Why Do I Take NAD Booster / Health Supplement Nicotinamide Riboside (NR)?

Since launching this site in mid-2020, the goal has been to learn as much as possible about NAD boosting vitamin supplement Nicotinamide Riboside “NR” (FAQs) (Reviews) in order to determine whether to take it myself. I had MANY questions. What’s NAD? How does elevating NAD levels improve my health? Is NR the best way to elevate NAD. levels? Who else takes NR? And the list goes on. So, I started this quest for answers with a very basic question:

Question #1: Who Already Believes in Nicotinamide Riboside (NR)?

With NR companies currently unable to make health claims, the next best option to better understand the buzz around NR was to find out who supplements with NR and why.

One of the more important revelations of 2020 was that the New England Patriots football team believes in NR and consumes it daily.

They reportedly consume it to boost energy levels, expedite recovery, and increase focus.

We know the Patriots have access to the best scientific minds anywhere. So surely they did their due diligence.

It was also encouraging to learn that 92-year old Hong Kong billionaire Li-Ka Shing not only supplements with NR but also invested heavily in NR seller Chromadex.

He too surely has the best scientists and doctors available to him — and is no doubt incredibly careful about what he ingests especially at such an advanced age.

Further evidence of Mr Li’s belief in NR came at the height of the pandemic when his investment arm Horizons Ventures donated $1.6M worth of NR to health-care workers treating COVID patients in Hong Kong hospitals.

As if that weren’t enough, Nestlé Health Science (a subsidiary of Nestlé — the largest food company in the world) bolstered the case for supplementing with NR when in early Fall 2020 it launched a new brand Celltrient which includes NR as the key ingredient in one of its 3 new cellular health products.

One can assume that Nestlé is not about to risk its reputation on something its scientists haven’t completely and thoroughly assessed.

So, it’s no surprise to hear that “Nestle is very bullish on NR and its benefits“.

But, in my mind, some of the most important data points helping me determine whether to supplement with NR came from the remarkable stories consumers have so generously shared here at RaisingNAD.

Here are some of the latest:

Chromadex CEO Rob Fried — Energy, Recovery, Sleep

75-Year Old Ed — Recovery, Inflammation, Colds, Skin

77-Year Old Dr Ted — Hair, Skin, Recovery, Strength

Dave Crouse — Fertility

Bill Walker — Pet Cancer

Mark Molinaro — Epilepsy

Randy and Cindy — Vision, Cholesterol, Bronchitis

Jeff Gilligan — Stiffness, Cholesterol

Jodi — Menstruation

Mike PhD — Inflammation, Skin, Cold / Flu

Anne Milligan — GERD, Cold / Flu, Skin

Shelly Albaum — Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS), Hair, Skin

…..and many more.

(Please note I’ve specifically omitted Chromadex paid celebrity spokespeople Shannon Sharpe, Brooke Burke, and Gabrielle Reese from the list of reasons to supplement with NR. It’s virtually impossible to know where they really stand on NR. That said, it’s important to point out that former NFL player Sharpe sounds like a believer.)

Question #2: Who’s the team behind NR?

One thing you quickly learn about the folks at Chromadex (an NR seller) is they’re ultra conservative.

They clearly believe they have something special with NR.

But they’re very careful not to make any promises.

Chromadex Chief Scientific Advisor Dr Charles Brenner, who discovered NR as an NAD precursor vitamin, is very active on Twitter. There, he’s focused almost exclusively on discussing the science behind NR.

You get a taste of who he is from this video courtesy of City of Hope where he works full-time.

On the corporate side, there’s Chromadex Co-Founder and Chairman Frank Jaksch and Chromadex CEO Rob Fried.

Chromadex CEO Rob Fried has been actively spreading the word about NR through media appearances where he often discusses his own remarkable NR supplementation experience.

As for Fried’s credibility when it comes to NR, look on further than Harvard neuroscientist and NR consumer Dr Rudy Tanzi who said the following in a recent podcast appearance:

“Rob Fried the CEO of Chromadex (makers of TRU Niagen)….he hates all the BS, the snake oil crap.

He is all about honesty and truth in advertising.

I make sure I work with CEOs who go out of their way to make sure that they never make any false claims or step over the line.

That’s really important with the supplement business because there’s so much crap out there….”

Question #3: Is the science behind NR for real?

While it’s fair to assume that the huge teams of scientists working for both Nestlé and Hong Kong billionaire Li-Ka Shing have thoroughly evaluated NR, I reached out to Nobel Prize Winner Sir John Walker (Chemistry, 1997) for his expertise.

In an email response he said the following:

“The science behind the benefits of taking NR is sound.”

Question #4: Are there human trials to confirm what people are experiencing with NR?

There are an extraordinary number of clinical trials currently studying Nicotinamide Riboside (NR) and its impact on a variety of diseases at ClinicalTrials.gov. See HERE.

It’s notable that one of the latest clinical trials comes from Harvard’s Dr Rudy Tanzi — Alzheimer’s expert, chief scientist of the New England Patriots, and member of the scientific board of advisors at Chromadex (an NR seller). He also happens to be an NR consumer.

Question #5: Is NR Safe?

The FDA says that supplementing with Nicotinamide Riboside (NR) at 300mg daily is safe.

Of course, the folks at Chromadex have repeatedly advised talking to your doctor first before beginning supplementation.

On a related note, Dr Brenner recently dismissed concerns that raising NAD levels with NR could lead to tumor growth.

Question #6: How much NR should I take?

The FDA recommended dose is 300 mg daily though many admit to taking far more.

Dr Brenner (discoverer of NR as an NAD boosting vitamin) has indicated that doses used in therapeutic trials are generally 1 – 2 grams per day and that people taking more than 500 mg per day often split their daily dose into a morning and evening dose.

(1 g = 1000 mg)

For more on what dosage people take see HERE.

Question #7: What time of day should I take NR?

Dr. Brenner has indicated that people generally take their Niagen in the morning.

Again, Dr Brenner has indicated that doses used in therapeutic trials are generally 1 – 2 grams per day and that people taking more than 500 mg per day often split their daily dose into a morning and evening dose.

Question #8: When should I expect to see results of NR supplementation?

It appears that the time it takes for NR to impact people varies by individual.

Furthermore, some effects will be obvious. Others won’t.

Here’s how Chromadex CEO Rob Fried put it during a recent podcast:

“I’ve been taking it (NR) for 5 years and I’ll say that I started noticing fairly dramatic things after 3 months.

“People who take it for a long time — it generally and often transitions from just “I feel more energy” and “I feel stronger” and “I feel healthier” and “I feel like I just slept really well for 2 nights” into very tangible specific things.”

Harvard’s Dr. Tanzi reports feeling the impact of NR far sooner.

Many others report being impacted within a couple of weeks.

More HERE.

Question #9: Are there adverse effects to taking NR?

According to Dr. Brenner, human trials have not revealed any NR-related adverse events in placebo-controlled trials. More HERE.

Question #10: What about supplementing with NMN?

Dr Brenner made a compelling case rooted in science why supplementing with NMN “makes no sense” HERE and HERE.

CONCLUSION:

After gathering the information above, I started supplementing this year and am experiencing some of the same effects Rob Fried has repeatedly talked about. I’ll share my story in a future blog post. Of course, I consulted with my doctor before supplementing. As with everything at RaisingNAD, this is all for information purposes only.

RELATED:

• FAQs on taking NAD boosting vitamin supplement Nicotinamide Riboside (NR) can be found HERE.
• NR supplementation may have helped sufferers of these diseases & conditions (Consumer Reviews)

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