NAD+ Injections: A Cellular Tune-Up with Big Potential

Written By Andrea Gansner

If your body were a car, NAD+ would be the fuel that keeps the engine humming. Short for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, NAD+ is a molecule that plays a starring role in cellular metabolism, energy production, and DNA repair. In simpler terms: it helps your cells do their job, and do it well.

But here’s the kicker—NAD+ levels naturally decline as we age. This decline has been linked to everything from fatigue and brain fog to more serious age-related diseases. The science world has taken note, and NAD+ injections are now being studied as a potential way to top up those depleted cellular gas tanks.

At Oak Integrative, we’re thrilled to now offer NAD+ injections as part of our supportive care toolkit. Whether you're looking to boost energy, improve cognitive clarity, or support healthy aging, the potential benefits are intriguing. Let's dive into what the research says.

So, What Does NAD+ Actually Do?

NAD+ is essential for converting food into energy, regulating stress responses, maintaining healthy DNA, and supporting brain and heart health. As levels drop with age or chronic stress, the body’s ability to repair and regenerate declines too.

That’s where NAD+ injections come in.

Unlike oral supplements of NAD+, injections allow for a more direct and potentially more effective delivery into the bloodstream. This has opened the door to fascinating research on how NAD+ therapy may support longevity and reduce the risk of age-related disease.

Cardiovascular Health: Heart Smart, Cell Deep

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death globally—and NAD+ may have a role to play in prevention.

NAD+ precursors have been shown to enhance endothelial function and protect against ischemic injury, both of which are key in maintaining heart health (Bhasin et al., 2023).

Supplementation has also been linked to lower blood pressure and improved lipid profiles in older adults (Bhasin et al., 2023).

In a small clinical trial, NAD+ injections improved cardiac markers and reduced oxidative stress in heart failure patients, though results didn’t reach statistical significance (Pei et al., 2024). Translation: promising, but we’re not popping the champagne just yet.

In preclinical models, NAD+ delivery reduced abnormal blood vessel growth and promoted healing following vascular injury, reinforcing its potential cardiovascular perks (Zhang et al., 2016).

Brain Gains: Neuroprotection and Cognitive Support

Neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s have been tied to low NAD+ levels—and replenishing those levels may be protective.

NAD+ has been linked to improved neuronal function and cognitive performance, especially in the context of aging brains (Lautrup et al., 2019).

Animal studies show NAD+ can reduce neuroinflammation, protect mitochondria, and support brain health via the SIRT1/PGC-1α pathway (Zhao et al., 2021).

In a model of autoimmune encephalomyelitis (a stand-in for multiple sclerosis), NAD+ injections protected nerve cells and modulated immune response through the AMPK/SIRT1 pathway (Wang et al., 2016).

Preclinical findings are exciting, but more robust human trials are needed to determine how these effects translate outside the lab (Iqbal & Nakagawa, 2024).

Metabolic Health: Fueling Function

From diabetes to metabolic syndrome, NAD+ seems to have a hand in keeping things balanced.

NAD+ supplementation has been associated with better insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism in animal and early-stage human studies (Lautrup et al., 2019).

In diabetic rat models, NADH injections protected pancreatic beta cells, reduced inflammation, and preserved insulin function (Abdellatif et al., 2023).

NAD+ may also support lipid metabolism, potentially helping prevent obesity-related complications (Bhasin et al., 2023).

In short, it’s not a silver bullet for weight loss—but it may be a helpful tool in supporting metabolic health at the cellular level.

Inflammation, Immunity & Aging Gracefully

NAD+ injections appear to modulate immune function and reduce inflammation, especially in autoimmune and neuroinflammatory models (Wang et al., 2016).

Reviews suggest NAD+ may help reduce oxidative stress and protect tissues from age-related decline—but they also emphasize the need for more long-term human data (Bhasin et al., 2023; Hawkins et al., 2024).

Is It Safe?

So far, early trials suggest NAD+ and its precursor, nicotinamide riboside (NR), are generally safe and well-tolerated in healthy adults, with NR providing a stronger and more sustained boost in blood NAD+ levels (Hawkins et al., 2024).

Side effects tend to be minimal and can include mild flushing or discomfort at the injection site. That said, NAD+ injections may not be right for everyone, and we always recommend chatting with your naturopathic doctor before starting any new treatment.

Now Available at Oak Integrative 🌿

Curious if NAD+ injections are a good fit for you? Book a visit with one of our NDs to explore whether they align with your health goals. Whether you're dealing with low energy, brain fog, or simply want to give your cells a little extra love, NAD+ could be your next favorite wellness ritual.

Because healthy aging doesn’t have to mean slowing down.

References

  • Abdellatif, A., et al. (2023). NADH intraperitoneal injection prevents massive pancreatic beta cell destruction in a streptozotocin-induced diabetes in rats. Histochemistry and Cell Biology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00418-023-02253-x

  • Bhasin, S., et al. (2023). Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide in Aging Biology: Potential Applications and Many Unknowns. Endocrine Reviews, 44(6), 1047–1073. https://doi.org/10.1210/endrev/bnad019

  • Hawkins, J., et al. (2024). Randomized, placebo-controlled, pilot clinical study evaluating acute Niagen®+ IV and NAD+ IV in healthy adults [Preprint]. medRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.06.06.24308565

  • Lautrup, S., et al. (2019). NAD+ in Brain Aging and Neurodegenerative Disorders. Cell Metabolism, 30(4), 630–655. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2019.09.001

  • Pei, Z., et al. (2024). Effects of Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide on Older Patients with Heart Failure. Reviews in Cardiovascular Medicine, 25(8), 297. https://doi.org/10.31083/j.rcm2508297

  • Wang, J., et al. (2016). Treatment with NAD+ inhibited experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis by activating AMPK/SIRT1 signaling pathway and modulating Th1/Th17 immune responses. International Immunopharmacology, 39, 287–294. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intimp.2016.07.036

  • Zhang, Y., et al. (2016). Exogenous NAD+ administration significantly protects against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury in rat model. American Journal of Translational Research, 8(8), 3342–3350.

  • Zhao, Y., et al. (2021). NAD+ improves cognitive function and reduces neuroinflammation through Sirt1/PGC-1α pathway. Journal of Neuroinflammation, 18(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12974-021-02250-8

  • Iqbal T, Nakagawa T. The therapeutic perspective of NAD+ precursors in age-related diseases. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2024 Apr 2;702:149590. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2024.149590. Epub 2024 Feb 2. PMID: 38340651.

Andrea Gansner
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