How Vitamin B3 May Support Parkinson’s Disease Management
- More than 10 million people globally have Parkinson’s disease.
- There is currently no cure for Parkinson’s disease.
- Researchers have been looking at the energy molecule nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) as a possible treatment for the condition for a few years.
- A phase 1 clinical trial found that a high dose of NR, a form of vitamin B3, helps increase NAD+ levels in people with Parkinson’s disease.
- The NR supplementation may be associated with clinical symptom improvement of Parkinson’s disease.
More than 10 million people worldwide have Parkinson's disease, which is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder after Alzheimer's disease. Unfortunately, there is currently no cure for Parkinson's, but doctors use medications, lifestyle adjustments, and sometimes surgery to manage its symptoms.
In recent years, scientists have been investigating the potential use of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), a vital molecule for producing energy in the body, as a treatment for Parkinson's. Some earlier studies have suggested that people with Parkinson's might have low levels of NAD+ and that increasing these levels could be beneficial.
Now, in a phase 1 clinical trial, researchers have discovered that giving high doses of nicotinamide riboside (NR), a form of vitamin B3 that contributes to NAD+ production, raised NAD+ levels in the blood and expanded the NAD+ metabolome in people with Parkinson's. This increase in NAD+ may be linked to an improvement in the clinical symptoms of the disease. However, it's important to note that this research is in its early stages, and more evidence is needed to confirm whether NR supplementation can help alleviate Parkinson's symptoms.
The findings of this study were recently published in the journal Nature Communications.
What Are Nicotinamide Riboside (NR) and NAD+?
Nicotinamide riboside (NR) is a type of vitamin B3 precursor to nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+). NAD+ is a crucial coenzyme for various cellular processes, including mitochondrial function (the cell's powerhouses), energy metabolism, gene expression regulation, and DNA repair.
Studies have indicated that Parkinson's disease may involve abnormal energy metabolism due to mitochondrial dysfunction in the brain, potentially contributing to the disease's onset and progression. Additionally, NAD+ levels tend to decline with age.
Research on NR has explored its potential benefits, which include anti-ageing properties, support for energy metabolism, enhancement of mitochondrial function, and assistance with DNA repair. Some studies have even suggested that NR might possess neuroprotective qualities.
How NR Supplementation May Benefit Parkinson’s Patients
This research was supported by the ChromaDex External Research Program (CERP™), which provided a special ingredient called Niagen® from ChromaDex to help with the study.
In this study, 20 people with Parkinson's disease participated in a phase 1 clinical trial. They were given a daily supplement containing 3,000 milligrams (mg) of Niagen® (a type of vitamin B3), or they received a fake pill (placebo) every day for four weeks.
During the study, the researchers checked the participants' health in different ways, like looking at their clinical and molecular information, doing heart tests (electrocardiograms), and assessing how severe their Parkinson's disease symptoms were using a rating scale called MDS-UPDRS.
The study found that the people who took Niagen® had more NAD+ in their blood and changes in how NAD+ works in their bodies compared to those who got the placebo.
How Vitamin B3 (NR) May Affect Parkinson’s Disease
| Effect | Mechanism | Potential Benefit | Evidence Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boosts NAD+ levels | Enhances cellular energy and metabolism | Improves brain cell repair | Strong preclinical data |
| Supports mitochondrial health | Improves energy production in neurons | Reduces fatigue and brain cell damage | Moderate human trial evidence |
| Reduces inflammation | Lowers oxidative stress and inflammation | May slow disease progression | Early clinical trial results |
| Safe short-term use | 3,000 mg/day tolerated in small studies | Minimal side effects observed | Phase 1 safety trial |
Is Daily Vitamin B3 Supplementation Safe?
The study found that using a high dose of NR was safe and okay for the people in the study. It also seemed to help improve the symptoms of Parkinson's disease, which they measured with a particular rating scale.
Taking 3 grams of NR daily for a month is safe in the short term, but we're still determining if it's safe for more extended periods. It also increased certain substances in the blood that might benefit us and didn't cause any harmful effects after 30 days.
But, it's important to remember that even though the NR seemed to improve things in this study, we can't say if it's a definite treatment for Parkinson's. That's because the study didn't determine whether it makes people feel better.
Are Higher Doses of Vitamin B3 Safe for Parkinson’s Patients?
One of the main goals of this study was to check if taking 3,000 mg of NR every day for a short time was safe.
The researchers believe that to understand fully how NR can be used as a treatment, they may need to test even higher doses in the future. This study, however, shows that taking 3,000 mg of NR daily for a short period is safe, which means they can consider using higher doses in upcoming studies.
To get more solid proof about whether NR can help people with Parkinson's disease, they are conducting a more extended study called NO-PARK. This study involves 400 people with Parkinson's and will last for a year. The results are expected to be ready by the end of 2024. You can find more information about the NO-PARK study on neuro-sysmed.no and clinicaltrials.gov.
Why More Research Is Needed on Vitamin B3 and Parkinson’s
After analyzing this study, experts believe it holds promise as a potential treatment for Parkinson's Disease, which could help slow its progression.
Right now, there aren't any treatments that can protect the brain from the damage caused by Parkinson's, so the findings in this study are significant. However, it's important to remember that the study was relatively small and short. To confirm its safety and effectiveness in protecting the brain, we would need more extensive and longer studies, particularly those where neither the researchers nor the participants know who is getting the treatment (double-masked studies).
The idea of increasing NAD+ levels to protect the brain is interesting to experts, and they are curious about how this could be added to the current treatments for Parkinson's disease while keeping patients safe and comfortable.
Considering the challenges in treating Parkinson's, any new potential treatment option is exciting. The thought of a supplement that could improve symptoms and possibly slow the disease's progression is especially appealing to researchers and medical professionals in this field.
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