Our functional medicine clinic offers NAD IV therapy in Toronto to help tackle various health concerns, such as brain fog, degenerative diseases, cellular metabolism, and more. Did you also know that certain foods contain NAD? Eating these may help sustain coenzyme levels in your body. 

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) is crucial for the human body’s cellular health and functioning. It’s an essential coenzyme that can be produced in the body – however, as the body ages, the amounts of NAD diminish. 

Because this coenzyme is vital for the function of enzymes, NAD deficiencies can make the body susceptible to:

• • Age-related conditions (i.e. age-related weight gain)
  • DNA damage
  • Poor cardiovascular health
  • Weak muscle function
  • Oxidative stress
  • Chronic fatigue
  • Mitochondrial dysfunction
  • Memory loss

When a regular NAD IV drip is combined with healthy lifestyle modifications and other wellness interventions (i.e. medical advice, naturopathic medicine healing) it can contribute to health advantages. Consuming foods with NAD can also help support optimal NAD levels – the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre (TFMC) lists these foods below for educational purposes.

Suggested Reading: A NAD IV Therapy Toronto Guide to Vitamin B3 and its Beneficial Effects

NAD-rich foods to consume

NAD precursors can help sustain or reinforce NAD in the human body. An article from Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity confirms that “… the amino acid tryptophan or forms of vitamin B3 (niacin, nicotinic acid, niacinamide) as well as nicotinamide riboside (NR), nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), and nicotinic acid riboside (NaR) stimulates the formation of NAD+.” 

These constituents can be consumed via oral supplements, or you can try adding these NAD-ladened foods to your diet:

• • Cow’s milk: Dairy milk contains tryptophan, nicotinamide, as well as NR. Further research is necessary, but The Journal of Nutrition emphasizes that milk has the capability to “…bind and preserve the integrity of NR [which] makes dairy products potentially good sources of supplemented NR.”
  • Turkey: This meat contains both tryptophan vitamin B3, which are both NAD precursors. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), you can consume 180mg of tryptophan and 3mg of niacin from one cooked turkey breast (3oz). 
  • Various fruits and vegetables: In 2016, it was discovered that NMN can be consumed from tomatoes, avocados, broccoli, cucumbers, and edamame. Among those foods, edamame and avocado were shown to contain notable amounts of NMN. 
  • Beef: Eating cooked beef on a moderate basis can also help sustain your NAD because it carries niacin. We recommend buying grass-fed beef because it also has nourishing antioxidants and omega-3s. Beef manufactured using conventional practices are known to have excessive fat content with low amounts of niacin.  
  • Fish: Anchovies, salmon, and tuna are known to contain B3. As reported by WebMD, “Sockeye salmon and canned tuna both offer 8.3 mg of the nutrient. Canned anchovies, which are also an excellent source of selenium, contain just 1mg of niacin per fish.” Keep in mind that eating tuna once a week should be practiced to avoid mercury exposures. 
  • Whole grains: Both whole and enriched grains carry NAD precursors. In particular, brown rice encompasses niacin and other amounts of nutrients, such as manganese, thiamin, selenium, vitamin B6 and magnesium. Opting for brown rice is ideal because it tends to contain various nutrients, as it’s not as processed as white rice.  

Nutritional needs vary between individuals – after all, each person has different health concerns, health goals, genetics, nutritional deficiencies, environmental exposures, lifestyles, and various amounts of physical exertion/athletic performance. Even food sensitivities and allergies can play roles in individual health needs! To ensure that new dietary measures suit your goals and condition, integrative care practitioners can offer personalized assistance. Our functional medicine clinic is accepting new patients for functional medicine, IV vitamin therapy, and NAD therapy treatments (i.e. oral supplements and intravenous therapy). Read about our IV Lounge below.  

About our IV Lounge in the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre

With 50 years of experience combined, our clinicians are adept at tailoring functional medicine treatments for a wide range of concerns, such as neuropathic conditions, age-related diseases, chronic stress, cardiovascular health, cellular damage, immune function, metabolic functions, weight loss, and health issues. Our compassionate, mind-body approach to health care is renowned for inspiring patients to adhere to treatment plans and make healthy lifestyle choices for long-term health. 

