How people get it: Over-the-counter supplements.
Part of Age reversal: drugs and supplements studied for slowing aging
The basics
What it is
NAD+ is a helper molecule found in cells. It takes part in making energy, repairing DNA, and controlling genes.
How it's thought to work
The body turns the niacin it absorbs into NAD, its main active form. More than 400 enzymes in the body need NAD to carry out reactions.
Source: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Niacin - Health Professional Fact Sheet ↗
What the research has found so far
- A review of studies found that oral NR and NMN raised NAD-related substances in the blood or cells.
- A review of studies found that in humans, effects on function, metabolism, and blood vessels were mixed and often null.
- A review of studies found that NAD+ boosting has clear biological activity, but benefits for anti-aging or wellness remain inconclusive.
- A review of studies found no eligible trials of IV or intramuscular NAD+ for anti-aging or wellness.
Source: PubMed abstract: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
Small human trials show NAD+ rises in the blood. Effects on aging are not yet known.
On NAD+ boosters and aging, PubMed lists 18 trials in people, 5 studies that watched people over time, 181 animal and lab studies. See the counts and searches
Stage 2 because 18 published trials and 93 registered trials in people have been found, but no large ones yet.
A stage shows how far research has got, not whether it will work for you. How stages work
Side effects and risks
A review of studies found all studies reported some side effects, most often muscle pain, nervous disorders, fatigue, sleep disturbance, and headaches. The same review said the side effects listed did not pose a serious health risk to participants.
Who should be careful, and drug interactions
Large doses of nicotinic acid, a form of niacin, can raise blood sugar by causing or worsening insulin resistance. People on diabetes medicines who take high-dose nicotinic acid should have blood sugar monitored, since they might need dose changes.
Source: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Niacin - Health Professional Fact Sheet ↗
Approval and legal status
The FDA now concludes that NMN is not excluded from being sold as a dietary supplement, after revising how it reads the law.
Source: FDA (regulations.gov): Response to citizen petition FDA-2023-P-0872, signed 29 September 2025 ↗
Amounts used in studies
What studies or labels describe, not a recommendation.
Studies of nicotinic acid, a form of niacin, used a median dose of 2 g per day, ranging from 0.5 to 4 g per day.
Source: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Niacin - Health Professional Fact Sheet ↗
Roughly what it costs
The 5 products we list that contain NAD+ boosters cost from $32.08 to $64.95, as read from the makers' pages. See the products
Questions to ask your doctor
- Is NAD+ boosters a sensible option for me, given my health and the medicines I take?
- Could NAD+ boosters interact with any medicine or supplement I already take?
- What side effects should I watch for, and when should I stop or call you?
- Supplements aren't checked by the FDA before sale. Is there a brand or a third-party test seal you would trust?
- How would we tell whether it is helping, and when should we review it?
This is general information gathered from the sources listed, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor before starting anything new.
Products that contain it
Read from each maker's page. The research stage is for the ingredient, not proof that a product works.
| Product | Form | NAD+ boosters per serving | Price | Per serving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brain FactorsThorne · maker's page ↗ | capsule | 415mgserving: 1 Capsule(s) | $51.0030 servings | $1.70 |
| NOVOS Boost - NMN Supplement to Boost NAD+ LevelsNOVOS · maker's page ↗ | — | 250 mg | $32.08 | — |
| NMN PowderRenue By Science · maker's page ↗ | powder | 500 mg | $54.95 | — |
| NMN Resveratrol GelRenue By Science · maker's page ↗ | — | 240mg | $63.95 | — |
| NMN - Comprehensive Support for Healthy NAD+ LevelsRenue By Science · maker's page ↗ | serum | See label | $64.95 | — |
Amounts, servings and prices are as each maker lists them on its own page, checked Oct 20, 2026 and Oct 16, 2026. Price per serving is the price divided by the servings per container on the label; “—” means the page didn't say. A serving is the maker's serving size, not a recommendation.
What experts say
No expert views collected yet. Each one we add names the person and links to where they said it.
What others are writing
Recent articles about NAD+ boosters from health journalists, hospitals and universities. We link to them; we don't write or endorse them.
Marketers say NAD+ pills and infusions can boost longevity. What's the evidence? ↗
“Wellness and longevity influencers are pushing a compound called NAD+. There's scientific interest in its potential, but researchers say the marketing claims have gotten ahead of the science.”
NPR reports that NAD+ marketing claims outpace the scientific evidence, which remains preliminary in humans.
Commentary in journals
Recent research
How a protein called SIRT2 may affect metabolism and aging
This is a review that gathers earlier studies on SIRT2, a protein that helps control how cells use energy.
Hydroxyproline with amino acids extended worm lifespan in lab tests
Researchers gave worms hydroxyproline plus three amino acids and saw longer life and better health markers.
A drug that activates SIRT6 improved spinal disc health in aging mice
Researchers gave older mice a drug called MDL-800 for a long time and checked their spinal discs.
A planned trial of trigonelline supplements in healthy adults aged 40 to 70
This trial plans to test four doses of a supplement against a placebo and a similar supplement, NMN.
Trials
ClinicalTrials.gov lists 93 registered trials that mention NAD+ boosters, for any condition (the count in The science below). Here we show the ones about aging. See them all ↗
The science
Counted from PubMed and ClinicalTrials.gov on Oct 30, 2026, using one search for NAD+ boosters in relation to aging. Each link opens the exact search.
- Randomized trials in people
- 15 search ↗
- Large trials (multicenter or phase 3)
- 1 search ↗
- Phase 3 trials
- 0 search ↗
- Trials in people
- 18 search ↗
- Studies that watched people over time
- 5 search ↗
- Animal and lab studies
- 181 search ↗
- Registered trials
- 93 search ↗
PubMed search used
("nicotinamide riboside"[tiab] OR "nicotinamide mononucleotide"[tiab] OR "NAD+ precursor*"[tiab] OR "NAD precursor*"[tiab]) AND (aging[tiab] OR ageing[tiab] OR longevity[tiab] OR lifespan[tiab] OR "life span"[tiab] OR healthspan[tiab] OR "Aging"[mh] OR "Longevity"[mh])
Counts are search results, so they include some records that only mention NAD+ boosters. How we count
Cite or share this page
Longevity Progress. (n.d.). NAD+ boosters: Research stage and evidence. Retrieved October 30, 2026, from https://longevityprogress.com/treatments/nad-boosters
<iframe src="https://longevityprogress.com/embed/stage/nad-boosters" title="NAD+ boosters: research stage on Longevity Progress" width="340" height="72" style="border:0" loading="lazy"></iframe>
The badge shows this treatment's current research stage and links back here. It updates by itself when the stage changes.