A new clinical trial studying RiaGev, an NAD-boosting supplement ingredient containing Ribose and vitamin B3, suggests that it has anti-aging and stress management benefits, based on the results seen in adults who used the product. RiaGev was found to improve stress resistance by boosting ATP, NAD, and glutathione levels, which is associated with improvements to mitochondrial function.
 
Until now, no one supplement has been able to create significant increases in the production of all three aforementioned endogenous compounds before. Bioenergy Life Science, the manufacturers of Riagev, supported a study on the all-natural ingredient to evaluate its impact on stress-related parameters such as cortisol reduction among healthy, middle-aged participants.
 
NAD+ is a molecule that enables cells and mitochondria to convert food into ATP, the body’s basic energy source. The NAD+ molecule naturally contains ribose and nicotinamide – Riagev is a combination of Bioenergy Ribose (the company’s proprietary ribose ingredient) and nicotinamide in a carefully optimized ratio. According to the company, previous preclinical data suggests that RiaGev can strengthen the NAD salvage pathway in cells, and effectively increase NAD across all tissues.
 
“Strengthening the salvage pathway gives RiaGev a distinct advantage over other ingredients in this category because the salvage pathway is where up to 90% of the NAD conversion happens,” Michael Crabtree, ND, BLD director of scientific affairs, said. “For NAD, NMN, or NR to be absorbed, they must be broken down into their components, which are nicotinamide and D-ribose. Why not go straight to the source? With RiaGev, the body doesn’t have to go through the process of first breaking it down to make it bioavailable and risk losing its effectiveness through digestion.”
 
Cellular Health Specifics
 
The single-center, randomized, double-blind, comparator controlled, crossover study investigated the safety and efficacy of RiaGev in healthy men and women between the ages of 36 and 65. “This is the time when people generally have a heavy workload. They are stressed. Their cortisol levels are probably elevated,” Crabtree said. “Meanwhile, the body’s ability to make NAD and glutathione are diminished by aging. Chronically low NAD and glutathione levels may lead to illness. Increasing both is known to have an anti-aging effect. It is critical to get middle-aged adults into a healthy, clinically relevant NAD and glutathione state to support both cognition and their overall quality of life.”
 
In the study, researchers looked at RiaGev’s impact on circulating levels of NAD+ and NADP+, as well as RiaGev’s ability to increase ATP/ADP, induce increased glutathione levels to minimize oxidative stress, and reduce cortisol production. After participants supplemented with RiaGeve or a placebo for seven days, the researchers determined a number of beneficial effects associated with RiaGev consumption.
 
Those who supplemented with RiaGev saw significant increases in NAD+ and NADP+ levels in the body. “ATP levels drop with age, most dramatically after age 60. Since this is associated with premature aging, boosting NAD+ and ATP levels has interested researchers for many years,” Crabtree said. “Supplementing with 1540 mg of RiaGev dosed twice daily for five days significantly increased NAD+ in the blood 11% over baseline as well as over placebo. The increase to NADP+, an advanced product of AND+ was even more dramatic at 27%. Higher NADP+ yield means the body is at a higher energy status, consistent with having more ATP, ADP, and glutathione in the blood. RiaGev is the only single compound that increases both NAD+ and NADP+ series.”
 
Additionally, the supplement group saw a significant increase of glutathione in the serum. “Exercise induces oxidation, and glutathione is the body’s master antioxidant,” Crabtree said. “RiaGev preserved glutathione (GSH) levels during exercise rather than exhausting them, as some other ingredients in this category may do. Total serum glutathione (GSH) increased 11% over baseline, indicating RiaGev is superior at suppressing oxidative stress.”
 
RiaGev also reduced serum levels of cortisol, the primary stress hormone, by as much as 10%, the researchers noted.
 
“The waking salivary cortisol of RiaGev subjects steadily and significantly decreased, compared with higher, fluctuating salivary cortisol in the placebo group. This indicates that RiaGev helps people to relax,” Crabtree said.
 
In addition to these primary outcomes, RiaGev also was associated with improved insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance – participants in the RiaGev group self-reported improved cognitive function and quality of life over baseline, especially with respect to fatigue, concentration, and motivation, the authors of the study noted.
 
“We are thrilled with these findings, which prove RiaGev’s unique formulation is more effective than competing products,” Crabtree said. “With RiaGev, we’re not just seeing an NAD increase. We’re seeing simultaneous increases in three specific biochemical markers: NAD+, glutathione, and cortisol. Other ingredients in this category cannot do this. And even though the total mass is higher because there are two ingredients, the price per dose is very cost effective. This makes RiaGev a logical choice in the healthy aging category.”