Apigenin, and other CD38 inhibitors help preserve NAD+ levels.

And salad rolls for dinner as a good source - parsley, celery and oregano for apigenin, pomegranate seeds for crunch and quercetin.

Apigenin, luteolin, quercetin, 78c, luteolinidin, and kuromanin are inhibitors of CD38, a cell membrane protein. Inhibiting it would help preserve NAD+ levels and that helps mitochondrial function and would benefit our energy level. The high dose niacin protocol directly helps preserve or increase our NAD+ levels because it is a precursor chemical.

Having more CD38 expression was associated with lower levels of NAD+, defective mitochondria, decreased oxygen use and increased lactate production in mice. Figure 1. CD38 is a major consumer of NAD+ in mammals. (Rajman, Chwalek, Sinclair, 2018)

(Rajman, Chwalek, Sinclair, 2018)

(Rajman, Chwalek, Sinclair, 2018)

(Rajman, Chwalek, Sinclair, 2018)

Role of Apigenin in Cancer Prevention via the induction of Apoptosis and Autophagy, (Sung, et al., 2016)

“Apigenin is abundantly present in common fruits, plant-derived beverages, and vegetables such as parsley, onions, oranges, tea, chamomile, wheat sprouts, and some seasonings.” - Apigenin - an Overview, (ScienceDirect)

Dietary data about CD38 inhibitors was collected an analyzed by Michael Lustgarten, PhD regarding his own diet and lab tests. He is an anti-aging focused person (Conquer Aging or Die Trying, Youtube Channel) who recorded and weighed everything he ate for a few years (1,105 days and 16 blood tests over that time period) - video:

Michael Lustgarten, PhD’s results were mixed rather than being a clear improvement in anti-aging biomarkers. That suggests the anti-aging biomarkers aren't accurate enough or something about his health was a factor. Some biomarkers were improved and others worsened when he looked at them individually in correlation to the phytonutrient intake.

Is Dietary CD38 Inhibitor Intake Significantly Correlated With Biological Age? (Conquer Aging or Die Trying, Youtube Channel)

His charts are useful regarding phytonutrient content in some common foods - the CD38 inhibitors he tracked: apigenin, quercetin, luteolin, and kuromanin.

• Apigenin sources (mg apigenin/grams food): parsley - (2.1546), peppermint - (0.0539), oregano - (0.0267), red onion - (0.0024), olive oil - (0.0009), red cabbage -(0.0006), blueberries - (0.0001), raspberries - (0.0001), strawberries - (0.0001), green peas - (0.0001).

Is the Sum of Dietary CD38 Inhibitors Correlated with Biological Age and/or Its Component Biomarkers? (Conquer Aging or Die Trying, Youtube Channel)

• Quercetin sources, (mg quercetin/grams of food): dill - (0.5515), onion - (0.392), oregano - (0.073), blueberry - (0.0464), apple - (0.0401), spinach - (0.0397), blackberries - (0.0358), tomato - (0.0276), cherries - 0.0229), lettuce - (0.022), garlic - (0.0174), broccoli - (0.0133), lemon - (0.0114), raspberries - (0.011), potato - (0.007), peach - (0.0066), strawberries - (0.0046), cauliflower - (0.0036), almond - (0.0036), parsley - (0.0028), raisins - (0.0025), red pepper - (0.0023), carrots (0.0021), beet - (0.0013), green peas - (0.0012), banana - (0.0006).

• Luteolin sources, (mg luteolin/grams of food): peppermint - (0.1266), lemon - (0.019), blueberries - (0.018), parsley - (0.0109), oregano - (0.01), spinach - (0.0074), red pepper - (0.0061), olives -(0.0056), watermelon - (0.0046), green peas - (0.004), beet - (0.0037), cauliflower - (0.0027), red onion - (0.0016), olive oil - (0.0012), apple - (0.0012), carrot - (0.0011), romaine lettuce - (0.0005), raspberries -(0.0002), strawberries - (0.0002).

• Kuromanin sources (mg kuromanin/grams of food): Blackberries - (1.387), raspberries - (0.1489), strawberries - (0.0288).

Note that many of the healthy foods have some of each type of phytonutrient - there is synergy in eating whole foods rather than using a capsule with an extract. Also note, that someone literally tested those particular foods but couldn’t have the time or budget to test every single food - so similar foods likely have some similar beneficial phytonutrients. Any berries, or any green leafy herb, or any variety of peppers are likely going to have somewhat similar amounts of the phytonutrients.

Salad rolls for dinner - tapioca resistant starch and apigenin, luteolin, and quercetin in the greens.

Pomegranate seed salad roll. That was my dinner last night. I happened to take photos because the pomegranate seeds in one of my salad roll mixes was a little unusual 😋🥳🎉 crunchy! Maybe a little too crunchy. Chopped pecans might be a better level of crunch within the tender salad roll wrap.

Ingredients: Parsley, celery oregano, pinto beans, organic iceberg lettuce, just a little green onion, olive oil and apple cider vinegar, avocado. Toss the salad, use to fill the salad roll wrappers. Yum! It was crunchier than my typical salad rolls. I don't bother with the peanut sauce effect. I can recreate that with chopped almonds and almond butter though. #apigenin

Vietnamese Spring roll or salad roll wraps are made with a shelf stable dry sheet of tapioca which simply needs to be moistened in hot water for a few seconds before filling and wrapping. It is then ready to eat or could be refrigerated for use within one to two days minimally. They get too moist after a few days.

I make all sorts of salad roll wraps now. Varied types of fillings, always some protein included to make it a mini sandwich. I like the tapioca serving for my gut health, good butyrate producing species of our microbiome like tapioca as a resistant starch food. I feel better when I have a few salad rolls at least weekly, every few days. Pudding is a lot of work to make and then is a sweet rather than a main dish.

Banh Trang - Vietnamese Spring Roll Wrappers

Disclaimer: This information is being provided for educational purposes within the guidelines of Fair Use and is not intended to provide individual health guidance.

Reference List

Apigenin, ScienceDirect/neuroscience, https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/apigenin

(Rajman, Chwalek, Sinclair, 2018) Rajman L, Chwalek K, Sinclair DA. Therapeutic Potential of NAD-Boosting Molecules: The In Vivo Evidence. Cell Metab. 2018 Mar 6;27(3):529-547. doi: 10.1016/j.cmet.2018.02.011. PMID: 29514064; PMCID: PMC6342515. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6342515/

(Sung, et al., 2016) Sung, Bokyung & Chung, Hae-Young & Kim, Nam Deuk. (2016). Role of Apigenin in Cancer Prevention via the Induction of Apoptosis and Autophagy. Journal of Cancer Prevention. 21. 216-226. 10.15430/JCP.2016.21.4.216. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/312026241_Role_of_Apigenin_in_Cancer_Prevention_via_the_Induction_of_Apoptosis_and_Autophagy