{"id":589758,"date":"2025-11-24T00:41:16","date_gmt":"2025-11-24T00:41:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/589758\/"},"modified":"2025-11-24T00:41:16","modified_gmt":"2025-11-24T00:41:16","slug":"what-is-nad-potential-benefits-and-safety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/589758\/","title":{"rendered":"What is NAD+? Potential benefits and safety"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Dietitian reveals which supplements to add to your diet<\/p>\n

Registered dietitian Abbey Sharp explains how to best benefit from taking dietary supplements if you’re thinking about adding them to your routine.<\/p>\n

If your social media has been inundated with videos on NAD+ supplements<\/a>, with influencers<\/a> swearing by their ability to slow down the aging process<\/a> and improve longevity<\/a>, you might be wondering: Do the supplements actually live up to their potential benefits?<\/p>\n

Researchers have started to turn their attention toward this elusive molecule, but current data is still quite limited. Here\u2019s what NAD+ can, and probably can\u2019t, do for your health, according to experts.\u00a0<\/p>\n

What is NAD+?<\/p>\n

NAD+, otherwise known as nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, is a co-enzyme that\u2019s naturally occurring in the body. It is involved in a few bodily functions, but it primarily helps facilitate metabolic reactions within our cells to help create energy. You can think of it like this: \u201cIf your cell is a car, NAD would be the oil, not the gas,\u201d says Dr. Angelo Landriscina<\/a>, a board-certified dermatologist.\u00a0<\/p>\n

NAD+ is also central to DNA repair, balancing your circadian rhythm and regulating your metabolism, says Dr. Kefah Al Ramahi<\/a>, an internal medicine physician with Hartford HealthCare.<\/p>\n

Cool: <\/strong>When does the body really start aging? The answer may surprise you.<\/a><\/p>\n

What is NAD+ good for?<\/p>\n

Wellness influencers may herald the supplement\u2019s potential to boost energy levels<\/a> and restore a youthful radiance to your skin. But what\u2019s the logic behind it?\u00a0<\/p>\n

During the natural aging process, our NAD+ levels decline. By supplementing with NAD+, there\u2019s some thought that it will \u201cslow down the process of aging (and) slow down the damage of cells,\u201d says Al Ramahi.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, it’s likely not that easy. NAD+ is a very large molecule, and isn’t well absorbed by the body in supplement form, says Landriscina. That\u2019s why most NAD+ supplements available to purchase are actually made up of NAD+ precursors, which are meant to prompt NAD+ production. \u201cPrecursors are small enough molecules that we absorb, and then they (can be) enzymatically transformed into NAD+ in the body,\u201d says Dr. Apple Bodemer<\/a>, an integrative dermatologist at UW Health, and professor of dermatology at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.<\/p>\n

There is research to show<\/a> NAD+ supplementation can increase NAD+ levels in the blood. However, for there to be any tangible benefits for improved energy and skin health, the molecule would successfully need to travel from your blood to your cells. So, when it comes to the oral supplements, even if some studies have shown they can increase NAD+ levels in the blood, \u201cif we don’t have a measurable outcome from it, that essentially means nothing,\u201d Landriscina says.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen it comes to skin health and appearance, the data is pretty limited,\u201d says Bodemer.\u00a0 For one, most studies have been conducted on animals, rather than humans. So, it\u2019s hard to definitively say that \u201ctaking these supplements will do anything to change our skin or to \u2018de-age,\u2019 our appearance,\u201d says Landriscina. \u201cSo, it’s not necessarily the fountain of youth that people think that it is.\u201d<\/p>\n

In case you missed: <\/strong>What to know about taurine, a popular energy drink ingredient<\/a><\/p>\n

Are NAD+ supplements safe?<\/p>\n

Current data shows NAD+ supplements are generally well-tolerated, and so far, they haven\u2019t been linked to any severe side effects. However, that\u2019s not to say these potential side effects could never occur. For this reason, \u201cit’s always good to talk to your health care provider first before starting a long-term supplement,\u201d says Bodemer.\u00a0<\/p>\n

To reach a proper verdict on whether NAD+ capsules have any tangible impact on health, the resounding conclusion is that we simply need more large-scale research to back their potential benefits, experts agree.<\/p>\n