NAD+
Also searched as: Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide
NAD+ is a coenzyme found in all living cells, central to energy metabolism and to the function of enzymes including the sirtuins. It is not a peptide at all, despite being sold alongside them: it is a dinucleotide. Cellular levels decline with age, which is the basis of most research interest.
What the research has looked at
- Age-related decline in tissue NAD+ levels
- Sirtuin activity and DNA repair pathways in cell studies
- Precursor supplementation in early human trials
- Mitochondrial function in animal models
This is a description of what has been studied, not a claim about what it does. Evidence level: early human data.
Legal position in the UK
Not a licensed medicine in the UKOral precursors such as nicotinamide riboside are sold as food supplements in the UK. Injectable NAD+ is not a licensed medicine.
Handling and storage
Larger vial sizes than most peptides, so water volumes and click counts differ substantially. Light-sensitive and unstable in solution relative to lyophilised peptides.
Vial sizes: Commonly 100mg, 500mg or larger per vial. Where a manufacturer supplies handling instructions, those take precedence over anything general.
Questions
- Is NAD+ a peptide?
- No. It is a dinucleotide coenzyme. It gets grouped with peptides commercially because it is sold by the same suppliers, but chemically it is a different class of molecule entirely.
- What is the difference between NAD+ and NMN or NR?
- NMN and NR are precursors: the body converts them into NAD+. They are taken orally and are sold as supplements in some jurisdictions. NAD+ itself is the end molecule.