Should You Be Taking an NAD Supplement? Here's the Lowdown

*sharing my own research with The Skin Fix members as a friend and not for medical advice. My experience with NAD+ is through IV, and it's still my form of choice after researching. Remember if you do want to try an at-home daily NAD supplement you get a 20% discount on fullscript as a Skin Fix member.  Hope it’s helpful for you! 

Here's the Lowdown...

If you’ve been hanging around the worlds of biohacking, longevity, or even just skincare, chances are you’ve heard whispers (or full-on buzz) about NAD supplements. So, what’s the deal—and are they actually worth adding to your routine? Let’s break it down.

What is NAD, Anyway?

NAD (short for Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide) is a coenzyme that’s absolutely essential for life. It's found in every single cell of your body, helping to:

• Turn food into energy

• Repair damaged DNA

• Support your body's natural defenses against aging
  

Think of NAD as your cells’ behind-the-scenes power manager. The only catch? NAD levels decline as we age, and that drop is linked to everything from feeling more tired to slower recovery, brain fog, and visible signs of aging.

What Are the Benefits of NAD?

While research is still evolving, early studies suggest NAD supplementation might help:

• Boost energy and endurance
  

• Improve cognitive function and memory
  

• Support skin repair and healthy aging
  

• Enhance metabolism and mitochondrial function
  
  

🧪 Forms You’ll See

• Capsules/Tablets: Most common, easiest to find.
  

• Sublingual Lozenges: Claimed to offer better absorption by bypassing digestion.
  

• Powders: Can be mixed into drinks, sometimes more cost-effective.
  

• Injections/IV NAD: Used in clinical or wellness spa settings for high-dose rapid delivery—expensive and not usually needed unless under medical supervision.
  
  

How NAD Supplements Work

Most NAD supplements don't actually contain NAD itself (it’s too unstable to survive digestion). Instead, they use precursors—molecules your body can easily convert into NAD.

The two big players: NR and NMN

• NR (Nicotinamide Riboside): One of the first NAD boosters studied in humans, found in supplements like Tru Niagen. 

  NR raises blood NAD by up to 2.7× after a single 1,000 mg dose.

  • Form: Capsules, tablets, powder
    

  • Dosage range: 250–500 mg/day
    

  • How it works: Converts to NMN, then to NAD
    

  • Notes:
    

    • Backed by more human studies than NMN (so far)

    • May be slightly less potent but still effective

    • Brands: Tru Niagen (leading brand), Thorne Niacel

• NMN (Nicotinamide Mononucleotide): The newer, trendier option, made famous by anti-aging researchers and books like Lifespan by Dr. David Sinclair.

  • Form: Capsules, powder, sublingual tablets
    

  • Dosage range: 250–1000 mg/day (often split into 1–2 doses)
    

  • How it works: Direct precursor to NAD; converts easily in the body
    

  • Notes:
    

    • Often taken in the morning (to align with natural NAD rhythms)
      

    • Sublingual forms may be more bioavailable (skip digestion)
      

  • Brands: Elysium Signal, ProHealth Longevity NMN, Alive by Science
    

Both are designed to gently encourage your body to make more NAD naturally.

Bottom line: Of oral options, NR and NMN lead on bioavailability and efficiency. NR has more human data, NMN shows promising rapid tissue uptake.

It’s not a magic pill (nothing is), but it’s one of the more exciting areas of longevity research right now.

💉 IV NAD infusions: Maximum impact—but not mainstream

• IV NAD delivers 100% bioavailability—direct bloodstream injection bypasses digestion.
  

• Small pharmacokinetic studies observed high plasma NAD and metabolites after multihour IV infusion.
  

• Celebrity and biohacker interest is fueling spa and clinic use—but large controlled clinical trials are still lacking, and it’s costly ($200–$500/session) and might need 2-3 treatments for best results.
  

Takeaways

1. For daily supplementation, go with oral NR or NMN—they offer excellent absorption, tissue delivery, and safety.
   

2. IV NAD offers the highest and fastest NAD boost, but it’s:
   

• Expensive and clinic-dependent
  

• Backed mostly by small pilot data (not large trials yet)
  

• Might be considered for short-term therapeutic use or intense recovery protocols—but not everyday use.

• THIS IS MY FORM OF CHOICE! There are already so many supplements to take daily, and I love the extra benefits of other ingredients in the IV. My experience has been a series of 3 is recommended!

So, Should You Try It?

If you’re interested in aging well, maintaining energy, or just giving your body a little extra support as the years go by, an NAD precursor supplement could be worth exploring. Just be sure to choose a reputable brand, and talk to your healthcare provider if you have any underlying conditions.

At the end of the day, NAD supplements won’t replace a healthy lifestyle—but they could be one more tool in your "age gracefully and powerfully" toolkit.