NAD+ has become one of the most talked-about molecules in longevity medicine for a reason.
It is present in virtually every cell in your body and is deeply involved in how your cells create energy, respond to stress, repair damage, communicate, and function over time.
Research also suggests that changes in NAD+ metabolism are closely connected with aging and a wide range of age-related processes.
That makes NAD+ especially interesting when the goal is to support the body at the cellular level.
NAD+ is anti-aging support for the mind and body.
WHAT IS NAD+?
NAD+ stands for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide.
It is a naturally occurring coenzyme your cells depend on for some of their most fundamental functions.
NAD+ is involved in:
- Cellular energy production
- Mitochondrial function
- DNA repair
- Cellular stress responses
- Sirtuin activity
- Metabolic regulation
- Circadian rhythm
- Neuronal health
- Immune function
- Oxidative stress response
One scientific review describes NAD+ as a critical regulator of physiologic processes that helps cells adapt to stresses including changes in nutrients, inflammation, infection, DNA damage, and disruptions in circadian rhythm.
When we talk about NAD+, we are talking about one of the molecules your cells use every day to function, repair, and produce energy.
NAD+ AND AGING
NAD+ metabolism changes as we age.
Research has connected declining NAD+ availability with several processes associated with aging, including mitochondrial dysfunction, altered metabolism, inflammation, impaired cellular repair, and changes in neuronal health.
NAD+ is also required by enzymes such as sirtuins and PARPs, which are involved in cellular stress resistance, metabolism, genomic stability, and DNA repair.
This is one reason NAD+ has become such an important area of longevity research.
Supporting NAD+ means supporting pathways connected to how well your cells age.
WHAT DOES THE RESEARCH SUGGEST?
Research into NAD+ and NAD+-supporting therapies has explored a remarkably wide range of areas.
Depending on the condition, dose, route, and study design, research suggests NAD+ may support:
- Brain function and cognition
- Memory, learning, and concentration
- Mitochondrial function
- Cellular energy production
- Physical performance and recovery
- Neuronal health
- Metabolic health
- Insulin sensitivity
- Cardiovascular health
- DNA repair
- Circadian rhythm
- Cellular stress resistance
- Healthy aging
- Immune function
- Fertility
- Recovery during periods of significant physical or physiologic stress
- Addiction and substance-use recovery
Results vary between studies and individuals, and no treatment can guarantee a particular outcome.
But the breadth of NAD+ research is one of the reasons I find this therapy so interesting.
BRAIN + COGNITIVE SUPPORT
NAD+ is deeply connected to neuronal health.
Your brain requires an enormous amount of energy.
That makes mitochondrial function and cellular energy metabolism especially important for brain health.
Research into NAD+ has explored its relationship with:
- Memory
- Learning
- Attention
- Information processing
- Neuronal stress resistance
- Neuroinflammation
- Blood-brain barrier function
- Neurodegenerative processes
One human study using 750 mg of IV NAD+ for five consecutive days found greater improvement across several cognitive measures compared with baseline performance.
Research also continues to explore NAD+ pathways in conditions involving cognitive decline and neurodegeneration.
Supporting NAD+ may give the brain another layer of cellular and mitochondrial support.
ENERGY + MITOCHONDRIAL FUNCTION
When people think about energy, they often think about how awake they feel.
At the cellular level, energy begins inside the mitochondria.
NAD+ participates directly in the metabolic reactions that help your cells convert nutrients into ATP, the energy your cells use to function.
Research suggests NAD+ may support:
- Mitochondrial function
- Cellular energy production
- Physical energy
- Exercise performance
- Muscle recovery
- Resilience during periods of increased demand
- Recovery from physiologic stress
This is one reason NAD+ may be appealing when you feel like your body is simply not recovering or producing energy the way it used to.
RECOVERY + NERVOUS SYSTEM SUPPORT
NAD+ is involved in cellular stress responses throughout the body.
Research has explored its role in inflammation, oxidative stress, neuronal function, mitochondrial repair, and recovery after different forms of cellular stress or injury.
Clients may be interested in NAD+ when they are working on:
- Physical recovery
- Athletic recovery
- Neurologic recovery
- Persistent fatigue
- Stress resilience
- Sleep and circadian rhythm support
- Nervous system health
- Overall cellular recovery
When the body has been under significant demand, supporting cellular energy and repair can become part of the bigger recovery plan.
NAD+ + ADDICTION RECOVERY
NAD+ has also been studied as a supportive therapy during recovery from alcohol and substance use.
Addiction profoundly affects neurotransmitter signaling, stress pathways, sleep, energy metabolism, mood, and the nervous system.
Research using multi-day IV NAD+ protocols has reported reductions in:
- Drug and alcohol cravings
- Withdrawal-related symptoms
- Anxiety
- Depressive symptoms
- Irritability
- Physical discomfort during withdrawal
Some treatment protocols studied have used 500 to 1500 mg of NAD+ daily for several consecutive days, often up to 10 days.
