Dr Nichola Conlon is a molecular biologist specialising in the study of cellular ageing. Passionate about translating the latest science into products that slow biological ageing she has founded Nuchido laboratories. CEO TODAY spoke to her about her focus on delivering disruptive innovation in the field of anti-ageing, rejuvenation and healthspan.
- What is your overarching vision for holistic wellness, and how do you integrate physical, mental, and emotional health in your approach
I believe in a full 360 approach to health and wellness. As a scientist I know how complex our bodies are, so there is no singular thing that will be the silver bullet to slow aging or help us feel our best. That is why it is so important to me to integrate various modalities into my routine to support my health and longevity.
I focus mainly on optimising my lifestyle habits including my diet, sleep and exercise routines. But I also incorporate newer ‘biohacks’ such as hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), cryotherapy, red light therapy, saunas etc as these have strong scientific evidence highlighting their benefits.
Our minds and bodies are not separate independent parts of our bodies, they interact with each other and studies have shown that our thoughts directly impact our cells and how they function.
As a scientist, I also love to collect data. I wear an Oura ring to track my sleep and performance, and I also routinely get my bloodwork done. Having bloodwork when you are healthy gives you your own baseline, identify any changes very quickly and tailor your routine to your needs.
- Can you share three practical wellness tips that individuals can incorporate into their daily routines to enhance their overall well-being?
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- I am a huge advocate for lifestyle habits. Exercise has a multitude of health benefits for your mind and body, but maintaining muscle mass is critically important for healthy ageing. Muscle mass declines during ageing (at a rate of 3-5% per decade after age 30), by lifting weights you can prevent frailty, and improve blood sugar regulation, metabolic health and bone health.
- I am also a big fan of hot and cold therapy. This involves cycling between an ice bath and a sauna. This temporary stress to your cells is called ‘hormesis’ and is the scientific principle that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. The shock to your cells activates lots of repair and regeneration processes in the body. In our modern lives we are often very comfortable so putting your body under this temporary stress is very beneficial for overall health.
- I also am a big fan of red light therapy, which is very beneficial for recharging your mitochondria. Mitochondria are the battery packs in all your cells, and they are sensitive to light. Red light therapy stimulates your mitochondria, increasing your energy levels. Every cell in your body is filled with mitochondria meaning red light therapy has whole-body benefits including lowering inflammation, increasing collagen levels in the skin, and promoting wound healing.
- Try to incorporate more plants into your diet. Recent studies have shown that eating 30 different plants a week can lower your biological age (how old your cells are). This is because eating more plants increases the diversity of your gut microbiome, a key driver of cellular ageing. Your gut interacts with your whole body including your immune system, skin and brain. When you have a strong diverse gut microbiome you have lower levels of inflammation and subsequently a lower rate of ageing.
- NAD+ is often described as a "miracle molecule" for anti-aging. Could you explain what NAD+ is, why it’s so critical for cellular health, and how people can naturally boost their levels to enhance their wellness and longevity?
NAD+ is a natural molecule found in every cell in the body, which has gained much attention for its longevity benefits. Think of NAD+ as a healthy ageing molecule, it powers all the important cellular processes that keep us functioning optimally. It helps us produce physical and mental energy and powers cellular repair and regeneration.
Our cells are constantly being damaged from the food we eat, alcohol consumption, smoke inhalation, stress and even breathing, and we need NAD+ to mop up that damage. If this is left unchecked our cells stop functioning properly and we feel this as fatigue, brain fog, sleep disruptions, inability to fight illnesses, loss of strength etc. That’s why the decline in NAD+ has been identified as a key driver of the ageing process.
Lots of research has looked at the benefits of boosting NAD+ levels and there are some very promising results: increased energy levels, improved sleep, enhanced cognitive function, improved cardiovascular health, improved skin health and improved insulin sensitivity.
There are several ways you can boost your NAD+ levels:
- Anything that puts your cells in a state of energy stress i.e. fasting, exercise, cold therapy will turn up NAD+ production in your cells to increase cellular energy production.
- Getting quality sleep is also very important. That’s because NAD+ levels are linked to your circadian rhythm (your sleep/wake cycle). Your circadian rhythm regulates lots of important functions in your body including hormone production and NAD+ production. Which is why your NAD+ levels naturally fluctuate throughout the day.
- Alcohol consumption also severely depletes your NAD+ levels, as NAD+ is required to power the process that breaks down alcohol in your liver. So reducing alcohol consumption can also boost NAD+.
- You can also take supplements to help boost your NAD+ levels. I created the supplement Nuchido TIME+ which works to activate your body’s natural NAD+ production pathways. Nuchido TIME+ has evidence from human clinical trials showing it boosts NAD+ levels, lowers inflammation and reverses biological age.
Dr Nichola Conlon, Molecular Biologist and founder of Nuchido Time+
