinese is a little bit rusty, uh, but he is the founder of Chinfinity, a company that not only offers energy blood testing, but also specializes in energy supplements. And during our conversation. Dr. Sher recommended I try Chinfinity Vitality, a supplement that combines NMN powder and NAD precursor with creatine monohydrate, D ribose, and niacinamide, a form of vitamin B3.

I was intrigued but skeptical, but I decided to give it one last shot. And for this experiment, I went all in. I took three times the normal dosage for three weeks and then tested my NAD levels again. The results, my NAD levels skyrocketed from the mid 20s to 47. 4 micromolar. That's the unit that's used to measure those levels.

That's almost twice as high as I had ever recorded. And it was the first time I saw a dramatic change, and it was enough to make me rethink my stance on Energy supplementation, but I wasn't done experimenting after a few weeks of not taking any supplement. I repeated the test, but this time, um, leading up to the test, I took three times the regular dosage of the renew energy plus complete, which is the supplement I tested already last year, which, you know, and it didn't make any difference, at least not the regular dosage and the renew supplement contains a blend of liposomal Uh, NMN, NAD and NR, and trigoniline, which is another derivative of vitamin B3.

The results, my NAD levels rose to 36. 4 micromolar. That's 10 to 15 points above my baseline, but still not as high as what I had achieved with the GINFINITY product. So what does this all mean? Well, the bottom line is that NAD supplementation isn't a one size fits all, evidently. Everyone reacts differently to these supplements.

And dosing appears to be crucial. So with a regular serving size of none of those supplements, I noticed any significant results. I had to triple them up to get a meaningful increase in NAD levels. And that obviously has implications on the cost of those products or how much you spend. And we'll get to that.

Now the, uh, let's talk numbers and, and, and see, you know, what, what that really means in terms of how much money you'd be spending. Now that Gfinity Vitality retails for 118 a char, that char is 60 servings. So it's going to last you, if you take only one, a regular serving size, two months, right? I went through this in about 20 days because I took three times the serving size.

But you can get a discount if you're buying bulk. I think you can buy up to 12 of those jars in bulk, and that significantly reduces the price. It makes it more palatable. The Renew Energy Plus Complete comes in at 85 bucks for a two month supply. Again, I took three times the dosage. So I was, I went through the jar in 20 days.

Now, none of that is cheap and that's something to consider when deciding whether to invest in these supplements. But here's the kicker. There is solid scientific evidence suggesting that higher energy levels can positively impact aging. It's one of the things where you have to weigh the potential benefits against the cost of the cost and decide if it's worth for you or not.

For me, I want to, I don't think I'm going to do it. Every month, but I'm going to cycle on and off with those products. So intermittently raise my energy levels. And then it takes a little bit for them to come down again to baseline, but at least I have elevated levels for certain times of the year that makes it financially more palatable, uh, without breaking the bank.

And with that, we're going to wrap it up. Thanks for tuning into the Primal Shift. If you found this episode helpful, don't forget to subscribe and leave a review. Until next time, keep shifting towards the best version of yourself. Next time on the Primal Shift Podcast, we're with Chef James Berry, diving into the power of real food and why organ meats are the ultimate superfood.

From mindful eating to practical tips for healthy family meals, this episode is packed with insights. Tune in to the Primal Shift Podcast and take another step toward optimizing your health.