Key points from article :
Cells that line the intestinal tract are replaced every few days.
High rate of turnover relies on a healthy population of intestinal stem cells.
Impact of ageing on stem cells may contribute gastrointestinal tract disorders.
MIT researchers able to reverse this effect in aged mice by treating them with nicotinamide riboside (NR).
Compound is a precursor to NAD, a coenzyme that activates the sirtuin SIRT1.
NR boosted stem cell population and protected the mice from inflammation and tissue damage.
In 2014, Guarente founded Elysium Health which sells a dietary supplement containing NR.
The study was published in journal Aging Cell.
