A quiet analytical research laboratory at night, racks of glass vials along a dim bench.

Cellular Energy and NAD+

NAD+ is a coenzyme in hundreds of redox reactions and the substrate for sirtuins, PARPs and CD38. Tissue NAD+ declines with age in animal models and in some human tissues, which has driven research into precursors such as NMN and nicotinamide riboside. Human evidence for functional benefit remains limited and mixed.

What the research shows

In mice, raising NAD+ with precursors improves several age-related measures in muscle, metabolism and vasculature. In humans, NR and NMN reliably raise blood NAD+ metabolites and are well tolerated in trials of weeks to months. Functional results are mixed: some small trials report improved muscle insulin sensitivity or blood pressure measures, while others show no change. Increased CD38 activity has been proposed as one driver of age-related NAD+ decline. Human effect sizes remain small.

The delivery problem

NAD+ itself is a large, charged dinucleotide (663 Da) that is broken down in the gut and outside cells before it can enter them intact. NMN and NR are smaller but are partly converted to nicotinamide in the gut and liver, and NMN powder is hygroscopic and heat sensitive. What reaches tissues is a mix of metabolites, so measuring the right species matters more than headline absorption numbers. Stability comes first.

Regulatory status

In the US, NR is sold as a dietary supplement ingredient with a new dietary ingredient notification and GRAS status, and FDA confirmed in 2025 that NMN is lawful in supplements. Nicotinamide and niacin are established vitamins. None of these compounds is on the WADA Prohibited List. Statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Rules differ in other markets.

Key facts

NAD+ levels decline with age in human skin tissue (Massudi et al. 2012, PLoS One)
CD38 expression increases with age and contributes to NAD+ decline in mice (Camacho-Pereira et al. 2016, Cell Metab)
Oral nicotinamide riboside raised blood NAD+ in healthy humans in a dose-dependent way (Trammell et al. 2016, Nat Commun)
Six weeks of NR increased NAD+ in healthy middle-aged and older adults and was well tolerated (Martens et al. 2018, Nat Commun)
NMN increased muscle insulin sensitivity in prediabetic women in a 10-week trial (Yoshino et al. 2021, Science 372:1224)

How our delivery technology applies

For NAD+ precursors the first delivery win is stability: a moisture barrier around NMN slows hydrolysis to nicotinamide in storage. Beyond that, pH-triggered layers can shift where in the gut the precursor is released, which may change how much is converted before absorption. Our NMN+ Nano program measures the full NAD+ metabolome in blood rather than a single analyte, to show whether encapsulation changes what actually circulates.

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