The direct NAD+ record is small; most broader literature belongs to NR or NMN.
Why this matters
Research depth describes how large and mature the overall record is. It does not tell you whether the results were positive.
Compound library
Endogenous pyridine-dinucleotide coenzyme / redox cofactor
NAD+
Not FDA approved for wellness use
NAD+ is a coenzyme every cell uses for energy metabolism, redox balance, DNA repair, and signaling. People research it for energy, aging, recovery, cognition, and metabolic health, but most human 'NAD-boosting' data come from NR or NMN—not NAD+ itself. Direct IV evidence is limited to one disease-specific randomized trial and very small metabolism and tolerability studies.
Controlled human studyOther human evidenceMechanistic rationaleNo direct evidence located
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Publicly anonymous by default. Your account keeps reports editable and helps reduce duplicate submissions.Educational research record—not medical advice. Evidence reviewed through July 25, 2026. Peer-reviewed findings, regulatory labeling, sponsor-reported topline results, and unreported registered trials are labeled separately.
Research at a glance
NAD+ in 60 seconds
Depth and confidence summarize the research record—not effectiveness, safety, or a recommendation.
One controlled disease-specific signal has not established general wellness outcomes.
Why this matters
Confidence describes how reliable and consistent the conclusions are. It can be high for one outcome and low for another.
Why this matters
The strongest evidence type shows what the best-supported conclusions are actually based on.
Why this matters
Human findings are more directly relevant than animal or laboratory results, but they still apply only to the populations and outcomes studied.
Route-specific record
What changes by administration method
Route studiedIntravenous infusion in the direct human record
Schedules studiedOne 6-hour pilot, four consecutive commercial-clinic days, and seven hospital days
Amounts studiedSeparate studies used 10 mg daily for 7 days, 500 mg daily for 4 days, or 750 mg over 6 hours
Why this matters
These are exposures used in cited research for a specific route and population—not a suggested amount.
Half-lifeA clinically useful intact-plasma half-life is not established
Why this matters
Half-life describes how long it takes the measured amount in the body to fall by half. It is not a dosing recommendation.
Route evidenceOne controlled cardiac trial plus very small metabolism and tolerability studies
Why this matters
Evidence can change by administration method. Findings from one route should not automatically be applied to another.
Evidence boundary: The protocols answer different questions and do not form one universal IV regimen. Amounts shown describe cited research exposure—not a dosage recommendation.
Practical starting point
Why people research it
Common goals and questions—not recommendations or promises of benefit.
- Cellular energy and redox metabolismMechanistically plausible
- Age-related NAD+ biologyMechanistically plausible
- Heart failure from ischemic cardiomyopathySupported by human studies
- IV metabolism and tolerabilityEarly human evidence
- General energy, fatigue, or recoveryNot demonstrated
- Cognition or brain healthNot demonstrated
- Addiction withdrawal or recoveryNot demonstrated
- Human anti-aging or longevityNot demonstrated
The overview, studies, and source ledger below explain what supports each label—and where the evidence stops.
The short version
What is NAD+?
NAD+ is a coenzyme every cell uses for energy metabolism, redox balance, DNA repair, and signaling. People research it for energy, aging, recovery, cognition, and metabolic health, but most human 'NAD-boosting' data come from NR or NMN—not NAD+ itself. Direct IV evidence is limited to one disease-specific randomized trial and very small metabolism and tolerability studies.
One controlled disease-specific human trial plus preliminary IV metabolism and tolerability evidenceCurrent development stage
5Peer-reviewed sources
0Topline source releases
How it is designed to work
- NAD+/NADH redox cycling in energy metabolism
- Electron transfer in glycolysis, the TCA cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation
- Substrate activity for sirtuins
- Substrate activity for PARP-mediated DNA repair
- CD38 and extracellular NAD+ metabolism
- Cellular compartment and salvage-pathway regulation
Studied research areas
Evidence checked through July 25, 2026
Evidence reviewed through July 25, 2026. Direct NAD+ is kept separate from NADH and the precursors NR, NMN, niacin, and nicotinamide. Product-quality events are separated from intrinsic compound tolerability.
What the evidence says
What we know—and what we’re still learning
What we know
A 180-person randomized placebo-controlled trial in ischemic-cardiomyopathy heart failure found a short-term LVEF signal; it was single-center, disease-specific, and not a wellness or anti-aging trial
Why this matters
This is the strongest supported conclusion in the current human evidence—not a summary of every claim made about the compound.
