What is NAD+?
NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) is a molecule found in every living cell. It carries electrons in the reactions that release energy from food, and it is used by enzymes that repair DNA (PARPs), regulate gene activity (sirtuins), and manage immune signalling (CD38).
Cells must keep rebuilding NAD+ from dietary precursors, such as nicotinamide, nicotinamide riboside (NR) and nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN).
Why it comes up for skin and aging
We found no controlled human trial showing that raising NAD+ improves skin appearance.
The strongest human skin evidence in this family is for nicotinamide, a precursor, in preventing some non-melanoma skin cancers in people at high risk. It is covered on our nicotinamide page.
What the research shows
Remie et al. 2020 (Am J Clin Nutr) gave 13 overweight or obese adults 1,000 mg a day of NR or placebo for 6 weeks, in a randomized, double-blind crossover design. Fat-free mass, as a share of body mass, was 62.65% after NR and 61.32% after placebo (change 1.34 percentage points, P = 0.02). The abstract reports that NR increased skeletal muscle NAD+ metabolites and had no effect on insulin sensitivity. It does not report fat mass or body weight.
Taking NAD+ itself by mouth is not the same as raising it, which is why most supplements use a precursor instead.
We found no controlled trial showing that intravenous NAD+ slows aging or improves skin.
Forms, amounts and limits
There is no established dose of NAD+ for longevity. The better-studied route is a precursor such as NR, NMN or nicotinamide.
Niacin (nicotinic acid) also feeds NAD+ but causes flushing. The NIH upper limit for supplemental niacin is 35 mg a day for adults.
Safety
Long-term safety of NAD+ precursors is not established.
IV treatments should only be given by a licensed medical professional. People who have had cancer, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or take medicines should talk to a clinician first.
Talk to a doctor or pharmacist before starting any supplement, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, have a medical condition or take medicines.
Questions
Can NAD+ boosters help with fat and muscle?
One small six-week crossover trial of the precursor NR found fat-free mass was higher than with placebo, by 1.34 percentage points. The trial was small and short, and it needs confirming in larger, longer studies.
Does NAD+ reverse skin aging?
No human trial we found has shown that raising NAD+ reverses skin aging.
Is an NAD+ IV better than a capsule?
We found no controlled evidence that IV NAD+ improves skin or lifespan. Precursor capsules have more human trial data.
Which is the best NAD+ precursor?
There is no head-to-head winner. NR and NMN both raise NAD+ metabolites in human trials. Nicotinamide has the only skin-cancer prevention trial in the library. Read each page and compare.
Sources
General information, not medical advice. Vanu Health does not sell this supplement. Read our terms.