NAD+ is not a cure for addiction.
It is a therapy that can provide significant physiologic support during recovery by helping support cellular energy, nervous system function, and some of the pathways disrupted by chronic substance use.
The goal is to make recovery more supported and potentially reduce some of the physical and neurologic burden that can make the early stages so difficult.
NAD+ should be part of an appropriate, comprehensive addiction-recovery plan when substance-use disorder is present.
METABOLIC HEALTH
NAD+ plays a fundamental role in glucose metabolism, fatty-acid metabolism, mitochondrial energy production, and cellular signaling.
Research into NAD+ metabolism has explored connections with:
- Insulin sensitivity
- Blood sugar regulation
- Metabolic health
- Pancreatic beta-cell function
- Lipid metabolism
- Weight regulation
- Mitochondrial health
For someone working on metabolic health, NAD+ may become one piece of a larger plan that also considers nutrition, movement, sleep, hormones, body composition, stress, and underlying metabolic patterns.
CARDIOVASCULAR + CIRCULATORY SUPPORT
NAD+ pathways are also being studied in relation to cardiovascular aging and vascular function.
Research suggests NAD+ may influence processes related to:
- Vascular health
- Oxidative stress
- Cellular energy within cardiovascular tissue
- Metabolic health
- Inflammatory signaling
- Circulatory function
I view this as one more example of how widely NAD+ participates in cellular physiology.
DNA REPAIR + CELLULAR AGING
NAD+ is required by PARP enzymes involved in DNA repair and by sirtuins involved in cellular stress responses, metabolism, and aging-related pathways.
That connection has made NAD+ a major focus of longevity research.
Research suggests supporting NAD+ availability may influence processes associated with:
- DNA repair
- Genomic stability
- Mitochondrial function
- Oxidative stress
- Cellular resilience
- Sirtuin activity
- Age-related metabolic changes
We cannot change your chronological age, but we can support many of the cellular processes that influence your biological age and function.
WHY I USE A SERIES
One NAD+ IV can provide support. A series gives us a different therapeutic approach.
Many of the more interesting IV NAD+ studies have not used one small infusion.
They have used consecutive treatment protocols.
For example, human research has evaluated:
- 750 mg daily for five consecutive days in cognitive research
- 500 to 1500 mg daily over multi-day protocols, often up to 10 days, in substance-use recovery
- 500 mg daily for four consecutive days in newer IV NAD+ research
That is important because dose and frequency may matter.
I commonly think about NAD+ as a series rather than a one-time treatment when we are pursuing a more significant goal.
For many clients, I may recommend 5 to 10 consecutive or closely spaced NAD+ IVs at 500 mg or more, depending on your goals, health history, tolerance, and the reason we are using NAD+.
Someone who is generally healthy and wants cellular, energy, or longevity support may need a different approach from someone dealing with significant fatigue, neurologic recovery, or a more complex health concern.
Your plan is individualized rather than determined by a fixed package.
WHAT IS IN MY NAD+ IV?
When NAD+ is the primary treatment, I add it to a foundational nutrient IV rather than giving NAD+ completely by itself.
The accompanying formula may include selected vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that support cellular energy metabolism and the pathways involved in your body’s own NAD+ production and recycling.
And as with my other IVs, glutathione support is also incorporated.
I want the entire infusion to support the reason we are giving NAD+ in the first place.
WHAT DOES AN NAD+ INFUSION FEEL LIKE?
NAD+ is different from a standard nutrient IV.
It often needs to be infused more slowly.
If NAD+ runs too quickly, some people experience temporary sensations such as:
- Chest or abdominal pressure
- Nausea
- Cramping
- Flushing
- Increased heart rate
- Head pressure
- General discomfort
These sensations usually improve when we slow the infusion, when you eat and show up with a full belly.
I adjust your infusion rate based on how you feel rather than trying to push everyone through the treatment at the same speed.
Over time, many clients become more familiar with how their body responds and can tolerate the infusion differently.
Your body helps determine the pace.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE?
NAD+ infusion time depends on your dose and how quickly your body comfortably tolerates it.
Higher doses generally require 2 to 4 hours, sometimes longer, depending on dose and tolerance.
Because we are not rushing the infusion, I recommend planning for a longer appointment.
You can work, read, listen to something, or simply rest during your treatment.
NAD+ FOR HEALTHY AGING + LONGEVITY
You do not have to wait until something is significantly wrong to become interested in NAD+.
Some clients pursue NAD+ because they are thinking proactively about:
- Energy
- Brain health
- Performance
- Mitochondrial function
- Recovery
- Metabolic health
- Cellular resilience
- Healthy aging
For these clients, NAD+ can become part of a broader longevity plan rather than treatment for one specific symptom.
Longevity is about supporting the systems your body depends on before they become the limiting factor.
IMPROVING FUNCTION CAN MATTER AS MUCH AS CHANGING A DIAGNOSIS
When someone has a chronic or degenerative condition, the most meaningful result is not always making the diagnosis disappear.
