Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) contains the information that almost every living organism needs to function, grow, and reproduce. Various DNA repair processes promote stability within these molecules and ensure that vital genetic information is passed down to future generations.
What Is DNA Repair?
DNA carries the genetic information, or blueprints, that make us uniquely who we are. Personality traits, eye color, hairline shape, and vulnerability to certain diseases are among the myriad characteristics contained in DNA molecules.
When these molecules incur some type of harm, the body may be able to naturally remedy the problem through a variety of mechanisms that are referred to collectively as DNA damage repair, or simply DNA repair.
These mechanisms can be divided into two general categories based on the approach they take to DNA repair:
- Reversing the chemical reactions that caused the damage
- Removing damaged sections of DNA and replacing them with newly created, undamaged sections
Research indicates that the second type listed above, which is referred to as incision repair, is by far the most common type of DNA repair in the human body.
Mechanisms involving the reversal of harmful chemical reactions seem to be limited to lesions within DNA, some effects of exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and a few other types of damage.
Why It Matters
DNA repair is important both for the health of the individual and for the survival of the species.
Living cells continually reproduce by replicating all the information they contain, and then dividing into two separate cells. If DNA damage is not repaired before the cell divides and replicates, the eventual outcomes for the individual can include impaired cellular functioning, cell death, and the conversion of healthy cells into cancer cells.
From a species-level perspective, DNA passes from parents to their children via chromosomes, which consist of a protein that has a DNA molecule tightly wrapped around it. The cells of most people contain 46 chromosomes – 23 of which they inherited from their father and 23 that they received from their mother.
DNA repair ensures that the information passed from parents to children in their chromosomes is uncorrupted. If children received incomplete or otherwise defective DNA strands, this could lead to genetic mutations that could negatively impact cellular functioning and increase the risk of cancers and other diseases.
Left unchecked, the passage of increasingly more flawed DNA from one generation to the next would eventually result in the extinction of the species.
What Damages DNA (and How You Might Be Making It Worse)
Various internal functions and environmental influences can lead to DNA damage.
Internal causes include oxidation, which occurs when the body converts nutrients into energy, and hydrolysis, which is the body’s use of water to break down compounds during digestion.
Examples of potentially damaging environmental factors include exposure to UV radiation, carcinogenic chemicals in tobacco smoke, and automobile exhaust fumes.
DNA Damage & Repair: What’s Hurting Your Cells Daily?
Metabolism and digestion are two internal processes that can be damaging to your cells on a daily basis.
Environmental factors that can cause daily damage can depend on your location and behaviors.
For example, UV radiation from the sun is one of the greatest threat to cellular damage. So if you live in a particularly sunny part of the world, or you have an outdoor job that frequently exposes you to sunlight, it’s important to take proper precautions, such as using sunblock and wearing protective clothing.
Living in an urban environment, near a highway, or in other areas where you’re exposed to automobile exhaust can also be a source of daily cell damage. If you regularly engage in harmful habits such as smoking and drinking alcohol, these behaviors can also cause ongoing harm.
DNA Repair and Aging: Why You Feel Older Than You Are
All living organisms age and eventually die. Experts have not yet developed a full understanding of the many aspects that contribute to aging, but they know that DNA plays a key role in this complex process.
Researchers have discovered that insufficient DNA repair can cause a gap between a person’s chronological age and their biological age. This gap between how old you are and how old your cells appear to be is commonly referred to as epigenetic age acceleration, or simply age acceleration.
Factors that can elevate your biological age and increase age acceleration include:
- Low birthweight
- Exposure to stress
- UV radiation
- Poor diet
- Lack of exercise
- Poor sleep habits
- Substance abuse
How to Naturally Support DNA Repair
Though DNA repair is an automatic function, there are ways that people can naturally improve their body’s ability to perform this task, such as:
- Following a nutritious diet plan
- Exercising on a regular basis
- Getting an appropriate amount of sleep every night
- Avoiding alcohol, nicotine, and other substances
How NAD+ Enhances DNA Repair Mechanisms
NAD, which stands for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, is a coenzyme that exists in two forms:
- NAD+ is the oxidized form, which means that it can receive electrons from other molecules
- NADH is the reduced form, which means that it can donate electrons to other molecules
The ability of NAD molecules to give or receive electrons allows them to play a key role in the metabolic process, which is the series of steps through which the body converts nutrients into energy.
NAD is also involved in DNA repair through its relationship with certain enzymes and proteins. As described in a January 2020 Scientific Reports article:
NAD+ is also an essential substrate for signaling and protein modification factors that impact cell death, stress responses and genome stability via mono- or poly-ADP-ribosylation (PARP family proteins), chromatin status via deacetylation (sirtuins) and overall functional capacity of mitochondria.
Importantly, nuclear/mitochondrial crosstalk is mediated in part by NAD+ and NAD+ precursors to facilitate genome stability and the cellular response to genotoxic and cytostatic insults.
As people age, their body’s ability to produce NAD+ naturally declines. The effects of diminished NAD+ levels can include insufficient blood flow to the heart and brain, which deprives these organs of the oxygen they need to function at their full capacity. Other effects can include insulin resistance, diabetes, glaucoma, and ineffective DNA repair.
In addition to the NAD+ that their bodies produce, humans also naturally get this coenzyme through diet. Foods that are rich in NAD+ include milk, beef, fish, turkey, whole grains, edamame, avocados, and several other fruits and vegetables.
Today, people can also achieve increased NAD+ levels via infusion therapy. During NAD+ infusion sessions, patients sit or recline in comfortable chairs while a solution containing NAD+ enters their bloodstream through a small needle.
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Published: 5/21/2025
