A newly discovered form of vitamin B is proving to have startling health benefits. Trials have already been performed on mice to see what impact this new vitamin may have on health, with clinical studies now progressing to see how it may affect humans.
Nicotinamide Riboside
The new vitamin compound is known as nicotinamide riboside, or NR for short. According to EurekAlert! this is a newly discovered form of vitamin B3.
What Can NR Do?
Studies on mice have so far revealed that NR has the potential to boost levels of a cell metabolite, called NAD+, which is vital for healthy cell function. Raised levels of NAD+ have shown to have a myriad of health benefits, including regulating blood sugar levels and cholesterol, resistance to weight gain, reducing nerve damage and improving lifespan. Crucially, as we get older, we lose levels of NAD+ naturally, so boosting levels may prevent age-related health problems.
Human Trials
Even when studies on mice report positive findings, it’s still vital that human trials are conducted to assess what benefits can be gained from taking this new vitamin.
This is why companies like richmondpharmacology have a Patient Recruitment Services so that people can have trials to help the study into health and wellbeing.
Although over-the-counter supplements of NR are available, this is the first time that clinical trials have been undertaken to find scientific evidence of the role that NAD+ plays in promoting human health benefits.
The human trial has involved a dozen participants, both men and women equally. They were given single, oral doses of NR, with a seven-day gap between doses. Blood and urine samples were taken and analysed following each dose.
The Results
The initial results from the human trial have shown that NR vitamin increased NAD+ levels, and there were no side effects reported. NR is, therefore, safe for human consumption, and for boosting NAD+ metabolism.
Although this was only a small trial, it now paves the way for more extensive studying of NR. Researchers are now planning to study the long-term effects of NR supplementation on humans. They also want to see what impact NR may have on people with specific health problems, such as raised cholesterol levels, diabetes or obesity. The trial aims to discover if the health benefits from NR found in mice can be translated to humans.
