Boost Your Energy, Improve Your Memory (Even Eliminate Jet Lag) Naturally

March 26, 2005 - I can hardly believe it, but it is Memorial Day Weekend again. Before we start, I'd like to take a moment to honor the fallen and acknowledge all of the family and friends of our veterans that made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms. We owe them all our eternal gratitude. 
Memorial Day also signals the unofficial beginning of the summer season. And for many of us, summer is a time when we anxiously plan family travel and trips. For those of you who will travel long distances by plane for vacation or business, there is a great likelihood that you will experience an irritating side-effect commonly known as jet lag. Jet lag in a word is "exhausting."
Over the last several years, my wife and I have traveled overseas frequently to visit family. While I was always excited to see our children, that several-hour time change was enough to interrupt my normal sleep patterns and energy levels for several days. That is valuable time lost when you want to be active and maximize the moments with your loved ones visiting a museum, exploring ruins, sampling the local cuisine or just seeing the sites.
A while back, I came across an amazing nutrient called NADH (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide). As it turns out, there was an exciting study published on NADH and its effect on jet lag that changed the way I travel forever. Thirty five healthy individuals participated in the double-blinded, placebo-controlled study. These thirty five individuals underwent cognitive testing on the west coast, and then flew overnight to the east coast, thereby experiencing a three-hour time change. Upon arrival to the east coast, half of the group was given 20 mg of sublingual stabilized NADH, while the other half was given an identical placebo tablet. All the participants, again, underwent cognitive testing. Those individuals who received NADH performed better to the level of statistical significance on the cognitive testing compared to the placebo group. Furthermore, the NADH-treated individuals had improvement in sleeping patterns with no ill effects from the nutrient. Naturally, I was keenly interested in the findings and wanted to test the results with my own personal experience. So on subsequent trips from overseas, I scheduled a night flight arriving in New Jersey around 4:30 A.M. I began taking 20 mg of NADH sublingual on each occasion and was amazed with the results. With the NADH, I was able to go directly to work and stay up until 10:00 P.M. that evening. I had no problems falling asleep in a normal fashion and awakening the next day feeling rested, totally avoiding jet lag. I can't recommend it enough for those of you traveling between time zones.
Keep in mind, NADH may naturally help boost performance for 3-5 hours when taken at least one hour before activities such as traveling, time zone changes/jet lag, long meetings, studying, workouts and athletic events.
Besides reducing the effects of jet lag, NADH has many other benefits as well, especially for those of you that are looking to add some needed energy in life. Millions and millions of people in this country suffer from a lack of energy, with the worst of them battling a condition called Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. The cause of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is unknown, but studies have pointed to the potential of viral infections, immunologic dysfunction, physical/emotional stress, irregular blood pressure and nutritional deficiencies as possible contributors. In the past, CFS was often dismissed or misdiagnosed in many traditional medical circles, but it is a real and serious condition that is now recognized by the vast majority of the medical community. It produces multiple symptoms, including muscle aches, joint pain, headache, difficulty with memory or thinking, difficulty with sleep and other symptoms. Because there is no definitive known cause for CFS, there has been great difficulty in developing an effective treatment. Multiple studies have been ongoing to help find a solution. In one such study out of Georgetown University published several years ago, twenty-six patients who were diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome participated in a double-blind study. Half of the group was given NADH 10 mg daily while the other half was given placebo for a four-week period. Both groups were allowed a four-week washout, and finally, the subjects were crossed over for the last four-week portion of the trial. In this small study, 31% of patients responded favorably to NADH as opposed to only 8% in the placebo group. I feel these results are quite encouraging and signal a positive potential that NADH could have for millions of us that suffer from milder forms of fatigue and low energy. That's great news, because I know all of us want to feel stronger and more energized at times. I would also recommend NSI's B-Complex, carnitine, magnesium malate and CoQ10 for those that need more energy. All of these nutrients are required for or assist in cellular energy production of ATP.
NADH's benefits aren't just limited to increased energy. As a practicing neurologist, I always have particular interest in the latest neurological studies. NADH has been studied in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. In a study out of eastern Europe last year, twenty-six patients with probable Alzheimer's disease were randomized to receive either 10 mg a day of NADH or placebo. After six months of treatment, those individuals treated with NADH showed no evidence of progression in cognitive deterioration, and had overall significantly higher scores in cognitive testing compared to those individuals treated with placebo. The author of this study indicated that the positive findings were consistent with earlier studies which supported NADH as beneficial for Alzheimer's patients. I have several patients who take NADH that are afflicted with Parkinson's disease, and I am absolutely convinced that it does show some benefit in this regard. It appears that NADH boosts endogenous dopamine production, which is deficient in Parkinson's disease.
So how does NADH work and why does it give us better energy and brain function?
NADH is a co-enzyme that is derived from niacin. It plays a critical role in certain enzymatic reactions in all living cells. First and foremost, NADH helps stimulate the production of ATP, which are energy molecules that power our cells. Consequently, as noted earlier, it has shown benefit in treating Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, along with fibromyalgia. In a recent Fortune magazine article, I noted that they had mentioned NADH as an energy booster.
Many individuals also take NADH to improve memory and concentration. NADH can also help stimulate production of key neurotransmitters in the brain which may have a positive effect in individuals with depression. I am not aware of any clinical trials, however, confirming this.
Nutraceutical Sciences Institute (NSI) has just released a 10 mg sublingual, stabilized NADH tablet. NSI's formulation provides you with ENADA®, the only patented, stabilized, absorbable form of NADH. Therefore, it offers the highest-quality NADH available, and as usual, NSI delivers the best value I've found anywhere. A 30-count box of 10 mg NADH sells for $24.95. I urge you to compare this to other products on the market where you may be paying anywhere from 40% to 100% more.
Again, I want to give a special remembrance to our fallen heroes and wish each and every one of you a happy and safe Memorial Day holiday.