Dr Charles Brenner (who discovered Nicotinamide Riboside “NR” (FAQs) (Reviews) as an NAD boosting vitamin), Chromadex CEO Rob Fried, and Chromadex Chairman Frank Jaksch weigh in (NOTE: links to newer posts with updated information at the bottom):

Dr Charles Brenner (who discovered NR as an NAD precursor vitamin) on a Twitter Q&A:

QUESTION: What do you do or take to boost your own NAD?

DR BRENNER: I was the first person in the world to take NR. Initially it was to figure out time course for human NAD metabolomics. I continue to take @truniagen — as you know, I am chief scientific adviser for the company…

QUESTION: At what dose do you personally take?

DR BRENNER: I’m not your doc & I don’t see any upside in answering questions about my dose. I do tell everyone to stay mentally & physically active etc etc bc I am confident that will help everyone. Someone taking more or less than I take may clearly benefit in measurable ways

QUESTION: Hello! Do you recommend taking it first thing in the morning before food or later in a day? Also, are there any benefits of taking more that 300mg pill a day?

DR BRENNER: Most ppl take NR first thing, with or without food. There are dose-dependent increases in NAD. Quite a lot of therapeutic trials are at 1-2 grams per day. At higher doses, it makes some sense to split into 2 doses per day

QUESTION: A) The label suggests “for use beyond 12 weeks consult a health care professional”. Why is that? B) When using NR regularly does the body reach a saturation point and one should tapper off use as a new baseline is reached? I am 62, athletic condition. C) Why is it so expensive?

DR BRENNER: Longest human trials published to date. Within two weeks blood NAD gets to higher levels that are dose dependent. I don’t see a reason to stop. Costs have come down & have been passed to consumer. I’d like to see that continue.

QUESTION: My question is: Apart from the cost, is there a downside to taken higher doses (e.g. 1,000mg/day vs 500mg/day). Can this downregulate the NAD salvage pathway? Thanks!

DR BRENNER: No evidence for downregulation of NAMPT or NRKs under these conditions

QUESTION: If most cellular repair is done while sleeping, wouldn’t before sleeping be best time to have it?

DR BRENNER: Maybe.

Chromadex CEO Rob Fried on a UK Radio Show:

“The FDA recommended dosage is 300mg per day. That’s 1 capsule per day. I personally take quite a bit more than that.

Most of the studies that have been published are at higher doses.

But there are many published studies that show a therapeutic benefit and a dose response beginning at just 100mg a day.

So, there’s a benefit if one takes less. But what the studies have indicated is that it certainly consistently shows a dose response benefit up to 300mg and beyond.”

Chromadex CEO Rob Fried on the Dr Drew Show:

“Most of the people who work in our office take maybe a 600mg dose on a daily basis. And if a particular stressor is introduced they elevate it.”

Chromadex CEO Rob Fried on the Habits & Hustle Podcast:

“The FDA recommended dosage of TRU Niagen is 300mg — candidly, I take much more. I take 600mg a day. But when I’m experiencing any kind of physiological stress — like I was out in the sun OR I traveled across country OR I stayed up late OR I had too many drinks OR I’m fighting something — I help the cells by upping the dose.”

“We do show a dose response as low as 100mg a day going up to 1g a day. We do show that within a few hours your NAD levels are elevated even as low as 100mg a day.”

Chromadex CEO Rob Fried on the Optimal Performance Podcast:

“While at Coachella, I took a very high dosage of TRU Niagen. And I was there the entire time, woke up the next day, couldn’t wait to get back out. It has a dramatic impact on the way your body processes sun radiation, exposure to the sun etc. So, if you think about what it’s doing it then ladders up to when to use it and how much to take.”

“What Dr. Brenner (who discovered NR as an NAD precursor vitamin) suggests is that it really doesn’t matter when you take it as long as you take it around the same time every day.

“Because NAD levels do impact the circadian rhythm and you do from time to time hear people when they first start taking it that they took it late at night and didn’t sleep well. But, in fact if you took it at the same time every day you’re going to sleep better and deeper you just have to try to be consistent with when you take it.”

Chromadex Chairman Frank Jaksch on the Dr Drew Show:

“I’ve never seen any adverse effect (from taking Tru Niagen) even when I increased my dose. The human studies that go up to even 2 grams have never shown any real adverse effects.”

Dr Charles Brenner on the Ben Greenfield Fitness Podcast:

“I do take daily, or twice daily in fact, Nicotinamide Riboside (NR) as the TRU Niagen supplement…

“So there is essentially a daytime peak and a nighttime peak.  So you’re boosting your day time NAD by taking NR in the morning AND you’re boosting your evening NAD by taking it in the evening.

So, the peak blood NAD is achieved at around 8 hours after your dose and our research shows that it is still up 24 hours after you take nicotinamide riboside (NR).

So for me, it’s around 6 AM and then whenever I get home from work (~12 hours later).

Related:

  • How much NR should fertility patients take? (Link)
  • How much NR should you take? (2024 Post)
  • Pro athletes take 1 gram of NR (Link)
  • Why the new 1000 mg (1 gram) dose? (Link)
  • Parkinson’s study participants safely took 3 grams of NR (Link)
  • NR (FAQs) (Reviews) (Podcasts)
  • NMN (FAQs)

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