Quick Summary
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What Are NAD Boosters and Do They Help?
Most cells in your body use NAD as a coenzyme in the production of energy from glucose. The thinking behind supplements that boost blood levels of NAD (such as NAD, NADH, nicotinamide riboside, and NMN or nicotinamide mononucleotide) is that they can, therefore, boost energy and have other positive effects in the body. Small studies have explored the use of these supplements for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), cognitive function, dementia, Parkinson's disease, depression, cholesterol management, and blood sugar control. The evidence for these uses — and what it means for people considering NAD supplements — is reviewed in this report, along with whether the supplements increase NAD in cells within key organs such as the brain, even though they raise NAD levels in the blood and blood cells. Be aware that if you have adequate intake of vitamin B3 (as niacin, niacinamide, or nicotinamide), you are already getting the basic building block for NAD, which is nicotinamide (see What It Is). -
What Did ConsumerLab's Tests Show?
We purchased and tested the quality of several types of NAD boosting supplements: NAD, NADH, nicotinamide riboside, and NMN (nicotinamide mononucleotide) supplements. We found that most provided the listed amount of key ingredient without contamination. These results are better than has been shown with other samples of NAD boosting supplements from other brands (see Quality Concerns). However, we found many of these products to be relatively expensive and that you can save a lot (as much as 67%) by carefully comparing products to choose the right brand (see What CL Found and How Products Were Evaluated).
In addition, it's important to know that the amount of nicotinamide riboside (found in branded ingredients such as Niagen and Tru Niagen) in a supplement is typically not shown on the label and is greatly affected by the chemical form (e.g., chloride or hydrogen malate) used. In this report, we've made it easy to compare actual amounts of nicotinamide riboside across products. -
Which NAD Boosters Are CL's Top Pick?
In each category of NAD booster, NAD/ NADH, nicotinamide riboside, and NMN, we chose a Top Pick, based on high quality and low cost. -
Concerns with NAD Boosters?
In addition to the possibility that these supplements will not provide a benefit and tend to be expensive, be aware that some provide amounts of vitamin B-3 above the established daily upper tolerable intake level. There is also a theoretical safety concern that compounds that raise NAD+ levels like, nicotinamide riboside, as well as NAD, NADH, and possibly NMN, may promote the growth of existing cancers. (See Concerns and Cautions)
