Coenzyme
NAD+
Also known as: Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide
A critical coenzyme involved in cellular energy production and ageing processes.
KÖGN Health grades NAD+ as A (Strong evidence) and rates it 4.2 out of 5.
Last reviewed · June 2026
Primary effects
- Increased cellular energy
- Neuroprotection
- Anti-ageing support
How it works
Plays a central role in mitochondrial energy production and cellular repair processes.
Overview
NAD+ is essential for energy metabolism and cellular repair, and levels naturally decline with age. While direct supplementation is limited in effectiveness due to bioavailability, precursors such as NMN or NR are often used instead. Its cognitive relevance is tied to mitochondrial function and long-term brain health rather than acute performance enhancement.
The evidence
NAD+ is a coenzyme central to cellular energy production, and its levels fall with age — the basis for interest in topping it up via precursors such as nicotinamide riboside (NR) and NMN. Human trials confirm these precursors raise NAD+ and are well tolerated, but a cognitive benefit in people is not yet established: most evidence is on safety, metabolism, or preclinical models, with dedicated cognition trials only now emerging.
How to dose it
NAD+ itself is poorly absorbed by mouth, so precursors are used instead — nicotinamide riboside has been studied at roughly 300–1,000 mg/day.
When to take it
Chronic.
Safety & side effects
Well tolerated in trials so far; the common effects are mild and long-term safety data are still limited.
Who should avoid it
Long-term safety is not established. Speak to a clinician before using NAD+ precursors if you are pregnant or have a history of cancer (a theoretical concern relates to NAD+ and cell proliferation).
References
Related ingredients
Graded entries that target the same cognitive goals.
Categories
Draft — the dose, safety and evidence notes on this entry were prepared from the published literature and are pending editorial and clinical review.
Educational information, not medical advice. The evidence grade is KÖGN’s editorial assessment of published research, not a health claim. Speak to a qualified clinician before changing what you take.