If you’ve spent any time on social media lately, you’ve likely seen influencers touting NAD+ supplements as a way to boost longevity and slow aging.
Here’s what experts want you to know about NAD+ supplements, plus what the evidence shows about their potential risks and benefits.
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For example, a 2026 study published in Nature Metabolism suggests that NAD+ levels in the blood don’t decline with age.
NAD+ supplements are “definitely taking off well ahead of where the science is,” Martens says.
If you’ve spent any time on social media lately, you’ve likely seen influencers touting NAD+ supplements as a way to boost longevity and slow aging. But is there any evidence to support these claims?
Here’s what experts want you to know about NAD+ supplements, plus what the evidence shows about their potential risks and benefits.
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What is NAD+?
NAD+ stands for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide; the plus sign indicates it’s oxidized. Found in cells throughout the body, it’s a coenzyme — or a molecule that assists in reactions — that helps with essential functions such as converting the food you eat into energy and repairing damaged cells. It also helps keep your heart, brain and muscles healthy.
Your body produces NAD+ naturally using building blocks like vitamin B3 and the amino acid tryptophan. Your cells can also recycle NAD+ from other molecules.
And while some animal studies have shown that NAD+ declines with age, this hasn’t been well documented in humans, says Andriy Yabluchanskiy, an associate professor at the University of Oklahoma College of Allied Health who researches NAD+.
One issue is that there’s not a standard way to measure NAD+ in the body, says Christopher Martens, director of the Delaware Center for Cognitive Aging Research at the University of Delaware. Some studies measure it using blood samples; others measure levels in tissue. And this matters because where you look might affect what you find.
For example, a 2026 study published in Nature Metabolism suggests that NAD+ levels in the blood don’t decline with age. However, other research has found that NAD+ levels may drop in certain tissue as you age.
It may also be that NAD+ itself doesn’t decline as you get older, but that you use more of it, which could lower your overall levels, Yabluchanskiy explains. This may be because you experience more cellular stress with age, and cell repair mechanisms falter because “we’re ramping up the activity of these enzymes,” Martens says.
Experts say research on whether supplements can replenish NAD+ or improve your health is limited.
NAD+ supplements are “definitely taking off well ahead of where the science is,” Martens says.
