NAD+ research, explained
A plain-language library on NAD+, the coenzyme every cell uses to turn food into energy. We summarise the human studies, compare oral precursors with IV infusions, and list what to check before any treatment.
Reviewed by [EDIT: doctor or pharmacist, registration number]. Last updated [EDIT: date]. General information, not medical advice.
01 / The molecule
NAD+ picks up electrons as cells break down glucose and fats, becoming NADH. In the mitochondria, NADH hands those electrons to the chain of proteins that makes most of the cell's ATP.
Some enzymes use up NAD+ as they work. Sirtuins (SIRT1 to SIRT7) remove chemical tags from proteins; PARPs help repair DNA; CD38 breaks NAD+ down. Their activity depends on how much NAD+ is available.
Cells rebuild NAD+ mostly by recycling nicotinamide, and also from vitamin B3 forms and precursors such as NR and NMN. Studies report lower NAD+ in several tissues with age, in animals and in some human tissues.
02 / Routes compared
"Bioavailability" here means what reaches the blood. Higher blood levels are not the same as a health benefit, and no trial has compared these routes head to head on health outcomes.
| Route | What it is | What human studies measured | Open questions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nicotinamide riboside (NR), oral | A vitamin B3 form the cell converts to NMN, then NAD+ | Single doses of 100 to 1,000 mg raised the blood NAD+ metabolome in a dose-dependent way (Trammell, 2016). 500 mg twice daily for six weeks raised NAD+ in blood cells of healthy older adults by about 60% (Martens, 2018). | How much reaches specific tissues such as muscle and brain, and whether the rise changes health outcomes |
| Nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), oral | The step just before NAD+ | Single doses up to 500 mg were well tolerated in healthy men in a small Japanese safety study (Irie, 2020). Several short trials report higher blood NAD+ levels. | Most trials are small and short; long-term safety data are limited |
| NAD+, intravenous | NAD+ itself, infused into a vein at a clinic | In a pilot study, 750 mg over six hours in 8 healthy men: plasma NAD+ did not change for the first two hours, then rose about 400% by the end, along with breakdown products. No adverse events were seen at that slow rate (Grant, 2019). | How much intact NAD+ enters cells, and what faster clinic infusions do; only one small published pharmacokinetic study |
| Food and vitamin B3 | Niacin and nicotinamide from meat, fish, grains and legumes | Covers basic needs; high-dose niacin causes flushing and needs medical supervision | Not designed to raise NAD+ above normal levels |
03 / Before any treatment
Talk to your own doctor first if any of these apply to you:
04 / Partner clinics
We only pass enquiries to licensed clinics that hold the approvals their country requires for this kind of referral. Until then, the form below adds you to the reading list instead.
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|---|---|---|---|
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No. This site explains the research and, where a licensed partner clinic is available in your country, passes your enquiry to that clinic. Doctors at the clinic decide whether any treatment is suitable.
No. Studies in people show that oral precursors and IV infusions raise NAD+ and related molecules in the blood. Whether that leads to health benefits in people is still being studied.
There is no head-to-head human trial comparing them on health outcomes. The table above shows what each route has been measured to do in the blood, which is a different question from whether it helps you.
Rules on advertising medical services differ by country. We only connect visitors with a clinic after that clinic has the approvals its country requires for this kind of referral.
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This website provides general educational information about NAD+ research. It does not offer, sell or advertise medicines or medical treatments, and nothing here is medical advice or a claim that any product or treatment prevents, treats or cures any disease. Decisions about treatment should be made with a registered medical practitioner.