What the Heck is NADH and Who Needs It Anyway?
If you saw my last blog post entitled: PQQ and the Little Engine that Could, I talked about what PQQ is and ATP, and NADH and CoQ10 and…okay I can feel your eyes about to glaze over already, but before you move that mouse this will be good, I promise.
Let’s recap. ATP is that blast of energy we talked about, remember, you need that ATP blast to reflex or contract each little section of your muscle fibers to even move a muscle, let alone, breath or think or stay alive, unless you’re a zombie of course, but I’m not sure what the biochemistry of a zombie is, so let’s assume you’re not one. Suffice to say, ATP—good to have! And in order to make ATP, it takes food molecules such as glucose, (blood sugar) that are converted in the mitochondria, (remember that little engine of the cell), into ATP. This is called the Kreb cycle. Okay, enough, this is the one area of biochemistry that I HATED. So I won’t bore you with anymore except to mention, this is through a process called cellular respiration where these food molecules are oxidized.
Now, why did I have to go and mention that? I promised you this was going to be good and it’s already sounding like that class in high school that we all couldn’t wait for the bell to ring. Well, hang with me, I’m trying to connect the dots. So let’s connect – food molecules are oxidized – and when something is oxidized it causes—that’s right – rust. Ah ha, PQQ is a powerful anti-oxidant.
Now it’s all coming back and CoQ10 is the ignition on the cell and NADH is….oh wait, I didn’t tell you that yet. Well I promise you I’m not going to talk about hydrogen atoms being removed and enzymes and coenzymes and all that, just know that NADH is a part of the Kreb cycle that spits out an ATP molecule. Yey!
So NADH—good to have. Without it we can’t make ATP. So why would you want to take the supplement NADH? Because some folks genetically do not convert NADH very well. These are the folks whos get up and go, got up and went. And now you know why.
This is why we are so excited about MitoCell PQQ, Mito, (mitochondria), Cell. Cause the formula it has in it, all the elements to make your engine run and your brain to function properly; PQQ the antioxidant, CoQ10 the ignition and the main cog in the engine, NADH, that makes the turn of the Kreb cycle in order to spit out a molecule the ATP, (metabolic energy).
Oh yeah, and then there is Acetyl L-Carnitine. Well, maybe next time.
Best of Health!
Radhia Gleis, Wellness Director
Radhia Gleis, CCN, is a Board Certified Clinical Nutritionist/Holistic Practitioner, Wellness Director for Martin's Compounding & Wellness Pharmacies with three locations in the Austin area. She is available for private consultation at the LakeHills Pharmacy, M-F, 1:30 to 6:30pm. Contact [email protected]