If you’re like most people (especially me), you’ve never heard of nicotinamide riboside (NR) before.
But that may change very soon, especially for the Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) community.
What is nicotinamide riboside?
Nicotinamide riboside is naturally produced in our bodies. It’s a chemical compound which acts as a precursor to vitamin B3.
Researchers are working on a new strategy to combat one of the most severe forms of muscular dystrophy.
Rather than acting on the defective gene, they are using large doses of this vitamin.
A form of vitamin B3 taken as a supplement may reverse muscle frailty associated with DMD by boosting levels of NAD, a molecule that helps generate energy from food nutrients.
The findings may lead to new ways of improving certain aspects of muscular dystrophy.
“This work could have very important implications in the field of regenerative medicine.”
“We are not talking about introducing foreign substances into the body but rather restoring the body’s ability to repair itself with a product that can be taken with food.”
One research article outlines the science of making muscles work better. The authors suggest that NAD+ repletion may be a successful therapeutic approach for a number of muscle-wasting diseases.
Why is this exciting news for the Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) community?
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a genetic disorder characterized by progressive muscle degeneration and weakness. It is one of nine types of muscular dystrophy.
Consumption of large doses of nicotinamide riboside may help treat DMD by reducing muscle inflammation. Read more.
The research inspired me to look more into nicotinamide riboside.
And here’s what I found:
- What is nicotinamide riboside? This health article shares the body system connections, benefits, and breakthroughs.
- What are the best food sources for nicotinamide riboside? A potent short list of foods that naturally boost your system levels (spoiler alert … beer is on the list).
Nicotinamide riboside looks to be one of the most exciting new chemicals being researched. It’s excellent news for the DMD public.
