NAD+

What it is

NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) is a coenzyme found in every living cell. It's one of the most essential molecules in metabolism — a helper that many enzymes require to function. It exists in two interchangeable forms, NAD+ (oxidized) and NADH (reduced), and shuttles between them constantly as cells produce energy.

What it does

• Powers energy metabolism. NAD+ is central to turning food into cellular energy (ATP).
• Supports DNA repair and signaling. It's a co-substrate for enzymes like sirtuins and PARPs, involved in DNA repair and cellular regulation.
• Is a focus of aging research. NAD+ levels appear to decline with age in several tissues, which is why raising it (via precursors like NMN or NR) has become a major research and supplement interest.

What it does NOT do

• Higher NAD+ is not proven to reverse aging. The age-related decline is a real observation, but that raising NAD+ makes people healthier or longer-lived is still an open question with mixed human results.
• Taking NAD+ directly isn't the usual route. The body generally uses precursors (NMN, NR) to build NAD+, rather than absorbing NAD+ whole efficiently.
• It's not a stimulant or an "energy" quick-fix in the way marketing sometimes implies.

Forms and how it's raised

• Not usually supplemented as NAD+ itself; instead via precursors such as NMN and nicotinamide riboside (NR), which human trials show can raise blood NAD+.
• Also supported by the same basics that support metabolism generally: adequate niacin (vitamin B3) from diet, sleep, and exercise.

Sources

1. Dietary supplementation with NAD+-boosting compounds in humans: current knowledge and future directions. 2023.
2. National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Niacin fact sheet.