Dr. Salim Al Olabi at SKIN111 on the dramatic effects NAD (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide) can have on our health.
What do the first 30 minutes of your day look like, your morning routine?
It’s good to start your day in a positive way and when I arrive at the clinic the first thing I do is wish everyone a good morning, from the receptionist to nurses. Then I get my coat, a cup of tea, and start my computer ready for the day ahead. Check my appointments, and lab reports to see if any prescriptions are needed, organise my home care cases also any phone consultations and so on.
Skin111 offers NAD+ IV therapy, what are the key goals you see for those using this kind of therapy?
With all the negative aspects of our modern lifestyle, from stress, lack of exercise/ activity, exposure to UV lights and heavy metals, unhealthy eating habits and exposure to repeated infections, especially viral ones, the key goal our patients seek is a healthier lifestyle, a stronger immune system, improved sleep, increased energy and of course a better mood. NAD+ has been called the fountain of youth. At SKIN111, as the leading provider of IV Drips, we provide NAD + IV Drips at our luxurious clinics in DIFC and Palm Jumeirah, with free valet parking or at the convenience of a patient’s home (at no additional cost, with free Doctor consultation and Oligoscan – a scientific approach to quickly and accurately measure your Vitamin, Mineral & heavy metals levels).
What effect does it have on the mind and body?
To understand the benefits of NAD+, we first need to define it and NAD+ stands for Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide, a powerful coenzyme that is universal and exists in every cell in our body. A coen- zyme is an essential molecule for enzymes in our body to function properly. Enzymes are mostly proteins that speed up the rate of chemical and biological reactions in our cells, keeping our body healthy and alive. Our body doesn’t function without enzymes, and enzymes are helpless without coenzymes. NAD+ is a naturally occurring coenzyme, our body synthesizes it from vitamin B3. It helps convert food into cellular energy and is a helper molecule for proteins that carry out different metabolic processes and regulate our cellular function. No cell in the body can produce energy without the help of NAD+, and brain cells are no exception, which leads to its positive effect on mood, concentration levels, and sleep rhythm. To put it simply, NAD+ has three main functions, which include energy production, switching off so-called bad genes, which when switched on, pave the way for inflammation, and chronic and autoimmune diseases to take place, and the repair of DNA damages. Improving the energy a cell produces, means improving the function of that cell, NAD+ which will promote all body functions to ensure a healthy wellbeing. The question is why do we need NAD+ when our body manufactures it? At birth, NAD+ level in our body is 100 percent this decreases by 50% every 20 years, at age 20 it reaches 50%, age of 40, it reaches 25%, and at 60, 12.5%. It is the ageing process.
How does it affect the ageing process?
As we age, DNA damage increases, chromosomal stability declines, immune systems enzymes level increases (the longer we live, the higher exposure we face to germs). All that makes our bodily enzymes consume more NAD+, depleting its stores. This can lead to reduced DNA repair, cellular stress response, and regulation of energy. Metabolism, which leads to inflammation, chronic diseases such as diabetes, auto- immune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis & multiple sclerosis, and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s’ & Parkinson. Supplying our body with NAD+ would slow the ageing process and protect us against age-related diseases. Here I should emphasize that NAD+ is not a cure but helps to ameliorate to a high extent ageing/age-related diseases and helps us live our life in a better way. Some scientists called NAD+ effect, tissue repair and regeneration. In autoimmune diseases, where the immune system, for unknown reasons, attacks itself, NAD+ protects by altering the immune response and turning “destructive” cells into “protective” cells.
The main function of NAD+ is energy production. Are the effects instant, how long do they last?
And how often should we be topping them up? The lower the levels of NAD+ in your body, the better and faster effect you get, and this are true, as we have seen with our patients. Benefits could last from three to six months, even a year, that’s why we recommend a course of five sessions, on daily basis, or every other day, every three to six months. NAD+ comes in four major strengths, 250, 500, 750 and 1000 mg. The 750 and 1000 mg are usually for patients with autoimmune or neurodegenerative disease. The 250 mg NAD+ is recommended for younger people and especially under 50 kg weight. The most frequently used is a 500 mg dose, which is good for ages between 25 and 55, who seek antiageing effects, improved brain and cognition function, a better life with good sleep and excellent mood. Special precaution for the elderly, we recommend a dose of 250-500 mg. It is the Doctor’s de- decision that must be made, based on the patient history and complaints, the Oligoscan and the consultation as to the level of NAD+ prescribed. The clinic provides bespoke treatment plans according to each customer’s requirements.
Was this individual approach the goal from the outset?
At SKINIII, our goal is to assist each patient according to their unique and individual requirements, to provide bespoke treatments which result in the best outcome. For IV therapy such as NAD+ this is fulfilled through a specialist Doctor consultation and Oligoscan analysis, which detects the balances inside tissues and cells and help us customize a specific IV drip for each patient.
This is The Pioneer Issue – what does this mean to you and how do you approach this as a business?
The field of medicine has always been driven by research and innovation, which naturally leads itself to a pioneering position. At SKIN111 we are always looking for the latest and the most beneficial treatments for our patients. We know how to take care of our patients, having been nominated in the Pro Beauty Awards GCC (2021 & 2022) and the proud winner of the MEA Business Awards for the best IV provider in the UAE 2021 & the best Aesthetic Clinic of the year 2022.
October’s – The Pioneer Issue – Download Now
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Images: Supplied & Feature Image: Unsplash @insungyoon
