250–500 mg/day.
Human study: oral nicotinamide riboside raised NAD+ and lowered markers of neurodegenerative pathology (amyloid, tau) in neuron-derived vesicles in blood. A promising signal for the brain, with indirect markers; clinical benefit remains to be confirmed.
View the study (study) →In mice with mitochondrial disease, nicotinamide riboside raised NAD+, stimulated the creation of mitochondria and improved the myopathy. The basis of the interest in NR/NAD+ for energy and aging; preclinical, with no equivalent clinical proof.
View the study (study) →Critical review of the 25 human NR studies: although it raises NAD+ safely, the real benefits for metabolic health or disease in people are so far modest or unproven. A lot of marketing ahead of the evidence: promising but without firm clinical proof.
View the study (study) →*⏱ 2 min read
Nicotinamide riboside (NR) is a precursor molecule for the biosynthesis of NAD+, a coenzyme that takes part in cellular energy production and repair; together with nicotinic acid and nicotinamide, NR is collectively grouped under the term niacin or vitamin B3, and its conversion into NAD+ depends on the kinases Nrk1 and Nrk2, the latter being specific to skeletal muscle, heart, and brain tissue, which suggests potential implications for neurological health.
NAD+ depletion is one of the hallmarks of aging and probably contributes to the pathophysiology of a wide range of age-related conditions such as metabolic dysfunction, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer; emerging evidence in animals suggests that raising NAD+ levels through supplementation with precursors may slow or even reverse several aspects of aging and delay the progression of age-related diseases.
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 120 healthy adults aged 60-80 showed that 250 mg daily of NR and pterostilbene raised whole-blood NAD+ levels by 40% from baseline at four weeks, with a reduction in diastolic blood pressure and lower levels of alanine aminotransferase; however, both groups experienced increases in LDL cholesterol, possibly due to the added pterostilbene and not to NR itself.
A randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial of 60 adults aged 55-79 showed that 500 mg of NR twice a day for 6 weeks was well tolerated and increased NAD+ levels in white blood cells by 60%; they also showed improvements in blood pressure and aortic stiffness, although without statistical significance, and as for supplementation in nursing mothers, mother rats given 3 g/kg of NR had better milk quantity and quality, and their offspring showed better motor coordination, learning, and memory, less anxiety, and greater stress resilience.
Information, not medical advice. Scientific evidence reflects the quality of the studies.