Visionaries: Nuchido

Self-confessed science geek Nichola Conlon spent over a decade at

university studying molecular biology, but she is now seeking to change the face

of anti-ageing with a magic pill designed to let us live our best lives for longer

For someone who swore they would never go to university, earning a Masters and

PhD in Biomedical Sciences and becoming the CEO of a worldwide health brand

developing groundbreaking, science-based anti-ageing supplements, is quite an

achievement.

That’s the story for Nichola Conlon who, after struggling to decide on a career

path and hating the idea of more education, was inspired to study Biomedical

Sciences at Newcastle University. ‘I just knew, from my nature, that I had to be

really interested in something if I was going to do it for the rest of my life,’ she tells

us. ‘I liked Biology at school, so I just thought: ‘I might as well pursue it.’

Nichola’s blasé attitude was soon transformed into dogged determination as she

became engrossed in her degree. The Ponteland native graduated with a first

class honours and stayed at the university for seven more years, completing a

Masters in Scientific Research and a PhD in Molecular Biology, before finding the

formula for a career in anti-ageing drug development.

‘I was working at a local pharmaceutical company, developing drugs to slow the

rate of ageing, which at the time was seen as a less-important area of research,’

says Nichola. ‘But I uncovered so much data showing how much ageing

contributes to major diseases – it is now our biggest risk factor in contracting

illnesses such as cancer and Alzheimers.

'I was frustrated at how long it would take to get this amazing science to the public, so I decided to do something about it.’

Three years ago, Nichola set up her own company to utilise her newfound

knowledge and produce products aimed at slowing down the ageing process.

Now, Nuchido is a worldwide brand which has this year stormed the anti-ageing

market with its Nuchido TIME+ supplement – a daily tablet which is designed to

restore NAD+ levels.

NAD+ is a natural molecule essential for the health of all living cells. As we age, our

NAD+ levels fall by around 50 percent every 20 years, meaning our cells can't

generate the energy they need to kick-start natural self-repair systems. This has been

scientifically linked to an increase in the effects of ageing.

Nuchido TIME+ works by effectively switching the enzymes that regulate our self-

repair systems back on, restoring our body’s natural ability to make its own NAD+

and thus delaying the ageing process. After being developed for two years,

Nuchido TIME+ is now available to buy on Nuchido’s website, and has already

been shipped to 33 different countries.

‘Think of your body as a working factory, and NAD+ is the manager telling everything

to keep working,’ Nichola explains. ‘When we get older, that voice stops, meaning all of

our repair processes shut down.

'TIME+ essentially turns that voice back on, and in doing so, can increase our healthspan.’

Different to lifespan, which is the number of years you’ll potentially live for, healthspan is

the number of years you’ll live in good health. ‘I like to say it’s the proportion of your life that

you’re actually living,’ Nichola says. In the UK, the life expectancy for a newborn is 83 years,

but their health span in only 63. That’s a huge proportion of life spent suffering from the

difficulties of ageing.

Seeing family members suffer as they grow old is a common struggle for many of

us, including Nichola herself who has seen the damaging impact of ageing on her

grandparents. This gave her the motivation to create a product that combats the

issue for individuals and families alike. ‘Ageing is prevalent in today’s society,

everyone is living for much longer,’ Nichola explains.

‘Not only does this impact the person’s life, but it impacts their families who have

to care for them. I’ve seen what ageing has done to my grandparents, and I don’t

want to end up like that.’ Nichola is determined to bring her scientific revelation to

the masses, and hopes that in 10 years time Nuchido will have transformed the lives

of people across the world.

To do that, the molecular biologist is seeking to stick to what she knows

best – the science. She has employed a team of full-time scientists (herself

included) to research other processes that lead to ageing, in the hope of

developing a comprehensive set of products that address each aspect of ageing –

not just decreased NAD+ levels.

‘There’s a lot of anti-ageing brands putting out false promises,’ Nichola concedes.

‘We need to prove to the public that there’s real science behind this. It isn’t a fancy

marketing ploy. Everyone thinks life is a rigid process: you’re born, you learn, you

earn, you retire, you expire; but that’s not true. There are things you can do to help

yourself later down the line – ageing is not inevitable.’

To buy TIME+ or to find out more about Nichola and Nuchido’s work, visit

www.nuchido.com