"Your body isn't broken," my doctor said gently.
"What you're experiencing is called NAD+ depletion. And it happens to almost every single person after 30."
She pulled out her chair — that familiar squeak of medical office furniture — and leaned in close.
"Let me show you what's happening."
She pulled up a chart on her screen.
"These are your NAD+ levels as you get older." She traced the dropping line with her finger.
"Every cell in your body depends on this one molecule — your energy, your DNA repair, your skin, your brain. Without it, you'd be dead in 30 seconds."
"And here's the crucial part — after 30, your NAD+ levels decline sharply. By 40, you've lost up to half. By 60, you're running on fumes."
"Wait," I interrupted. "You're saying this isn't about my diet? Or my sleep? Or how much I exercise? That there's something actually breaking down in my cells?"
"Exactly." She smiled.
