NAD+
The coenzyme your mitochondria use to turn food into cellular energy. Tissue levels fall with age.
The basics
NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) carries electrons from the food you eat into the mitochondrial machinery that makes ATP, the energy currency of the cell. The enzymes that repair DNA and regulate cellular stress responses also consume it.
Human studies have found lower NAD+ in skin and brain tissue with age. Restoring it improves mitochondrial and muscle function in mice, and the open question is how well that carries over to people.
We review the studies, the potential uses and benefits, and the open questions in our research post, NAD+ Injections, Aging Mitochondria, and What the Research Shows.
What the evidence looks like
Early. Oral NAD+ precursors reliably raise blood NAD+ in human trials, with mixed clinical results. Controlled human data on injected NAD+ are limited, and no randomized trial has yet shown that it improves a clinical outcome.
Why patients ask about it
- Energy and fatigue
- Healthy aging and mitochondrial support
- Recovery from training or illness
Good to know
- Compounded NAD+ is not FDA-approved.
- Flushing, nausea, and chest tightness can occur, mostly when it's given quickly.
- Exercise raises the enzyme that recycles your own NAD+, so it belongs in any plan.
NAD+ Injections, Aging Mitochondria, and What the Research Shows
NAD+ falls with age, and restoring it revives mitochondria in old mice. Human trials of oral precursors are mixed, and no randomized trial has tested injected NAD+ against a clinical outcome.
Read the articleRelated on our formulary
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GHK-Cu
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