NAD+
Also referred to as: Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide
A molecule found in every living cell that helps turn food into energy. Heavily studied in aging and metabolism research.
In plain terms: NAD+ is a helper molecule your cells use to turn food into usable energy. Every cell has it. Scientists are especially interested in it for aging research, because cells seem to have less of it as they get older. It is not a peptide — it is included here because it comes up so often in this area.
- Name
- NAD+
- Aliases
- Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide
- Classification
- Coenzyme
- Areas studied
- Cellular energy, Redox metabolism, Aging research
What it is
NAD+ (full name: nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) is a helper molecule found in every living cell. Its main job is to help shuttle energy around during the chemical reactions that turn food into fuel. It flips back and forth between two forms (NAD+ and NADH) as it does this work, and core energy-making pathways simply cannot run without it.
NAD+ is not a peptide. It is included here because it is one of the most-studied compounds in metabolism and aging science, and people researching peptides often run into it. It is a foundational molecule taught in basic biology.
Mechanism
NAD+ acts as an energy shuttle in the main pathways that break down food and produce cellular fuel. It is also used up by certain enzyme families — including the sirtuins and PARPs — that are involved in DNA repair signaling and tuning the body's metabolism. Because of this, how much NAD+ a cell has on hand is tied to those processes.
The interest in aging comes from a simple observation: in lab models, cells tend to have less NAD+ as they age. That has driven a lot of study into how the body makes and uses it.
Areas studied & investigated
The categories below summarize where NAD+ appears in the research literature. They describe what the compound is studied for and investigated in — not approved uses, and not guidance for any kind of use.
Cellular energy
A required helper in the pathways that turn food into the energy cells run on.
Repair & metabolism signaling
Used by enzyme families (sirtuins, PARPs) tied to DNA-repair and metabolism signaling.
Aging research
Studied because cells appear to have less NAD+ as they get older, at least in lab models.
Mitochondria
Central to the energy balance inside mitochondria, the cell's power plants — a major research focus.
Research history
NAD was first described in the early 1900s in studies of how yeast ferments sugar, and its central role in energy chemistry has been a cornerstone of biology ever since. Interest in NAD+ within aging research grew sharply in the 2000s and 2010s.
State of the literature
NAD+ biology is a deeply studied, well-established field. Within aging and metabolism research it is still very active, with both basic and human-focused studies ongoing. Specific ways of boosting it are still under study.
What to keep in mind
NAD+ itself is settled, basic biology — but that is different from the popular claims that boosting it will slow aging or boost energy in people. Those specific claims are still being tested and are far from proven. When you see "NAD+ does X for aging," separate the rock-solid textbook chemistry from the newer, still-open question of whether raising NAD+ actually changes anything you would notice.
Research tools
Evaluating a NAD+ batch for laboratory research? These free, research-use-only calculators help you work the numbers and read the paperwork: the reconstitution calculator solves vial concentration and draw volume, and the COA reader walks a certificate line by line. For how much and how often NAD+ is commonly used, see the dosing guides.
Batch-tested with published COAs
NAD+ on the store
Midwest Compounds sells NAD+. Every batch is tested by an independent lab and the certificate is published on the COA page as soon as it is issued. This page is educational; purchasing happens on the store.
Citations
The summary above is drawn from published, peer-reviewed sources. Links open the abstract on PubMed, or the free full text on PubMed Central (PMC) where marked.
- Covarrubias AJ, et al. NAD+ metabolism and its roles in cellular processes during ageing. Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, 2021. Free full text PMC
- Rajman L, et al. Therapeutic Potential of NAD-Boosting Molecules: The In Vivo Evidence. Cell Metabolism, 2018. Free full text PMC