Our IV Lounge is where we administer intravenous therapy drips for patients prescribed IV infusion therapy. It’s conveniently located in our TFMC clinic for you to sit back, relax, and replenish your body with wholesome nutrients! 

We offer NAD IV therapy to assist patients with specific concerns regarding mental performance, cell vitality, muscle health, and more. Prior to administering your first NAD+ IV, an initial consultation must occur with our health team. This is to ensure that interactions won’t happen between your current medications and the NAD formulation, and to discuss including additional nutrients to your drip session, such as vitamin C, amino acids, glutamic acid, magnesium, folic acid, vitamin A, etc. 

FYI: Our IV therapy treatments are not pre-mixed. Each IV drip compound is freshly prepared on a daily basis on-site. Dosages are uniquely tailored to promote personal health benefits; this dosage is determined during your initial visit. 

Let’s explore the source of your health concerns – NAD IV therapy from the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre could introduce you to an improvement in energy levels, mental clarity, and more. Request your consultation now – it’s easy, just click here to start!

Disclaimer: The information in this article is designed for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for informed medical advice or care. This information should not be used to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting a doctor. You should always consult with a health care practitioner before relying on any information in this article or on this website. Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice from your doctor or other qualified healthcare provider because of information you have read from the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre website or other affiliate media. 

 

References

Afonso C, Costa S, Cardoso C, Oliveira R, Lourenço HM, Viula A, Batista I, Coelho I, Nunes ML. Benefits and risks associated with consumption of raw, cooked, and canned tuna (Thunnus spp.) based on the bioaccessibility of selenium and methylmercury. Environ Res. 2015 Nov;143(Pt B):130-7. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2015.04.019. Epub 2015 May 8. PMID: 25962922.

Albert G. J. Tacon agjtacon@aol.com & Marc Metian (2013) Fish Matters: Importance of Aquatic Foods in Human Nutrition and Global Food Supply, Reviews in Fisheries Science, 21:1, 22-38, DOI: 10.1080/10641262.2012.753405

Alegre GFS, Pastore GM. NAD+ Precursors Nicotinamide Mononucleotide (NMN) and Nicotinamide Riboside (NR): Potential Dietary Contribution to Health. Curr Nutr Rep. 2023 Sep;12(3):445-464. doi: 10.1007/s13668-023-00475-y. Epub 2023 Jun 5. PMID: 37273100; PMCID: PMC10240123.

Kondjoyan, A., Portanguen, S., Duchène, C., Mirade, P., & Gandemer, G. (2018). Predicting the loss of vitamins B3 (niacin) and B6 (pyridoxamine) in beef during cooking. Journal of Food Engineering, 238, 44-53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2018.06.008

“Niacin” from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), updated November 18, 2022, viewed on March 28, 2024. 

Poljsak B, Kovač V, Milisav I. Healthy Lifestyle Recommendations: Do the Beneficial Effects Originate from NAD+ Amount at the Cellular Level? Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2020 Dec 12;2020:8819627. doi: 10.1155/2020/8819627. PMID: 33414897; PMCID: PMC7752291.

“Top Foods High in Niacin” from WebMD, medically reviewed by Jabeen Begum, MD on November 22, 2022, viewed on March 28, 2024. 

Trammell, S. A., Yu, L., Redpath, P., Migaud, M. E., & Brenner, C. (2016). Nicotinamide Riboside Is a Major NAD+ Precursor Vitamin in Cow Milk. The Journal of Nutrition, 146(5), 957-963. https://doi.org/10.3945/jn.116.230078

Yagishita, Y., Fahey, J. W., Dinkova-Kostova, A. T., & Kensler, T. W. (2019). Broccoli or Sulforaphane: Is It the Source or Dose That Matters? Molecules, 24(19). https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24193593

Zahra, Naseem & Jabeen, Shajia. (2020). Brown Rice as Useful Nutritional Source. Pakistan Journal of Agricultural Research. 33. 10.17582/journal.pjar/2020/33.3.445.453.