Description
NAD+ (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide)
NAD+ is a naturally occurring coenzyme found in every living cell, playing a central role in how cells produce energy and repair themselves. It is one of the most studied molecules in ageing and metabolic research.
Role in Cellular Function
- NAD+ acts as a key helper molecule in hundreds of chemical reactions inside cells, most critically in converting nutrients into usable energy (Yoshino et al., 2018)
- It also activates a group of proteins called sirtuins and supports DNA repair enzymes known as PARPs — both of which are linked to how cells age and respond to damage (Covarrubias et al., 2021)
- Research shows NAD+ directly influences metabolic health, immune cell activity, and the process by which damaged cells are cleared from tissues (Covarrubias et al., 2021)
NAD+ and Ageing
- NAD+ levels gradually decline with age across multiple tissues in both rodents and humans — a decline causally linked in research models to cognitive decline, muscle loss, metabolic disease, and frailty (Covarrubias et al., 2021)
- Plasma NAD+ levels have been quantifiably measured to decrease significantly across age groups ranging from 20 to 87 years (Clement et al., 2019)
- Restoring NAD+ levels is an active area of research as a potential strategy to address age-related cellular dysfunction (Stout et al., 2022)
Research Utility
NAD+ is widely used in laboratory research as a biochemical tool to study energy metabolism, DNA repair pathways, mitochondrial function, and the biology of ageing at the cellular level.
For research use only. Not intended for use in humans or animals.
References
Clement, J., Wong, M., Poljak, A., Sachdev, P., & Braidy, N. (2019). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30124109/
Covarrubias, A. J., Perrone, R., Grozio, A., & Verdin, E. (2021). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33353981/
Stout, M. B., Justice, J. N., Nicklas, B. J., & Kirkland, J. L. (2022). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37364580/
Yoshino, J., Baur, J. A., & Imai, S. I. (2018). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30208740/















