NAD+
A coenzyme every cell uses to make energy. Levels fall with age; IV and injected NAD+ are popular, but human trials are small.
- Evidence
- Limited human research
- Half-life
- Not known
- Sources
- 2 cited
Is NAD+ FDA-approved?
Not an FDA-approved drug. Oral precursors are sold as supplements.
Overview
NAD+ is needed to turn food into energy and for enzymes that repair DNA. In animals, NAD+ falls with age and raising it improves some aging markers. In people, most trials test oral precursors like NR and NMN, which reliably raise blood NAD+ but have shown small or inconsistent health benefits so far. Research on IV or injected NAD+ itself is very limited.
How it works
It shuttles electrons in energy production and fuels sirtuins and PARPs, enzymes involved in DNA repair and stress responses.
How long does NAD+ stay in the body?
Not well established for injected NAD+; it's quickly taken up and broken down.
What it's studied for
- Aging and energy metabolism
- Brain health
- Recovery from addiction (clinic use, little evidence)
Reported side effects
- Nausea, flushing, cramping or chest tightness are commonly reported when IV infusions run fast
- Injection-site pain
Related: GHK-Cu, AHK-Cu, Argireline, Matrixyl.
Sources
The studies and prescribing labels this page is written from.
- Changes in the human plasma and urine NAD+ metabolome during a 6 hour IV infusion of NAD+. Front Aging Neurosci, 2019 PubMed
- NAD+ precursor supplementation in human ageing: clinical evidence and challenges. Nat Metab, 2025 PubMed
