Oral NAD Precursor Supplements vs NAD+ IV Therapy: Which is Best?
Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, or NAD+, has quickly become a buzzword in the world of health and longevity, with everyone from wellness enthusiasts to celebrities taking advantage of its health benefits.
As interest in NAD+ continues to grow, two methods stand out for boosting NAD+ levels: NAD+ IV therapy and oral NAD supplements.
But with both options offering unique benefits, how do you choose the right one?
In this article, we’ll dive into the key differences between NAD+ IV therapy, also known as NAD+ IV Infusion, and oral NAD supplements, helping you determine which method is the best fit for your health goals.
What is NAD?
NAD is a molecule that exists in two forms: NAD+ and NADH.
NAD+ is the oxidized form and plays a vital role in cellular respiration, where it helps convert nutrients into energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
It also serves as a substrate for various enzymes involved in maintaining cellular health, such as sirtuins and PARPs, which are linked to aging and DNA repair.
As we age, NAD+ levels drop, which contributes to a host of age-related issues, including reduced energy, slower metabolism, and a weakened immune system.
Research suggests that replenishing NAD+ levels could help counteract these effects, promoting longevity and overall health.
What is Oral NAD Supplementation?
Oral NAD supplements are dietary products designed to increase the levels of NAD+ in the body.
These supplements typically contain precursors to NAD+, such as Nicotinamide Riboside (NR), which are converted into NAD+ within the cells.
How Do Oral NAD Supplements Work?
When taken orally, these supplements are absorbed through the digestive system.
Once in the bloodstream, the precursors are transported to cells, where they are converted into NAD+.
This increase in NAD+ helps support cellular functions, particularly those related to energy production and repair processes.
Top Benefits of Oral NAD Supplements
Enhanced Cellular Energy Production: By boosting NAD+ levels, oral supplements can enhance the cells’ ability to produce energy, leading to improved overall vitality.
Improved Cognitive Function: Higher NAD+ levels have been linked to better brain function, including memory and learning abilities.
Supports Healthy Aging: By activating sirtuins and promoting DNA repair, NAD+ helps to mitigate the effects of aging, potentially extending lifespan and improving healthspan.
Metabolic Health: NAD+ plays a role in regulating metabolism, and increased levels may help manage weight and support metabolic health.
Immune System Support: Higher NAD+ levels can enhance the body’s ability to fight off infections and maintain a robust immune system.
What is NAD+ IV Therapy?
NAD+ IV therapy usually involves the direct administration of NAD+ into the bloodstream through an intravenous (IV) drip. It is also called NAD+ IV Infusion.
More recently, some companies, notably in Japan, started marketing IV infusion of NAD+ precursors.
However, published data from Japan suggest that IV infusion of the one-step NAD precursor does not increase blood NAD levels. Another US company has started offering IV infusion of nicotinamide riboside (NR) but no data is available to evaluate its efficacy.
Intravenous infusion bypasses the digestive system, allowing for higher concentrations of nutrients such as NAD+ to be delivered directly to the cells.
Theoretically, this should be a great delivery method to correct NAD deficiencies seen in almost every adult worldwide. What are the data? Continue to find out.
How Does NAD+ IV Therapy Work?
NAD+ IV Therapy works by delivering NAD+ directly into the bloodstream via intravenous infusion.
The infused NAD+ circulates rapidly throughout the body. This delivery mode provides an immediate boost in NAD+ levels in the blood.
However, NAD+ is too big a molecule that it cannot get inside the cells and NAD+ in the bloodstream is quickly degraded.
Studies have shown that the infused NAD+ is halved every six hours.
All scientists agree that NAD+ cannot get inside the cells and many NAD+ “experts” believed, without scientific evidence, that the smaller molecules derived from NAD+ can get inside the cells and serve as precursors for cells to remake NAD+.
How much this happens? We will show you the data later but the short answer is that this does not happen in any clinically meaningful way.
Does NAD+ IV Therapy provide health benefits?
Relief of dementia symptoms: NAD IV therapy has been used for decades to treat dementia patients with some success.
Recovery from addictions: NAD IV Therapy has also been successfully used to to support addiction recovery by helping to restore brain function and reduce cravings.
Certain infectious disease: NAD IV therapy has long been used to treat patients with Lyme disease with success. More recently, it has been used to help patients with long COVID.
Mental Clarity and Mood Enhancement: Some users report improved cognitive function, mental clarity, and mood stabilization after NAD IV treatments.
Energy and performance: Some individuals receiving NAD IV infusions report increased energy and better performance.
These potential benefits are largely based on anecdotal reports and there are no published scientific studies on this topic.
