From the Guidelines
NAD+ supplementation is crucial for maintaining cellular energy production, DNA repair, and overall health, particularly in older adults or those with age-related diseases, and the most effective way to boost NAD+ levels is through dietary intake of niacin-rich foods or supplements, with a recommended daily dose of 40 mg/day, as supported by the most recent and highest quality study 1.
Importance of NAD+
NAD+ (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide) is a vital coenzyme found in all living cells, playing a central role in metabolism and cellular energy production. It exists in two forms: NAD+ (oxidized) and NADH (reduced). NAD+ functions primarily as an electron carrier in redox reactions, particularly in processes like glycolysis, the citric acid cycle, and the electron transport chain, where it helps convert nutrients into ATP, the cell's energy currency.
Role of Niacin in NAD+ Production
Niacin, a collective term for nicotinic acid and nicotinamide, is essential for NAD+ production, as it is converted into its main metabolically active form, the coenzyme NAD, in all tissues of the body 1. Niacin can be obtained from the diet, with highest contents in fortified packaged foods, meat, poultry, red fish, and lesser amounts in nuts, legumes, and seeds. Additionally, niacin can be synthesized from the amino acid tryptophan in the liver.
Benefits of NAD+ Supplementation
While research suggests potential benefits of NAD+ supplementation for metabolic health, cognitive function, and longevity, most evidence comes from animal studies, and human clinical research is still developing 1. However, maintaining cellular NAD+ levels is crucial for preventing age-related diseases, such as sarcopenia, and supplementation with niacin or its precursors may be beneficial in this regard.
Recommended Daily Dose
The recommended daily dose of niacin for NAD+ production is 40 mg/day, as supported by the most recent and highest quality study 1. This dose can be achieved through dietary intake of niacin-rich foods or supplements.
Key Points
- NAD+ is a crucial coenzyme for cellular energy production and overall health.
- Niacin is essential for NAD+ production and can be obtained from the diet or synthesized from tryptophan.
- Maintaining cellular NAD+ levels is crucial for preventing age-related diseases.
- The recommended daily dose of niacin for NAD+ production is 40 mg/day.
From the Research
NAD+ Overview
- NAD+ is an essential pyridine nucleotide that serves as a cofactor and substrate for various critical cellular processes, including oxidative phosphorylation, DNA repair, and gene expression 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
- NAD+ depletion can occur due to excessive DNA damage, chronic immune activation, and inflammatory cytokine production, leading to significant poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) activation and decline in NAD+ levels 2
NAD+ Precursors and Therapeutic Strategies
- NAD+ precursors, such as nicotinamide (NAM), nicotinic acid (NA), nicotinamide riboside (NR), and nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), have been shown to attenuate NAD+ decline in degenerative disease states and physiological aging 2, 3, 6
- Enhancing NAD+ levels can profoundly reduce oxidative cell damage in catabolic tissue, including the brain, and represents a promising therapeutic strategy for age-associated degenerative diseases 2, 3
- NAD+ metabolism plays a critical role in neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and retinal degenerative diseases, and maintaining appropriate NAD+ levels is important for mitochondrial function 4
Safety and Effectiveness of NAD+ Supplementation
- NAD+ supplementation has been shown to be safe and effective in various clinical conditions, including chronic fatigue syndrome, older adults, Parkinson's disease, overweight, postmenopausal prediabetes, and Alzheimer's disease 5
- The most common side effects associated with NAD+ supplementation are muscle pain, nervous disorders, fatigue, sleep disturbance, and headaches, but these adverse events do not present a serious risk to the health of the participants 5
- Nicotinamide riboside (NR) has gained attention as a potential therapeutic agent due to its success in alleviating and treating disease conditions at the pre-clinical level, but clinical outcomes have not yet met expectations 6