
If you’re seeking a longer and healthier life, our pick of the five best NAD+ supplements could be just the thing you’re looking for.
Recent years have seen a surge of interest in supplements designed to boost levels of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). Research suggests NAD+ can help your body to repair DNA, boost immune systems and slow the aging process, but people also take supplements for short term gains such as increased energy levels. When choosing between the various options available, much will depend on your current health condition and what you’re hoping to get from it.
To help you out, we’ve had a look at what’s going on the market to offer a varying selection in the hope that one of them will hit the sweet spot for you.
1. Tru Niagen NAD+ supplements
This is one of the most popular supplements on the market. It contains nicotinamide riboside (NR) which is thought to be one of the fastest and most efficient NAD+ precursors available. It comes FDA approved with doses of 300mg of NR and makes all the usual claims associated with NAD+ of promoting cellular repair, accelerating metabolism and cellular energy production in order to improve your overall health and well-being. Taken over a period of time, therefore, it should have a positive impact on your health and may protect you against the onset of long-term disease.
What makes it so popular, if online reviews are anything to go by, is that it can have a more immediate effect by boosting your energy levels. Not only does it improve functions internally, hopefully boosting your chances of a longer life, but it is making you feel healthier and happier in the short term. In a world in which we prize immediate results, that is probably the reason why it sells so well.
2. Optima from Elevant
Last summer, Elevant released its latest supplement designed to boost NAD+ levels, Optima. It contains a high purity form of nicotinamide mononucleotide, NMN-C which, according to the company, “works within cells to support cognitive function, maintain daylong energy and focus, and promote balanced mood and quality sleep.” It comes in a handy chewable form which the company says has been optimized to keep you feeling fresh and energized all over.
Its high purity form caters for customers who are increasingly focusing on the purity of NMN content. The market is full of supplements, each of them making bold claims, not all of which have been tested. With a high purity precursor, Elevant hope to encourage customers who want their supplements to be as effective as possible.
The main selling point for this is cognition and brain health. NMN treatment, they say, has been shown to improve cognition and can potentially slow the progression of cognitive decline. They are, therefore, selling you both a long and short term offering – take this supplement, they say, and not only will you feel better and sharper today, but you will also reduce your chances of developing forms of dementia in later life.
3. Elevant Prime NAD+ supplements
The immediate precursor to Optima was Prime from Elevant. Once again, it boasted a high purity form of nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN-C) which promises to improve cognition and help you feel better and more alert while slowing the onset of long-term cognitive decline.
“For thousands of years, the human body has been creating NMN to fuel cells and keep us healthy,” said Elevant’s chief scientist Dr Alessia Grozio. “With Elevant Prime, we have taken the best of nature’s design and modern science to help people unlock a multitude of potential health benefits as a result of boosting NAD+.”
In a world in which purity and prevenance can be hard to define in the supplement market, Elevant say they are bringing a sense of clinical evaluation to the sector by delivering clinically tested methods to ensure a safe and effective supplement.
4. Alive by Science NMN Sublingual tablets
Previously known as Alive by Nature, this comes in two forms – either sublingual tablet which are placed under the tongue or with NMN powders. This, they say, is the world’s first sublingual tablet for NMN and it is backed by a triple lab tested promise for quality assurance. For transparency they also provide COA certificates as well as monk fruit extract to give it a nicer taste.
5. NMN Plus
For those who like things simple, clean and effective, NMN plus has just one ingredient – 500mg of NMN and nothing else. It’s a big dose of pure NMN and aims, they say, to give people the peace of mind of knowing that they are dealing with a single ingredient with no risk of contaminants or allergies.
There are some signs that it can help with cognitive function with some users saying their sleep patterns have improved while others report an improved mental attitude. Measuring such things can be difficult, but with a 100% NMN output, you know you’re getting maximum bang for your buck from each capsule.
These are just a selection of the latest and leading NAD+ supplements for 2022 and should not be taken as a definitive list of what should be considered ‘the best’. That can be a highly subjective and uncertain calculation and will depend on all sorts of parameters, particularly what effects you’re looking to get. Some will make you feel better in the long term while others will improve your health and wellbeing immediately.
When making a decision, though, you should always look at the ingredients to see what else is in those capsules which might reduce their effectiveness. Each will make similar bold claims, so often the only way to tell between them will be to look at how transparent they are about their ingredients and any supporting research or information they have to back up their claims.