"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 joints, 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.
