Does a NAD infusion (IV drip) make sense?
A NAD infusion has no proven advantage over cheaper oral supplements, and even those show barely any demonstrable effect in healthy people. Consider an infusion only after consulting your doctor, especially if you have a specific condition.
A NAD infusion has no proven advantage over an ordinary pill or powder. A recent review concludes that robust clinical validation for the intravenous route is lacking. There is simply too little research to say whether an infusion does anything extra.
The only clinical study that looked specifically at an infusion did so in fifteen people with Parkinson's disease. In that study, people with Parkinson's received 10 mg of NADH per day via an infusion for 7 days, which produced a measurable improvement on a symptom scale. However, the study had no placebo group and was very small, so no firm conclusions can be drawn from it. Discuss this with your doctor.
Oral NAD supplements, a capsule or tablet containing NMN (nicotinamide mononucleotide) or NR (nicotinamide riboside), have been studied more thoroughly. Studies show that these forms demonstrably raise NAD levels in the blood. Whether you notice any effect on your health is a separate question: in healthy people, few clinically relevant effects have been demonstrated, and in athletes, muscle metabolism or performance does not improve as a result. If you still want to try something for your NAD levels, the dose is 300 to 600 mg NMN or 1000 mg NR per day for at least 8 to 12 weeks. The brand or which of the two you choose does not matter, as they raise NAD levels comparably. On the label, look for the amount of NMN or NR in mg per capsule or tablet.
The effect of NAD supplementation is not proportional to the dose: age, metabolism and the method of intake all play a role, and there are indications that the body reaches a point of saturation. Side effects such as muscle pain, headache and sleep problems are reported, but are not considered serious in research. Both oral and intravenous forms are generally rated as well tolerated. An expensive infusion for longevity purposes is not supported by evidence at this time.
Sources include two randomised trials, two clinical studies (one of which involved 15 Parkinson's patients without a control group), one systematic review and three reviews. No meta-analysis specifically on IV NAD is available. The evidence for the IV route is the thinnest.
Does a NAD+ infusion do something that an NMN pill does not?
No study directly compares a NAD+ infusion with an oral NMN pill, so an advantage of the infusion has not been demonstrated. Oral NMN demonstrably raises blood NAD+ levels, but whether you notice any health benefit from this remains unclear for now.
What does a NAD supplement do, and does it work in humans?
NAD supplements demonstrably raise NAD levels in your blood, but whether you actually benefit from that remains uncertain. If you want to try it, keep your expectations realistic and choose a dosage with the best available evidence.
At what age does taking NAD+ supplements make sense?
There is no established age at which NAD+ supplementation becomes worthwhile. Studies focus on middle-aged and older adults, but a measurable functional benefit in humans has not yet been demonstrated.
What are the effects if you take NAD every day?
Taking 600-900 mg of a NAD supplement per day raises your NAD levels and provides some benefit for endurance, but long-term safety has not yet been properly studied.
Are NAD+ supplements (NMN/NR) worth it?
NMN and NR demonstrably raise NAD+ in your blood and appear to be safe, but whether you will notice any benefit in muscle strength, heart function or memory has not yet been proven in humans. Note also: NR is authorised in the EU as a supplement; NMN is not (yet).
Does NAD+ supplementation slow biological ageing?
NAD+ supplements raise your NAD+ levels in the blood, but whether that also means you age biologically more slowly has not been demonstrated in humans. The question is interesting, but firm conclusions are not yet available; keep an eye on future large-scale research if you are seriously considering this.