Alzheimer's may be an energy problem, not just amyloid buildup. Twenty to fifty percent of people with amyloid plaques stay sharp, and restoring NAD+, a cellular energy carrier, prevents cognitive decline in animals. Apigenin from chamomile and exercise both boost NAD+ levels.
Alzheimer's disease isn't just a problem of amyloid plaques, it's a problem of energy metabolism. In fact, 20 to 50% of people with amyloid buildup in their brains stay totally cognitively normal. Why? Well, researchers have found a resilience factor in the brain called NAD+. NAD+ is an energy-carrying molecule, and restoring NAD+ levels in animals doesn't just prevent Alzheimer's disease, it actually in some cases reversed it. And the best part is you can boost NAD+ naturally. There are compounds like apigenin found in chamomile tea that block enzymes which break down NAD+. But even more powerful? Exercise. Exercise can increase muscle mass and VO2 max, which are linked to higher activity of a key enzyme, NAMPT, that makes NAD+. I know that's a lot of jargon, but you can handle it. And if you can't, your brain might need more NAD+.
