NAD+ (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide)
aka Nicotinamide riboside (NR) precursor, Nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) precursor
A molecule your cells use as fuel for energy production and DNA repair — your levels drop as you age.
Technically · Coenzyme / metabolic substrate
In one sentence
The fuel your cells burn to make energy and fix DNA — levels crash as you age, and supplements try to top it back up.
— Like the batteries that run every important machine inside your cells. They drain with age, and NAD+ tries to recharge them.
Half-life
NMN: ~10 minutes; downstream NAD+ elevation lasts hours
NMN itself burns off in ~10 minutes, but the NAD+ levels it raises stay elevated for hours.
Dosing
Daily for oral; periodic for IV
How often you take a dose
Route
Oral · IV · SubQ
How it goes into the body
Status
Investigational
Still in clinical trials, not on the market
What it is
NAD+ is one of the most basic things inside every cell — it's what your mitochondria burn to make energy, and it's what your DNA-repair crews use to fix damage. Levels crash as you get older. Supplements (NMN, NR) and IV drips try to top it back up.
The full technical answer
Essential coenzyme involved in cellular energy metabolism and DNA repair. Direct injection (rare) and oral precursors (NR, NMN) are studied for aging and metabolic health.
How it works
Imagine your cells run on batteries called NAD+. Two important groups of workers need those batteries: sirtuins (longevity enzymes) and PARPs (the DNA repair crew). When the batteries are full, both groups do their jobs well. When they're drained — which happens with age — repair slows, energy drops.
The full technical answer
Substrate for sirtuin enzymes (SIRT1-7), PARP enzymes (DNA repair), and CD38. Levels decline with age.
What the research says
Multiple human RCTs of NR and NMN show modest NAD+ elevation; clinical outcomes (aging biomarkers, healthspan) less clear.
Sources: PubMed: NMN trials
Common dosing ranges
- Range
- NMN: 250–1000 mg/day oral. NR: 300–600 mg/day. NAD+ IV: 250–500 mg per session.
- Frequency
- Daily for oral; periodic for IV
- Duration
- Open-ended
Sources: PubMed
How to take it
Practical guidance synthesized from clinical protocols, FDA labels, and clinician interviews. Always cross-check with a prescribing physician.
Best time of day
Oral NMN/NR: AM with breakfast. IV NAD+: scheduled session (250–500 mg over 1–4 hours).
With food or fasted
Oral: with or without food works. IV: doesn't matter (bypasses gut).
How long to cycle
Oral precursors: open-ended daily. IV: typically 4–8 weekly loading sessions, then monthly maintenance.
When to get off
Flushing or GI upset at high oral doses → reduce. IV: nausea during infusion → slow the drip rate.
Administration
Side effects
Common
- Generally well-tolerated
- Flushing (oral high doses)
- IV: nausea during infusion
Serious / theoretical
- Theoretical concerns with cancer (NAD+ supports cellular metabolism broadly)
Sources: PubMed
Further reading & listening
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