There are also a large number of NAD+ IV users who report a lack of any health benefits. Another area of confusion is on how NAD+ IV Therapy may provide the reported benefits since the procedure cannot increase intracellular NAD levels.
We know now that there are receptors for the NAD+ molecule in certain cell types, mainly neuronal cells and immune cells.
The extracellular NAD+ may serve as neurotransmitters to support neurological functions and as ligands to modulate immune cell function.
However, it is important to point out that the vast majority of NAD+’s function is through intracellular NAD. Therefore, it is essential to elevate intracellular NAD levels and this cannot be accomplished via NAD+ IV infusion.
NAD Supplements vs. NAD IV: Which is Better?
While there is little doubt that elevating NAD provides tremendous benefits, the best way to make this happen is still an active debate among scientists, clinicians, companies, and consumers.
We will outline the facts and factors that you should consider so that you can make an informed decision.
What are your health goals?
NAD IV Therapy: This may be a great choice if you suffer from dementia, addictions, Lyme disease, or long COVID. The
IV infusion can deliver quickly a high dose of extracellular NAD+ in the bloodstream and certain tissue to provide a quick but only temporary relief. We recommend oral supplementation after IV Therapy to increase intracellular NAD+ levels and provide sustained benefits.
Oral NAD Supplements: For a host of benefits that NAD can provide, such as energy, performance, and longevity, it is essential to elevate intracellular NAD levels, which can be efficiently accomplished via supplementation of oral NAD precursors taken in pill or powder form, making them convenient and easy to incorporate into daily routines.
NAD+ IV Therapy is not the ideal choice since it does not increase intracellular NAD+ and requires administration by a healthcare professional, often in a clinical setting, which can be less convenient and more expensive and time-consuming.
Concerns about absorption and bioavailability of NAD?
A common argument against oral supplementation is whether the supplement ingredients are absorbed and bioavailable. While absorption can vary, high-quality supplements are designed to maximize bioavailability, ensuring that your body effectively converts the NAD+ precursors into active NAD+.
Bioavailability is almost impossible to measure for supplements on every user, it is now easy to measure the NAD levels before and after supplementation to find out whether the supplement is working for an individual and how much each person should take to reach and maintain NAD at the optimal level.
Do you care about the cost?
Oral NAD Supplements are generally very affordable and accessible. This makes them an excellent choice for anyone looking to invest in long-term health without breaking the bank.
NAD IV Therapy is many times more expensive than oral supplements, with sessions costing anywhere from $300 to $1,000. For those who want regular treatment, the costs can add up quickly, making it less affordable.
Is time important to you?
Oral NAD Supplements: Requires consistent daily use over weeks or months to see significant effects, but this gradual improvement aligns with natural body rhythms and supports sustained well-being.
NAD IV Therapy: Provides immediate results, with noticeable effects often occurring after a single session. But this requires time-consuming visits to a clinic.
Side Effects and Safety
Oral NAD Supplements: Generally well-tolerated, with no to minimal side effects reported. Their safety profile makes them suitable for most people looking to enhance their health naturally.
NAD IV Therapy: While generally safe, IV therapy carries risks associated with any intravenous procedure, such as infection or vein irritation. Some users may also experience flu-like symptoms following treatment.
Our studies have shown that hs-CRP, an inflammation biomarker, is temporarily increased by several fold after NAD+ IV Therapy in about 70% of the users.
How to Use Oral NAD Supplements to Boost Health and Longevity
Extensive data from Jinfiniti indicate clearly that the full benefits of NAD can only be realized when the intracellular level is within the optimal range (40-100uM).
This can now be accomplished through testing with Jinfiniti’s Intracellular NAD® Test before and after NAD treatment.
Unfortunately, many people are not taking the right supplement or the right dosage to get their NAD optimized.
A small proportion of NAD users is taking too much and their NAD level may be too high.
With the NAD supplement, Vitality ↑® NAD+ Booster, about 70% of the users need 2 scoops daily (1000mg of precursor) and about 25% of the users need more than 2 scoops to optimize their NAD.
Oral NAD Supplements vs. NAD IV: Which One Wins?
With the information in hand, choosing between oral NAD supplements and NAD IV therapy should not be a difficult task.
For the vast majority of individuals searching for a solution for wellness, performance, and longevity, high-quality oral supplements of NAD precursors, are the effective, affordable, and convenient solution.
For those individuals with neurological conditions or certain infectious diseases, combining NAD+ IV Therapy followed by oral supplementation with NAD precursors should offer the best solution.
If you want to see more data or need help, you can email us at hello@jinfiniti.com.
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