Mitigating Cognitive Decline With NAD
Cognitive decline is among the normal processes of aging. Joints become stiffer, arteries harden, and the brain isn’t as supple as it used to be. It happens at different times and affects different elements of people’s lives, but it always has the same overall effect. Cognitive decline simply means that your brain doesn’t work as well as it used to.This isn’t the same as cognitive impairment, which can be the result of damage, disease or an increased level of cognitive decline from another source. Cognitive decline is a response to the aging of neurons and the decreased speed at which the brain functions. The difference in the two is that every person faces cognitive decline because every person ages.
Causes of Cognitive Decline
Although it’s age-related for most people, the exact cause of cognitive decline is not known. Cognitive decline can be caused by elements of a person’s environment that are not conducive to normal brain health. One significant factor is when the body does not receive proper nutrition. When malnourished, the body can’t perform as it is supposed to because there are some critical missing elements such as enzymes that are required. Malnutrition has been shown in many studies to affect the brain adversely in a very profound way. The brain becomes unable to process thoughts as effectively, decision making becomes more difficult, the capacity to learn is decreased and concentration is impaired. This cognitive decline can become permanent if general nutrition is not attended to. And don’t be fooled thinking that malnutrition is a problem only in third world countries. About 85% of Americans do not consume the US Food and Drug Administration’s recommended daily intakes of the most important vitamins and minerals necessary for proper physical and mental development. More than 50% of American children do not get enough of vitamins D and E, while more than 25% do not get enough calcium, magnesium or vitamin A. This can result in a compromised immune system, chronic disease, impaired physical growth, cognitive decline and even death.
Age-related cognitive decline, can be the result of many different factors other than lack of nutrition. As an individual ages, estrogen levels, in both sexes, will begin to decline. Although this may have little effect initially, over time it can cause lack of energy and a decline in brain function. The lining of the arteries hardens and blood flow is more restricted to the brain. Another significant problem is that over time, the body builds up what have been termed as free radicals. Free radicals are molecules and atoms that have an unpaired electron which means that they are highly reactive and damaging to cellular structures. A lifetime of free radical buildup from poor food choices and environmental toxins can cause cellular breakdown in the brain.
Mitigate cognitive decline or impairment with NAD
Boosting your body’s ability to create energy through your mitochondrial is critical to longevity. With aging, those energy outputs (ATP) are diminished. If the powerhouses of your cells, the mitochondria, aren’t functioning properly, you are going to experience symptoms including cognitive impairment. When these symptoms accumulate over time, they turn into illness or cognitive decline. In fact, the link between NAD, energy production, and chronic illness couldn’t be clearer.
Your body naturally produces NAD but as we age NAD production declines. Low NAD results in low energy (ATP) levels. Well your cells dont have enough ATP, they eventually die. If nerve cells are being deprived of energy, symptoms of depression, anxiety, fatigue and lack of focus may manifest. In prolonged cases, this may translate to diseases such as Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis, Alzheimer’s, and dementia. This logic can be applied to other areas of the body. For example, if your heart cells are affected, it can lead to cardiovascular disease. If your lung cells are affected, it can lead to pulmonary disorders. Essentially, when the cells in your organs and tissues don’t have a sufficient amount of energy to carry out their function, illness results.
We can halt and in some cases, reverse cognitive decline with NAD with amino acid IV supplementation which will increase your body’s ability to produce energy or ATP for your cells, especially in hard to reach areas like nerve and brain tissue, and it even prevents permanent damage.