NAD+ · Cellular energy support
NAD+: Support the energy system inside every cell, on strong foundations.
NAD+ is a molecule every cell in your body uses to turn food into energy and to keep its repair enzymes running. At Integrated Functional Health it is an optional support inside a healthspan plan, never a shortcut, and we are honest about what the research does and does not show.
- NAD+
- Independent medical review
- Telehealth
- Shipped to your door
At a glance
NAD+ in brief
NAD+ is a helper molecule your cells need to turn food into energy and to run the enzymes that maintain and repair DNA. Studies suggest levels tend to fall with age. Supporting NAD+ is thought to help keep these energy and maintenance systems supplied, though human research on injections is still early.
- What it is: A coenzyme found in every cell, central to energy metabolism.
- How it is taken: A small injection under the skin, once a week.
- Often explored for: Everyday energy, metabolic health and healthspan goals.
- Dose: Set and adjusted by your provider.
- Status: Not FDA approved as a product; compounded by a licensed pharmacy.
What it is
What is NAD+?
NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) is a coenzyme: a helper molecule that many enzymes need in order to work. It is found in every cell of your body, and your body makes it from forms of vitamin B3 and from the amino acid tryptophan. Life depends on it.
Studies in animals and in some human tissues suggest NAD+ levels tend to fall with age, which is why researchers are interested in ways to support them. Most human studies give oral precursors, such as nicotinamide riboside (NR) or nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), which the body converts into NAD+. The injection is NAD+ itself, prepared for you by an independent licensed pharmacy when your provider decides it is appropriate.
How it works
How NAD+ works
NAD+ has two big jobs. The first is energy. Inside your mitochondria, the small power plants in each cell, NAD+ carries electrons from the food you eat into the process that makes ATP, the energy currency your cells spend all day.
The second job is maintenance. A group of enzymes called sirtuins, which help regulate metabolism and the response to stress, and another group called PARPs, which help fix everyday damage to DNA, use up NAD+ as they work. When demand is high and supply is low, these systems draw on the same limited pool.
The idea behind NAD+ support is simple: keep the supply healthy, so energy production and maintenance work are not left short. How much a weekly injection changes NAD+ inside the tissues that matter, and whether that changes how people feel and function, is still being studied.
What it may support
What people explore NAD+ for
Everyday energy
Some people notice steadier energy, though studies of how people feel are mixed.
Cellular energy production
NAD+ is essential to how mitochondria turn food into usable energy.
Metabolic health
Early research on NAD+ precursors is exploring blood sugar handling and muscle metabolism.
Your cells' maintenance systems
DNA repair enzymes and sirtuins depend on a steady NAD+ supply.
A healthspan plan
A possible support for years lived in good health, alongside the daily foundations.
How it is used
What taking NAD+ looks like
Your independent licensed provider sets your dose and adjusts it over time. Here is what the routine involves.
- Form: A small injection under the skin of the abdomen, thigh or upper arm.
- How often: Once a week, on the same day each week. Rotate the spot each time.
- Dose: Your provider sets it and adjusts it based on how you respond.
- Comfort: Some people feel a brief sting or warmth as it goes in.
- How long: Usually used over several weeks or months, with check ins on how you feel.
- Storage: Follow the storage directions from your pharmacy.
What the research says
The evidence, plainly
The basic science of NAD+ is solid: its role in energy metabolism and DNA repair is textbook biochemistry, and lower levels with age have been reported in several studies. The evidence for supplementing it in people is much earlier.
Most human trials use oral precursors. In a 2018 study in Nature Communications, nicotinamide riboside taken for six weeks raised NAD+ levels in the blood of healthy middle aged and older adults and was well tolerated. In a small 2021 study in Science, NMN improved how muscle responded to insulin in women with prediabetes. Other trials have raised NAD+ levels with little change in measures such as insulin sensitivity or muscle function, so the overall picture is mixed.
Human research on injected NAD+ is limited to small studies, mostly of how the body processes it. No large trial has shown what weekly injections do for energy, metabolism or long term health.
