NAD is one of the body’s master molecules for cellular energy, resilience, and healthy aging, and the good news is that it can be supported naturally through lifestyle and smart supplementation.
NAD sits at the heart of mitochondrial energy production, helping convert the food you eat into ATP that powers muscles, brain, and every organ system.
As NAD levels decline with age, there is a knock-on effect on DNA repair, metabolic flexibility, circadian rhythm, and the activity of longevity-linked enzymes like sirtuins and PARPs.
This drop in NAD is now recognized as a key feature of biological aging and is associated with fatigue, reduced physical performance, cognitive decline, and higher risk of age-related disease.
➡️ Supplementation and NAD “boosting”
Movement, intermittent fasting, and heat/sauna exposure all upregulate the body’s own NAD biosynthesis pathways and improve mitochondrial efficiency.
NAD precursors such as nicotinamide riboside (NR) and NMN have been shown in human studies to raise NAD levels, improve aspects of muscle and vascular function, and may support healthy aging when combined with lifestyle measures.
Beyond precursors, next-generation approaches focus on both increasing NAD production and slowing NAD breakdown, targeting enzymes like CD38 to maintain more youthful NAD homeostasis.
A *newly published* randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled human trial in Journal of Functional Foods found that LN22199 (BluNADBooster, a standardized Punica granatum and Tagetes erecta blend by NXT-USA) boosted blood NAD by about 26% on its own and over 31% when combined with NR, while also reducing CD38 activity, inflammatory markers, and improving 6‑minute walk distance and cognitive scores in healthy aging adults over 60 days.
For brands formulating in the longevity, energy, and cognitive support categories, this creates an opportunity to move beyond purely synthetic precursors toward a clinically backed, polyphenol-rich, herbal route to NAD optimization.
It’s exciting to see clinically-backed solutions to healthy aging and longevity entering the market, as none of us are getting any younger 😉 🎉
NAD: Boosting the Body’s Natural Longevity Molecule ♾️ 🌿
