NAD+ and science

What is NAD+, and why is everyone talking about it?

GP-led and medically reviewed by our clinical team
Published 15 October 2026 · 5 min read

NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) is a coenzyme: a helper molecule that lets your enzymes do their jobs.

The short answer

NAD+ is a molecule found in every living cell. Your body needs it to turn food into energy and to repair itself. It has become popular because animal studies suggested that topping it up might slow some signs of ageing. Those findings have not yet been shown in people.

What it does in your body

Energy. NAD+ carries electrons from the food you eat to your mitochondria, the parts of your cells that make energy. It switches between two forms, NAD+ and NADH, as it does this.
Repair. Enzymes that repair damaged DNA use up NAD+ as fuel.
Cell signalling. A family of proteins called sirtuins, which help cells respond to stress, also depend on NAD+.

Because NAD+ is used up and remade all the time, your body keeps recycling it.

Where your body gets it

You make NAD+ yourself, mainly from forms of vitamin B3 in your food (niacin and nicotinamide) and from the amino acid tryptophan. Meat, fish, dairy, wholegrains, nuts and pulses all provide these building blocks.

Supplements such as NR (nicotinamide riboside) and NMN (nicotinamide mononucleotide) are “precursors”: things the body can turn into NAD+. An NAD+ drip gives NAD+ itself, straight into a vein.

Why everyone is talking about it

Animal research. In mice, NAD+ levels fall with age, and giving precursors improved some measures of health in older animals.
Books, podcasts and social media. Longevity is a popular topic, and NAD+ is often presented as a key to it.
Celebrity clinics. NAD+ drips are widely offered in the US, and now in London.

What we actually know in people

Human research is much thinner than the headlines suggest:

Supplements and drips can raise NAD+ levels in the blood.
Studies so far are small and short, often a few weeks or months.
There is no good evidence yet that raising NAD+ improves energy, slows ageing or helps people live longer.

That does not mean NAD+ is useless. It means the question is still open. Our guide to how medical evidence works explains why early research often doesn’t hold up.

Should you try it?

If you are curious, that is a reasonable personal choice, as long as you know what is and isn’t known. An NAD+ drip has to run slowly and isn’t suitable for everyone, including in pregnancy or with some heart conditions. A prescriber reviews your health questions before every booking.

Our NAD+ options

NAD+ shot£150 in clinic · £250 at home NAD+ 250£375 in clinic · £475 at home NAD+ 500£575 in clinic · clinic only

Still not sure?

Message us and we will help you decide, even if the answer is a blood test or your GP rather than a drip.

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This guide is general information, not a diagnosis. If you are worried about a symptom, speak to your GP or call NHS 111. In an emergency, call 999.