Peptide data sheet
NAD+
Longevity · Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide · NAD
Verdict
unprovenThe unproven label reflects a genuine gap: NAD+ is real, essential, and declines with age, and its precursors reliably raise NAD+ blood markers in human studies, but the downstream longevity outcomes people are paying for are not established, and the popular IV route has almost no controlled human data behind it.
By MrPepTalks Editorial
Reviewed for scientific accuracy · research information, not medical advice
Last updated Reviewed
Quick answer
NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) is a coenzyme every cell uses for energy metabolism and DNA-repair signaling. It is not a peptide. It is commonly researched in aging biology because NAD+ levels fall with age, and precursors like NR and NMN are studied for raising it. Human studies confirm precursors lift NAD+ markers, but the real-world longevity benefits people hope for are not established, and it is not FDA-approved as a longevity therapy.
- Class
- Pyridine-nucleotide coenzyme (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) — a small-molecule cofactor, not a peptide
- Half-life
- no single set value; NAD+ turns over rapidly and is continuously recycled inside cells
- FDA status
- Not FDA-approved as a longevity or aging-related therapy. Nicotinamide (a related B3 form) is a recognized nutrient, but NAD+ itself and precursor products sold for longevity are marketed as supplements or for research use, not approved drugs.
- WADA banned?
- No
Which form actually works?
Oral precursors (NR / NMN)
Promising
The best-studied route. Nicotinamide riboside (NR) and nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) are precursors the body converts toward NAD+, and human studies consistently show they raise NAD+ blood markers. Whether that marker rise turns into the aging, energy, or metabolic outcomes people want is where the evidence thins out.
Intravenous NAD+ (clinic drip)
Unproven
The route wellness clinics sell most aggressively and the one people ask about. Controlled human data on IV NAD+ for longevity is close to absent, infusions are commonly reported as uncomfortable, and cost is high. Popularity here far outruns the evidence.
Third-Party Testing & Certificate of Analysis (COA)
A certificate of analysis (COA) is a lab document that reports what a specific batch of material actually contains. Reputable research suppliers publish one for every batch, tied to a lot number you can match against the vial you received.
- HPLC — purity
- High-performance liquid chromatography reports purity as a percentage: how much of the sample is the intended compound rather than impurities.
- Mass spectrometry (MS) — identity
- Mass spectrometry confirms identity by measuring the sample's molecular mass, so it matches the peptide the label names.
It also matters who ran the test. In-house results come from the seller's own lab; an independent third-party lab has no stake in the result, so its COA generally carries more weight. Look for a named testing laboratory, a batch or lot number, and a test date that lines up with the vial in hand.
New to reading one? This guide walks through a COA line by line: how to read a peptide COA.
Sources
- Trammell SAJ et al. Nicotinamide riboside is uniquely and orally bioavailable in mice and humans, Nat Commun 2016.
- Martens CR et al. Chronic nicotinamide riboside supplementation is well-tolerated and elevates NAD+ in healthy middle-aged and older adults, Nat Commun 2018.
- Irie J et al. Effect of oral administration of nicotinamide mononucleotide on clinical parameters in healthy men, Endocr J 2020.
- PubChem Compound Summary for CID 5892, NAD+ — National Library of Medicine (NCBI).
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