Prof. George Birkmayer
NADH in Energy Metabolism
NADH (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, reduced) is a naturally occurring coenzyme found in virtually all living cells. It plays a central role in energy metabolism and in the production of ATP in the mitochondria.
In metabolism, NADH accepts high-energy electrons and transports them to the mitochondrial respiratory chain. There, these electrons are used to establish a proton gradient that drives ATP synthesis.
NADH was discovered in the early 20th century during research into cellular respiration and energy production. Today, its role as an important electron carrier in cellular metabolism is well understood.
Why is NADH so important?
NADH plays a central role in energy metabolism as an electron carrier. It transports high-energy electrons to the mitochondrial respiratory chain, where they are used to produce ATP.
ATP is the cell's most important readily available energy source and is required for numerous biological processes—from muscle contraction and active transport to growth and repair processes.
NADH thus links the breakdown of nutrients such as carbohydrates and fats to energy production in the mitochondria.
How is energy produced from NADH?
NADH plays a central role in the conversion of nutrients into cellular energy. The breakdown of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins produces metabolic byproducts, and their energy is gradually transferred to the coenzyme NAD+. When NAD+ accepts high-energy electrons, it becomes the reduced form, NADH.
NADH transports these electrons to the respiratory chain in the mitochondria. There, NADH transfers its electrons to what is known as Complex I. The electrons are then passed on through several protein complexes in the inner mitochondrial membrane.
The energy released in this process is used to transport protons from the mitochondrial matrix into the intermembrane space. This creates an electrochemical proton gradient—in simple terms, a store of energy across the inner mitochondrial membrane.
When protons flow back into the mitochondrial matrix through ATP synthase, this energy is used to form ATP from ADP and phosphate. ATP is the cell's immediately available energy source and is required for numerous biological processes.
At the end of the respiratory chain, the electrons are transferred to oxygen. This reaction, together with protons, produces water. When NADH donates its electrons, it is oxidized back to NAD+ and can participate in metabolism once again.
Why the original?
NADH is present in our food, especially in raw meat or fish. However, it is largely lost during food preparation (e.g. cooking, frying or baking). Therefore, a stable, absorbable and highly bioavailable form of NADH is crucial.
Our expertise in NADH is still based on this pioneering work today. In the early 1990s, Prof. George Birkmayer developed a stabilized form of the sensitive coenzyme NADH for oral products.
NADH VISION , for example, combines stabilized NADH with vitamin A and zinc; vitamin A and zinc help maintain normal vision.
What is our NADH derived from?
The NADH used in our products is derived from baker's yeast and then highly purified. No significant yeast components remain in the final product.
For our NADH formulations, we use high-purity NADH with a purity of 99.9%. What matters here is not only the purity of the raw material, but also the stabilization of this sensitive molecule.
NADH research
For decades, Prof. George Birkmayer studied NADH and its role in human energy metabolism. A key focus of his work was the development of stabilized NADH formulations and the scientific investigation of their application.
His work helped make NADH available in a stable form outside the laboratory and fostered interest in NADH as a component of cellular energy metabolism.
Today, NADH continues to be studied in a variety of scientific contexts—from mitochondrial energy metabolism and redox biology to its role as an electron carrier in the NAD+/NADH system.