Understanding One of the Most Important Biological Systems in Healthy Ageing
The Science
NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) is one of the body's most important biological molecules. It is essential for cellular energy production, mitochondrial function, DNA repair, metabolic health and the activity of sirtuins—proteins closely associated with healthy ageing. Every cell in the body depends upon adequate NAD+ to function efficiently.
One of the hallmarks of ageing is a progressive decline in NAD+ levels. While reduced production contributes to this decline, research over the past decade has identified another critical mechanism. The enzyme CD38, which naturally increases with age and chronic inflammation, actively consumes NAD+, reducing its availability throughout the body. Today, many leading longevity researchers consider excessive CD38 activity to be one of the primary biological drivers of age-related NAD+ decline. See below graph from the June 14, 2016, article by Megan Forliti, “Specific Enzyme to Process of Metabolic Dysfunction in Aging” appearing in the journal Cell Metabolism.
This discovery has fundamentally changed the direction of NAD+ research. Rather than focusing solely on increasing NAD+ production through precursor molecules such as nicotinamide riboside (NR) or NMN, scientists increasingly recognize that preserving existing NAD+ by regulating CD38 activity may be equally important for maintaining healthy cellular function.
The DailyColours Discovery
From its inception, DailyColours was designed using a systems biology approach to investigate whether the remarkable diversity of Mediterranean phytochemicals could influence multiple biological pathways simultaneously.
Among the most important discoveries from this programme was the identification of significant inhibition of CD38 during preclinical enzyme screening. This finding suggested that DailyColours may influence one of the body's central regulatory systems governing NAD+ metabolism.
Unlike many discovery programmes, however, this finding did not remain confined to the laboratory.
A subsequent randomized, placebo-controlled human clinical study conducted at King's College London demonstrated significant inhibition of CD38 in human volunteers, providing rare clinical validation of one of the most important biological targets in modern longevity science.
This progression—from discovery science through human clinical confirmation—represents one of the defining achievements of the DailyColours research programme.
Why It Matters
The significance of the DailyColours’® CD38 research extends far beyond a single enzyme.
It demonstrates that DailyColours® can influence one of the body's central regulators of NAD+ metabolism using a systems biology approach inspired by the Mediterranean Diet itself.
Importantly, this represents a fundamentally different philosophy from most products currently marketed in the NAD+ category.
Most NAD+ supplements are designed to increase the body's supply of NAD+ by providing precursor molecules. DailyColours addresses an earlier step in the biology by supporting one of the mechanisms that helps regulate NAD+ availability. Rather than simply adding more building blocks, DailyColours seeks to support the biological systems responsible for maintaining NAD+ balance.