Sometimes the change that matters is being able to move more easily, think more clearly, sleep better, have more energy, recover faster, or participate more fully in daily life.
NAD+ may not reverse an established chronic condition.
But by supporting cellular energy, mitochondrial function, neuronal health, repair pathways, and other underlying processes, it may help improve function, resilience, symptoms, and quality of life.
A diagnosis may still be present while the person living with it functions and feels significantly better.
That distinction is important.
WHAT I HAVE SEEN IN PRACTICE
Research is one part of why I use NAD+.
My clinical experience is another.
Individual responses can be striking, especially when we use an appropriate dose and a series of treatments.
I have personally seen clients experience changes such as:
- Chronic fatigue shifting into noticeably higher energy
- Sleeping soundly after only one to three treatments
- Faster, easier movement and less noticeable tremor in individuals with Parkinson’s disease
- Clients looking visibly more refreshed and youthful after two or three treatments, with other people noticing the change as well
- Pigmented areas described as age or liver spots becoming significantly lighter or disappearing
- Improved mental clarity, stamina, and overall sense of well-being
These are individual clinical observations, not promises, but they are part of why I continue to find this therapy so compelling.
Sometimes the change is something we measure. Sometimes it is watching someone move more easily, sleep through the night, have energy again, or hear that other people have noticed how much better they look.
NAD+ CAN ALSO FIT INTO ROOT-CAUSE CARE
There are situations where NAD+ may be useful as a targeted therapy, but I still want to understand why you are feeling the way you are.
Persistent fatigue, cognitive changes, poor recovery, metabolic dysfunction, sleep problems, or neurologic symptoms can have many contributing factors.
That may include nutrient status, hormones, metabolic health, inflammation, sleep, stress, digestive health, environmental exposures, or other physiologic patterns.
NAD+ may support the body while we investigate and address the larger picture.
Targeted therapy and root-cause care can work together.
WHAT RESULTS SHOULD YOU EXPECT?
People respond differently to NAD+.
Some notice changes in energy, sleep, mental clarity, recovery, movement, or overall well-being after the first few sessions.
Others notice more gradual changes as the series progresses.
For some people with chronic health concerns, the meaningful shift may be improved function and quality of life rather than reversal of the underlying diagnosis.
And some people may not experience the response they hoped for.
The dose, frequency, reason for treatment, overall health, severity and duration of the condition, and individual biology all influence response.
Research can show us what may be possible. Your response tells us what NAD+ is doing for you.
That is why I reassess as we go rather than assuming everyone will respond in the same way.
IS NAD+ RIGHT FOR YOU?
NAD+ may be worth considering if you are interested in support for:
- Healthy aging and longevity
- Cellular and mitochondrial health
- Energy
- Brain and cognitive health
- Physical or neurologic recovery
- Performance
- Metabolic health
- Persistent fatigue
- Resilience during periods of significant stress
- Addiction-recovery support as part of broader care
Your medical history, medications, current health, and goals all help determine whether NAD+ is appropriate and how I would structure your treatment.
START WITH THE RIGHT PLAN
If you already know you want NAD+ therapy, you can contact the office to schedule.
If you have a more complicated health history, want to use NAD+ for a specific condition, or are unsure whether you need 5 treatments, 10 treatments, or a different approach entirely, we can determine that together.
For simple questions:
For a more complex health discussion:
SUPPORT YOUR CELLS WHERE HEALTH BEGINS
NAD+ participates in some of the most fundamental processes in the body.
It is involved in energy production, mitochondrial function, DNA repair, cellular stress response, brain health, metabolism, recovery, and aging.
That is what makes it such an interesting therapy.
And when we use it thoughtfully, at an appropriate dose and frequency, it gives us another way to support your body at a very foundational level.
Support cellular energy, repair, function, and the way your body responds over time.
RESEARCH + REFERENCES
Research supporting the science discussed on this page includes published work examining NAD+ metabolism, mitochondrial function, aging, neuronal health, metabolic regulation, cellular repair, cognitive performance, and IV NAD+ protocols.
Selected references include:
- NAD+ Metabolism: Pathophysiologic Mechanisms and Therapeutic Potential, Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy.
- NAD+ Metabolism and Its Roles in Cellular Processes During Ageing, Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology.
- NAD Metabolism: Implications in Aging and Longevity, Ageing Research Reviews.
- Human research evaluating five consecutive days of 750 mg IV NAD+ and cognitive performance.
- Human studies evaluating multi-day IV NAD+ protocols in substance-use recovery, including doses of approximately 500 to 1500 mg daily.
- Human research evaluating four consecutive days of 500 mg IV NAD+ and metabolic and tolerability outcomes.
Research continues to develop. Individual results vary. Clinical observations described on this page reflect individual experiences and should not be interpreted as guaranteed or typical outcomes. NAD+ IV therapy is not intended to guarantee prevention, reversal, or treatment of any specific disease.