Can you hack aging with NAD supplements?
Walk down the supplement aisle at your local drugstore and you’ll likely spot bottles of NAD (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) pills, powders, or liquids that promise to slow down aging. The global market for these products hit $535.53 million in 2022. But do NAD supplements really work? “I get asked about NAD supplements occasionally by patients,” says Dr. Nicholas Dragolea, a London-based GP with an interest in longevity and functional health at My Longevity Centre in the United Kingdom. “My answer usually is that there isn’t enough medical evidence to support taking it.” [ Related: Does drinking collagen actually do anything? ] What is NAD and why the hype? NAD is a molecule your body makes from nutrients in your diet like tryptophan and niacin. It’s involved in hundreds of different processes in the body—from metabolism, to brain health, to DNA repair—making it critical for overall human health, explains Daniel Craighead, an assistant professor in the...