There’s no such thing as a magic longevity pill. But NAD supplements might just be the next closest thing to a capsule you can swallow to increase your healthspan.
Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, otherwise known as NAD (and sometimes referred to by its other formats, NAD+ or NADH), stands for a naturally occurring molecule in our bodies that decreases as we age.
“It’s a reasonable hypothesis that the declines in NAD might contribute to disease and dysfunction as we age, and that supplementing NAD would be a way to restore it and improve our health holistically,” says Daniel Craighead, PhD, who has published research on NAD-boosting compounds.
Studies show that giving animals the NAD precursors nicotinamide riboside (NR) or nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) — the building blocks that create NAD — can improve several biomarkers for cardiovascular health, brain function, metabolism, muscle health, skin anti-aging, and more.
The caveat? So far, only a small number of short-term studies on humans have been done, and the results of those are more mixed. But there have been some benefits seen in people with type 2 diabetes or peripheral artery disease, and other positive results, such as an overall reduction in inflammation.
“It’s important to have a big picture of health — we stress whole foods, exercise, sleep hygiene, stress reduction, those things first,” says Barry Sandler, DO, an osteopathic physician specializing in anti-aging medicine at Vail Health. “But I think NAD is safe and looks promising for most people.” He and other experts recommend that anyone interested in taking NAD supplements check with their physician first.
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NAD is a large molecule, so it can’t actually enter cells. Experts are skeptical of NAD IV drips and anything that says it contains actual NAD due to the size of the molecule and the fact that NAD can’t survive outside of certain conditions. The best way to maximise natural NAD production in the body is by boosting precursors.
The tricky part, however, is that supplements containing these precursors aren’t regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), so it can feel a bit like the Wild West trying to figure out your best options. “A study came out where they randomly sampled NMN supplements on the market, and most had much less of the ingredient than advertised,” Dr. Craighead says. And since these capsules aren’t cheap, you want to be sure you get what you’re paying for. So we asked experts for their top recommendations. Here, they share what to look for in a good NAD supplement, including options they use themselves or have seen their patients find success with.
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