Hi: There has been some recent discussions on NADH and some distributor that sells it as a colloidal suspension. I have a relative who is PhD in BioChem specializing in drug delivery mechanisms. I asked him about colloidal suspensions and NADH. Here is his response for those who are interested. Ron Reiner ([log in to unmask]) 48 + 1 YR ------------------------------------------------------------------ > >About colloidal suspensions - the pathway into the body through the >intestinal wall is capable of accepting large molecules and even maybe a >colloid particle or two, probably entirely by a process called endocytosis - >cells swalllow an "object" and may unswallow it on the other side. The >problem is that while it does happen, the amount of anything that can enter >the body through that route is extremely small. So, as a drug delivery >system it would only be useful for an extremely potent drug. Something like >insulin, which is extremely potent, might work except that digestive enzymes >would destroy the insulin molecule before it had much of a chance to be >absorbed. Steroid hormones which are also of very high potency might be >delivered that way too. > >NADH is another matter. Levels of NADH in cells, as you already obviously >know, are pretty high because these molecules are essential parts of the >chemical process for many different enzymes. In a sense NADH and/or its >counterpart, NAD+, are vitamins. Many vitamins serve the same type of role, >as something called a "coenzyme". I have never heard of ingesting NADH and I >don't know for sure what the digestive and absorptive process would be but >given the reactive character of NADH I suspect it would be changed or broken >down in the liver pretty quickly (what is referred to as "the first pass >effect") as many drugs are. On the other hand many drugs that are widely used >and quite effective suffer extensive metabolism and their action is often due >to the small fraction that gets in unchanged. Maybe ingestion of NADH would >deliver some to the bloodstream unchanged - but how much one would have to >ingest to get the right amount absorbed I can't say. I haven't heard anything >about NADH as a drug for Parkinsonism but if it is, I suspect that taking it >by mouth, while desirable from a convenience standpoint, wouldn't be >necessary. An injection would be fine and could deliver as much as was >needed. It doesn't seem to me that any fancy delivery system would be >necessary for that molecule. A colloidal delivery system proably couldn't >deliver enough and, the smaller the amount delivered, the greater the >percentage of metabolic transformation. Other possible routes would be >intranasal, sublingual and as a rectal suppository. > >