What we’re still learning
Whether direct NAD+ produces meaningful, durable benefits outside that narrow heart-failure setting and what formulation-specific short- and long-term safety looks like
Why this matters
Keeping the main uncertainty visible prevents an early or promising finding from looking more settled than it is.
The evidence story
How the research changed over time
Importance shows how much an item changes the evidence story. Quality shows how much confidence the design deserves. A strong negative study can score highly on both.
Why this matters
Importance and quality answer different questions. A rigorous study can be highly important even when it challenges a popular claim.
NAD+ supplementation for anti-aging and wellness: A PRISMA-guided systematic review of preclinical and clinical evidence
NR and NMN usually raised NAD-related biomarkers, but functional and health outcomes were mixed and often null or endpoint-specific. The review found no eligible outcomes trial of IV or IM NAD+ itself for anti-aging or wellness.
n = 113Literature search through October 2025
Intravenous infusion of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) versus nicotinamide riboside (NR): a retrospective tolerability pilot study in a real-world setting
The six NAD+ clients reported moderate-to-severe gastrointestinal symptoms, increased heart rate, and chest pressure during infusions; symptoms resolved after infusion. NAD+ infusions averaged about 97 minutes versus 37 minutes for NR. Exploratory laboratory changes were variable and stayed within normal ranges.
n = 14Four consecutive infusion days with 30-day follow-up
Effect of Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide on Heart Failure Caused by Ischemic Cardiomyopathy: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial
The NAD+ group had a larger average LVEF improvement than placebo at 1 month. Secondary biomarker, hospitalization, event, and functional-class differences were trends that did not reach conventional statistical significance.
n = 180Seven treatment days; LVEF at 1 month and clinical follow-up through 6 months
A Pilot Study Investigating Changes in the Human Plasma and Urine NAD+ Metabolome During a 6 Hour Intravenous Infusion of NAD
Plasma NAD+ and measured metabolites did not rise during the first 2 hours. By 6 hours, urinary NAD+ and methyl-nicotinamide increased, consistent with rapid removal and metabolism of infused NAD+.
n = 11Six-hour infusion with sampling through 8 hours
Administration and handling
What official research does—and does not—provide
Published IV research—not a universal NAD+ protocol
Direct human studies used different IV regimens for different questions: a seven-day low-dose hospital protocol in ischemic-cardiomyopathy heart failure, a six-hour metabolism experiment, and a four-day commercial record review. These are descriptions of study exposure, not recommendations or interchangeable dosing guidance. No controlled direct-NAD+ evidence located here establishes subcutaneous, intramuscular, oral, home-infusion, cycling, or combination protocols.
No FDA-approved reconstitution, storage, or stability standard
No FDA-approved NAD+ injectable label was located from which to derive consumer reconstitution, diluent, concentration, compatibility, storage, light-protection, or beyond-use instructions. FDA specifically warns that food-grade NAD+ is not suitable for sterile compounding without appropriate processing and has documented serious endotoxin-related product-quality events. A powder or solution labeled NAD+, NADH, NR, or NMN must not be assumed equivalent, sterile, stable, or correctly identified.
Primary-source ledger
Trace every major statement
Primary source
Primary sourceFDA reminds compounders to use ingredients suitable for sterile compounding
Primary source
Primary sourceFDA: How to find out whether a drug is approved
Primary source
Primary sourceNAD+ biology and supplementation: From mechanisms to clinical perspectives
2026-07-23 · PMID 42489969 · DOI 10.1007/s11033-026-12351-3
Primary source
Primary sourceNAD+ supplementation for anti-aging and wellness: A PRISMA-guided systematic review of preclinical and clinical evidence
2026-02-06 · PMID 41655607 · DOI 10.1016/j.arr.2026.103057
Primary source
Primary sourceIntravenous infusion of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) versus nicotinamide riboside (NR): a retrospective tolerability pilot study in a real-world setting
2026-02-02 · PMID 41704678 · DOI 10.3389/fragi.2026.1652582
Primary source
Primary sourceFDA warning letter: GenoGenix LLC
2026-01-20
Primary source
Primary sourceEffect of Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide on Heart Failure Caused by Ischemic Cardiomyopathy: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial
2025-09-15 · PMID 40954388 · ChiCTR2200059169 · DOI 10.1007/s40256-025-00764-7
Primary source
Primary sourceA Pilot Study Investigating Changes in the Human Plasma and Urine NAD+ Metabolome During a 6 Hour Intravenous Infusion of NAD
2019-09-12 · PMID 31572171 · DOI 10.3389/fnagi.2019.00257