NAD+ 101
What is NAD+, and why does it fall as you get older?
NAD+ is a coenzyme your cells use to turn food into energy. Levels measured in human tissue fall with age. Here is what that actually means — and what you can do about it in ten seconds a day.
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NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) is a coenzyme found in every living cell. It carries electrons in the reactions that release energy from food, and it is the fuel that sirtuins and PARP enzymes consume when they do repair work. Human tissue studies report that NAD+ concentrations decline with age. You cannot usefully swallow NAD+ itself — it is too large and unstable — so supplements supply a precursor the body converts into NAD+. simplyNAD+ uses 600mg of nicotinamide riboside per packet.*
What NAD+ actually does in a cell
Think of NAD+ as a rechargeable shuttle. In the mitochondria — the parts of the cell that generate energy — NAD+ accepts electrons stripped from the food you eat, becomes NADH, delivers those electrons to the electron transport chain, and returns to being NAD+ to go again. Without enough of it, that production line slows down.
NAD+ is also consumed, not just recycled. Two families of enzymes spend it: sirtuins, which are involved in cellular housekeeping, and PARPs, which are involved in DNA repair. Every time they work, they use NAD+ up. That is why supply matters.*
Does NAD+ really decline with age?
This is the part worth being precise about, because a lot of marketing overstates it. Massudi and colleagues measured NAD+ in human skin samples across a range of donor ages and reported an age-associated decline.1 Several later reviews describe the same direction of travel across tissues. What the literature does not support is a single tidy percentage that applies to every person and every tissue. Any chart you see with exact numbers by decade — including on other supplement sites — is an illustration, not a measurement of you.
Why you take a precursor, not NAD+ itself
NAD+ is a large, charged molecule. Taken by mouth it is largely broken down before it reaches your cells. The practical route is to supply a smaller building block that your body assembles into NAD+. Nicotinamide riboside (NR) is the precursor with the longest human track record: Trammell and colleagues showed in 2016 that oral NR raises blood NAD+ in humans,2 and Martens and colleagues showed in 2018 that 500mg twice daily for six weeks was well tolerated and elevated NAD+ in healthy middle-aged and older adults.3
600mg nicotinamide riboside, once a day
One 10g berry packet. No capsules, no powder to mix, nothing to measure. Plus quercetin phytosome, trans-resveratrol and PQQ in the same shot.
Try your first box — $25 Free US shipping · 30-day money-back guaranteeWhat is in a simplyNAD+ packet
| Ingredient | Per packet | Why it is in there |
|---|---|---|
| Nicotinamide riboside (as NR hydrogen malate) | 600mg | The NAD+ precursor with the most human trial data.* |
| Quercetin phytosome | 250mg | A plant flavonoid, delivered in a phytosome form for absorption.* |
| Trans-resveratrol | 150mg | A polyphenol studied alongside NAD+ pathways.* |
| PQQ (pyrroloquinoline quinone) | 40mg | Studied in the context of mitochondrial function.* |
Also in there: apple juice concentrate, purple carrot juice concentrate, erythritol, citric acid, natural flavors, sucralose, water. Dairy-free and gluten-free. Ships from the USA.
Frequently asked
Is NAD+ the same as NMN or NR?
No. NAD+ is the coenzyme your cells use. NMN and NR are precursors — smaller molecules your body converts into NAD+. simplyNAD+ uses nicotinamide riboside (NR).
Can I just take NAD+ directly?
Oral NAD+ is largely broken down in digestion, which is why supplements almost always supply a precursor instead. That is also why NAD+ is given by IV in clinics — it bypasses the gut entirely.
How long before I notice anything?
Nobody can honestly promise you a timeline, and we will not. The human trials that measured blood NAD+ ran for weeks, not days. We suggest giving it a full 30 days, which is exactly why there is a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Do I need to take it with food?
It is not required. Most people take it first thing in the morning because it is easy to remember. Tear the packet, drink it, done.
Is there caffeine in it?
No. There is no caffeine and no stimulant of any kind in simplyNAD+.
References
- Massudi H, Grant R, Braidy N, et al. Age-associated changes in oxidative stress and NAD+ metabolism in human tissue. PLoS ONE. 2012;7(7):e42357.
- Trammell SAJ, Schmidt MS, Weidemann BJ, et al. Nicotinamide riboside is uniquely and orally bioavailable in mice and humans. Nature Communications. 2016;7:12948.
- Martens CR, Denman BA, Mazzo MR, et al. Chronic nicotinamide riboside supplementation is well-tolerated and elevates NAD+ in healthy middle-aged and older adults. Nature Communications. 2018;9:1286.
Keep reading
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. simplyNAD+ is a dietary supplement, not a medicine. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication or managing a health condition, speak with your doctor before use.