Science of NAD
How are your NAD levels today?
Shelly Albaum
Editor, Science of NAD
Important Disclosures
1. This is my personal website
All opinions are my own. Nobody writes here but me.
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2. Supplements Are Not Medicines
Health Supplements like nicotinamide riboside are not intended to cure or treat any disease, condition, or illness.
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3. No Medical Advice
I am a lawyer and a journalist, not a doctor, and I offer no medical advice. But I do follow the science, and I can bring to your attention
some interesting studies. You can read more about me here. And check with your physician -- your physician can look at this research, too.
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4. Commercial Affiliations
I am a ChromaDex shareholder, and a marketing affiliate for Amazon and Rakuten. As a result, I will sometimes mention or recommend products that I endorse, like Tru Niagen, which I take every day. I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases if you were referred directly from this site and completed a purchase. [Thank you!] You can read more about our advertising, privacy, and data collection policies here.
Is Niacinamide the Best Way to Boost NAD?
Nicotinamide is available in every cell, but its side effects make it a less attractive NAD precursor...
Nicotinamide, also known as Niacinamide or NAM, relies on the salvage pathway to replenish intracellular NAD. It works in every kind of cell. But it is rate-limited by NAMPT, and not only has shown toxicity at high doses, but also can suppress sirtuins. Sirtuins do important work that we would not want suppressed.
Niacinamide can work in all cells, but sometimes it won't work well enough -- especially if you are older experiencing metabolic stress. And if you try to make up for that by taking higher doses, not. only will that not work due to the rate-limiting nature of NAMPT availability, but it could also lead to severe side-effects, including reduced genomic stability, which you might not even be aware of. NR avoids these risks.