Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD+) is a vital coenzyme found in all living cells, playing a critical role in energy production, DNA repair, and cellular longevity. Because cellular NAD+ levels fall by up to 50% every 20 years, learning how to naturally support these levels can help optimize your health. [1, 2, 3]

The Function of Sirtuins

Sirtuins (specifically SIRT1 through SIRT7) are a family of regulatory proteins often referred to as "longevity genes". They act as cellular managers, controlling gene expression, regulating inflammation, and managing metabolic health. [1, 2]

Sirtuins are completely NAD+-dependent. They cannot function or trigger cellular repair without NAD+ acting as their fuel source. When sirtuins consume NAD+, they deacetylate other proteins, which helps your body resist stress, balance glucose metabolism, and repair damaged DNA. [1, 2, 3]

Key NAD+ Benefits

Optimizing NAD+ offers wide-ranging health and longevity benefits, including:

  • • Cellular Repair: Powers enzymes to repair broken or damaged DNA strands.
  • • Energy Metabolism: Converts nutrients into cellular energy (ATP).
  • • Sustained Vitality: Supports healthy mitochondria, delaying age-related physical and cognitive decline. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

How to Naturally Boost NAD+ Levels

A brunette woman in a purple T-shirt stands on a treadmill, adjusting the screen as she begins an NAD+ boosting workoutA brunette woman in a purple T-shirt stands on a treadmill, adjusting the screen as she begins an NAD+ boosting workout

1. Exercise Regularly

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) and strength training stimulate \(AMPK\) pathways, which forces your cells to create more mitochondria and naturally boosts NAD+ synthesis. [1]

2. Practice Intermittent Fasting

Short-term fasting or time-restricted eating (such as a 16:8 or 18:6 window) mimics energy stress, which naturally upregulates sirtuins and triggers the NAD+-dependent recycling of damaged cells. [1, 2]

3. Consume NAD+ Precursors

You can supply your body with the raw building blocks for NAD+ through your diet. [1, 2]

  • • Vitamin B3 Sources: Foods like nutritional yeast, legumes, mushrooms, and eggs contain niacin, nicotinamide (NAM), and nicotinamide riboside (NR).
  • • Tryptophan-Rich Foods: Turkey, chicken, and seeds help the body synthesize NAD+ via a multi-step pathway. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

4. Activate Sirtuins with Polyphenols

Polyphenols are plant antioxidants that activate sirtuins, helping your body utilize existing NAD+ much more efficiently. [1, 2]

  • • Resveratrol: Found in dark berries, red grapes, and peanuts.
  • • Quercetin & Fisetin: Found in apples, onions, and parsley.
  • • Fructose: Small amounts of natural fructose (found in grapes, peas, and asparagus) also help stimulate sirtuin activity. [1, 2]

Orally consuming NAD+ has been a controversial subject among researchers due to the fact that its absorption rate and utilization by the cell membrane have been called into question. To get around this issue, scientists studied NAD+ precursors, compounds that boost NAD+.

Two precursors have been proven in clinical studies to raise blood NAD+ levels significantly, efficiently, and safely:

  • • NR (nicotinamide riboside)
  • • NMN (nicotinamide mononucleotide)

NMN and NR have both clinically shown to boost NAD+ levels. They have overlapping as well as unique pathways for stable cellular entry. Consumers now have access to NMN or NR. The main difference from a formulators’ viewpoint would be that NMN costs far less than NR, making it more affordable at the consumer level.

We have two clinically validated products for increasing NAD+ levels available. Life Extension NMN with Resveratrol 30vc, and NAD+ Cell Regenerator 30vc.

Wishing you good health,
Edwin Dossman

Michael Downey, July 2026, Cost Effective Option to Boost NAD+, Life Extension Magazine

Griffin Dean, October 8, 2024,  Unlocking Youth: The Combined Power of NAD+ and Exercise