Pentagon “Human Performance Molecule” May Spell the End of Aging

The United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM), which oversees our elite forces like the Green Berets and Navy SEALS, recently revealed they’re testing a “breakthrough formula” that can delay the onset of aging.

Pentagon officials call it a “human performance molecule.”1 They plan to begin clinical trials next year.

Once this compound is vetted by the military, it could be available to everyone. But you don’t need to wait for the Pentagon’s approval…

You see, this “Super Soldier” pill isn’t a drug. It’s a nutrient called nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, more commonly known as NAD.

As a regular reader, I’m sure that sounds familiar. I’ve been recommending NAD for over a decade.

NAD is a coenzyme found in every cell in your body. It plays a vital role in energy metabolism and maintaining proper cell function.

By middle age, your NAD levels are half of what they were in your 20s. And by age 80, levels can plummet to as low as just 1%.2

NAD is directly involved in almost all of our key biological processes, including:

  • Repairing DNA damage
  • Reducing inflammation
  • Reversing chemical stress caused by a toxic environment
  • Generating new stem cells
  • Protecting energy-generating mitochondria

So, while a decrease in NAD can shorten the lifespan, increasing levels of it can extend your lifespan by an additional four years.3

But even more importantly, boosting NAD will improve your health-span.

Low levels of NAD have been linked to almost every symptom of aging, such as diabetes, Alzheimer’s, heart disease, cancer, loss of muscle, and hearing and vision loss.

One reason NAD is so powerful is because it activates the production of SIRT1, a protein-coding gene that significantly slows the biological countdown that leads to aging.

Increasing SIRT1 protects the length of your telomeres. Telomeres are the “endcaps” that maintain the health and integrity of your DNA strands.

Longer telomeres mean better health. Shorter telomeres signal premature aging and disease.

Research shows that most people with short, dysfunctional telomeres also have low NAD.

My 3 Step Stem-Cell Rejuvenation Plan

Of course, you don’t need the Pentagon’s super pill to boost NAD and reverse aging.

There are ways you can dramatically increase NAD in your body right now. Here’s what I recommend:

    1. Supplement With Nicotinamide Riboside (NR). NR is a unique and powerful form of vitamin B3, or niacin. NR is the most efficient and direct pathway for your body to produce NAD. Trace amounts can be found in a few foods, like whole cow’s milk and yeast. But you won’t get high enough levels to increase your health span from those sources. So, I recommend supplementing with 500 mg to 1000 mg of NR daily, preferably before breakfast.
    2. Practice Intermittent Fasting. Also known as time-limited eating, intermittent fasting increases levels of NAD in the body.4 This helps you enter a fat-burning state called ketosis, which increases the bioavailability of NAD. I recommend starting out with a simple 16:8 fast. This plan involves fasting for 16 hours. In other words, you have an 8-hour time period in which you can eat. Then you fast for the remaining 16 hours. Here’s an example. You eat breakfast at 10 a.m. and lunch around 1 p.m. Dinner is over by 6 p.m. with no additional food until the next day.
    3. Do 12 Minutes of Cardio-Pulmonary Exertion Daily. Exercising is one of the best ways to enhance your NAD levels. But not any exercise will do. Studies show that a high-intensity workout for short durations is the most effective way.5 My PACE program gently trains your body to hit its peak intensity in just a few minutes. Just start slowly and build up, perhaps striding up a hill near your neighborhood… or doing a few sets of jumping jacks.

To Your Good Health,

Al Sears, MD

Al Sears, MD, CNS

 

References:

1. Delbert C. “The U.S. Military Is Testing a Pill That Could Delay Aging.” Popular Mechanics. 6 July 2021.
2. Chenchen P, et al. “NAD+…Sirt1 Signaling.” Aging. 2019 Jun 7;11(11):3505-3522.
3. Schultz M and Sinclair D. “Why NAD + Declines During Aging: It’s Destroyed.” Cell Metabolism. June 201623(6):965–966.
4. Stein L and Imai S. “The dynamic regulation of NAD metabolism in mitochondria.” Trends Endocrinol Metab. 2012 Sep; 23(9): 420–428.
5. Troen B. “High intensity interval training and nicotinamide riboside treatment to enhance functional capacity and reduce frailty during aging.” Accessed October 18, 2021.