NAD+
Small human studies show NAD+ levels can be raised. No trials show health outcomes from injected NAD+.
At a glance. A molecule present in every cell, essential for energy metabolism, and the subject of intense interest in ageing research.
Written and maintained by the AVERON Research Desk · Last reviewed September 2026
What it is
NAD+, short for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, is a coenzyme found in every living cell. It is not a peptide. It carries energy between chemical reactions and is essential for turning food into usable cellular energy. It is also consumed by enzymes involved in repairing DNA and regulating cell processes, including a family called sirtuins.
Levels of NAD+ have been found to fall with age in several tissues in animals and in people. That observation is the basis for the idea that restoring NAD+ might slow aspects of ageing.
What researchers study it for
Ageing, metabolic health, muscle and mitochondrial function, neurodegenerative disease and recovery from illness.
What the research shows
Most human research has not used NAD+ itself but its precursors — molecules the body converts into NAD+, such as nicotinamide riboside and nicotinamide mononucleotide, usually taken by mouth. Trials have shown that these precursors raise NAD+ levels in blood. Effects on health outcomes, such as muscle function, insulin sensitivity or blood pressure, have been small, inconsistent or absent in most studies.
For NAD+ given directly by infusion, human evidence is very limited. A pilot study by Ross Grant and colleagues, published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience in 2019, examined how NAD+ and its breakdown products change in the blood and urine of a small group of healthy volunteers during a six-hour intravenous infusion. It was a study of metabolism, not of benefit.
Much of the excitement around NAD+ comes from animal studies, where boosting NAD+ has improved several markers of ageing.
What it does not do, and what is not known
- There are no controlled trials showing that injected NAD+ slows ageing, improves energy or produces any health benefit in people.
- Raising NAD+ levels in blood has not been shown to translate reliably into benefits.
- It is not clear how much NAD+ given by injection reaches the inside of cells, where it acts.
- Results in animals have often not been reproduced in human trials of NAD+ precursors.
- There are no measurable outcomes to judge it by. This is a real mechanism with thin human evidence.
Adverse effects reported in research
When given intravenously too quickly, NAD+ commonly causes flushing, nausea, headache, chest tightness and abdominal discomfort, which is why infusions are given slowly. Injection under the skin can be painful at the injection site. Long-term safety of repeated administration has not been studied.
Regulatory and anti-doping status
Regulatory: Injectable NAD+ is not an approved medicine in the United States or European Union.
Anti-doping: NAD+ itself is not on WADA's Prohibited List. Separately, WADA prohibits intravenous infusions or injections of more than 100 mL in any 12-hour period outside legitimate medical treatment (method M2.2), regardless of what is infused.
At AVERON
Supplied as research-grade material, NAD+ 1000 mg.
Independent lab report: 79970_7MC8P78I3GI7
Frequently asked questions
Doses mentioned on this page are the arms of published trials, given to describe their results. They are not guidance.
Sources
- Grant R, Berg J, Mestayer R, et al.. A pilot study investigating changes in the human plasma and urine NAD+ metabolome during a 6 hour intravenous infusion of NAD+. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 2019;11:257. Link
- World Anti-Doping Agency. The Prohibited List — M2 Chemical and physical manipulation. WADA. Link