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Benefits of Nicotinamide Riboside (NR)

This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult your healthcare provider before starting any supplement. Full disclaimer

Evidence-Based Benefits

  • NAD+ elevation — Martens et al. (2018) demonstrated that 1000mg NR daily for 6 weeks increased NAD+ levels by approximately 60% in healthy older adults in a crossover RCT
  • Anti-inflammatory effects — Elhassan et al. (2019) found NR supplementation reduced circulating inflammatory cytokines and NLRP3 inflammasome activation in aged human skeletal muscle
  • Cardiovascular support — Martens et al. (2018) observed a trend toward reduced systolic blood pressure and aortic stiffness in older adults taking NR, though the study was not powered for these endpoints
  • Mitochondrial function — NR restores NAD+ availability for mitochondrial complex I, supporting electron transport chain efficiency and ATP production in aging tissues
  • Neuroprotection — preclinical studies show NR delays neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's models; human trials for cognitive outcomes are ongoing

What the Research Says

NR has the most robust human safety dataset of any NAD+ precursor. Martens et al. (2018) published a landmark crossover RCT showing 1000mg NR daily safely elevated NAD+ by ~60% in healthy older adults. Elhassan et al. (2019) confirmed NAD+ elevation in skeletal muscle and demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects. Trammell et al. (2016) established the pharmacokinetics of oral NR in humans. ChromaDex's Niagen has received FDA GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) status and two FDA new dietary ingredient notifications. The NR vs NMN debate remains active — NR has more published human data, while NMN is one enzymatic step closer to NAD+.

Related Conditions

Longevity
Full Nicotinamide Riboside (NR) Guide

References

  1. (). Chronic nicotinamide riboside supplementation is well-tolerated and elevates NAD+ in healthy middle-aged and older adults. Nature Communications. DOI
  2. (). Nicotinamide riboside augments the aged human skeletal muscle NAD+ metabolome and induces transcriptomic and anti-inflammatory signatures. Cell Reports. DOI
  3. (). Nicotinamide riboside is uniquely and orally bioavailable in mice and humans. Nature Communications. DOI