Safety
Who it suits, and what to watch for
It may not be right for
- Anyone who is pregnant or breastfeeding
- A known allergy or sensitivity to NAD+ or anything in the preparation
- Active cancer, or a history of cancer
- Severe liver disease
- Low blood pressure, because NAD+ can widen blood vessels
- Heart rhythm problems or other heart conditions
- Anxiety disorders, or strong sensitivity to physical sensations
- A known MTHFR gene variant, which your provider will want to weigh
- Current use of cocaine or methamphetamine
Your provider reviews your full health history and current medications before prescribing.
Possible side effects
- Flushing or a feeling of warmth
- Nausea or an unsettled stomach
- Stinging, redness or discomfort at the injection site
- Headache
- Tiredness, usually brief
- A racing or fluttering heartbeat, which you should report
If a side effect is severe or does not settle, contact your provider. For chest pain, trouble breathing, fainting or signs of an allergic reaction, call 911.
How it fits your plan
More than a prescription
NAD+ is a support, not a foundation. The things that keep your cellular energy systems healthy are the ones you do every day: enough regular sleep, nutrition with enough protein and plenty of plants, movement that includes strength training, and stress that gets a real chance to settle. That is the heart of our longevity work, where longevity means healthspan: more years lived with energy, strength and a clear head.
RIO guides the plan. Regulate: help your nervous system out of constant alarm so your body can rest and recover. Integrate: help brain and body work together. Optimize: build habits that keep you well for the long run. Functional health coaching, functional genomics (including variants such as MTHFR) and optional lab work at a local Labcorp or Quest location help us decide whether NAD+ belongs in your plan.
Good to know
The details that matter
- NAD+ is not FDA approved as a product. Compounded NAD+ has not been reviewed by the FDA for safety, effectiveness or quality.
- It is prescribed only after an independent licensed medical provider reviews your health history and decides it is appropriate. Your provider also sets your dose.
- Your medication is prepared by an independent licensed pharmacy and shipped to your door, in most states.
- Tell your provider about every medication and supplement you take, including NAD+ precursors such as NR or NMN.
How to start
Four simple steps
Book your consultation
Thirty minutes with Matt DeWild, RN, at our Bettendorf clinic or by telehealth. Talk through your goals, your health and what you have tried.
Share your health history
If you want to go ahead, you complete a secure health history form. An independent licensed provider reviews it, follows up with you by telehealth when needed, and decides whether NAD+ is right for you.
Delivered to your door
If approved, your medication is prepared by an independent licensed pharmacy and shipped straight to you.
Build habits that last
Coaching with Matt and our online programs focus on protein, strength, sleep and stress, the habits that decide what you keep.
Questions
Questions about NAD+
Will NAD+ give me more energy?
Some people notice steadier energy, and some notice little change. So far, human studies show more reliably that NAD+ levels can be raised than that people feel different. Energy also depends heavily on sleep, blood sugar, nutrition, stress and movement, which is why we look at the whole picture before adding anything.
Is NAD+ an anti aging therapy?
No. Nothing in this plan is designed to stop or undo aging, and no study has shown that NAD+ does. Our focus is healthspan: the years you live with energy, strength and a clear mind. NAD+ supports systems your cells use every day, and it may have a place in that plan alongside the habits with the strongest evidence.
How is the injection different from NR or NMN capsules?
NR and NMN are precursors: your body converts them into NAD+, and they are what most human research has studied. The injection delivers NAD+ itself, under the skin, once a week. Research has not settled whether one route raises NAD+ in the body's tissues more effectively than the other. Your provider can talk through which, if either, makes sense for you.
How do I get started?
Book a 30 minute consultation with Matt DeWild, RN, at the clinic or by telehealth. You will talk about your energy, your health history and your goals, and Matt will explain how the medical assessment with an independent licensed provider works. There is no obligation.
Keep exploring
Related options
See every option on the Medical Weight Loss and Peptide Therapy pages.
Your next step
Find out if NAD+ fits your plan.
A 30 minute conversation with Matt is the simplest way to understand your options and how the medical review works.