NAD: THE LONGEVITY HYPE, THE SCIENCE, AND WHAT I ACTUALLY DO ABOUT IT

Jun 6

3 min read

Let me guess: NAD popped up on your radar recently and now it’s everywhere — from IV clinics promising to reverse aging to biohacker podcasts pushing NMN supplements like it’s holy grail. I’ve been there. Fully intrigued, half skeptical. That’s where this post comes in.

Let’s break down what NAD is, why it exploded into the longevity scene, and how I approach it in my own protocol without wasting money, time, or wrecking my biology in the process.

First things first: What even is NAD?

NAD stands for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide — and it’s basically the fuel your cells use to run. It helps power your mitochondria (hello energy), repair DNA, regulate gene expression, and assist in detoxification. It also supports ALL 12 hallmarks of aging (which is basically the scientific list of what makes us get old).

You’ll often see NAD referred to as NAD+, which is the active, oxidized form your body actually uses.

And yes—NAD levels decline with age. Which sucks. Because without it, your cellular energy tanks, your DNA repair slows, and your mitochondria start to fizzle. That’s why people get obsessed with boosting it. Makes sense, right?

So why doesn’t taking NAD+ supplements actually work?

Here’s the thing: oral NAD+ gets destroyed in digestion. Full stop. It doesn’t make it to your cells where it’s actually needed.

What about IV NAD infusions? Sure, they bypass digestion. But NAD still struggles to cross into your cells from the bloodstream — and it often triggers nasty side effects like nausea, flushing, headaches, and inflammation.

So then the industry turned to precursors like NMN (nicotinamide mononucleotide) and NR (nicotinamide riboside). These are compounds your body can convert into NAD+. That sounds great… but there’s a catch.

The root issue? Your enzyme system is broken.

Enter NAMPT, the rate-limiting enzyme responsible for converting NMN into usable NAD+.

The problem? NAMPT activity declines with age, stress, inflammation, bad sleep, and poor diet. So even if you’re taking high-quality NMN, your body might not be able to use it. You're essentially pouring fuel into a machine that can’t run.

And even worse: excess NMN that isn’t converted can trigger oxidative stress, inflammation, and cellular garbage buildup.

So what do I do?

I focus on fixing the engine—aka restoring proper enzyme function and supporting the NAD pathway from the ground up.

NATURAL WAYS TO SUPPORT NAD

Prioritizing sleep – Deep, high-quality sleep is one of the most powerful NAD regenerators. No supplement will fix what sleep deprivation ruins.
Cycle-synced fasting – Strategic fasting activates longevity genes (like sirtuins) that rely on NAD+. It also gives the body a break from constant digestion. But remember: if you're a woman, fasting needs to be synced with your cycle!
Red light therapy – Supports mitochondrial function and may help upregulate enzymes involved in the NAD salvage pathway.
Cold exposure – Activates brown fat, boosts mitochondria, and supports NAD production. But again—ladies, sync it to your cycle. Don’t plunge like a madwoman daily.
Real food approach – I eat nutrient-dense, real food. Especially foods rich in tryptophan, niacin (vitamin B3), and polyphenols (like blueberries, olive oil, etc.).
Daily mineral support – Magnesium, zinc, and shilajit are essential co-factors for all enzymatic activity. No good enzyme function without minerals!

If you want to go the extra mile…

✅ I take Nuchido TIME+

This is the only NAD-boosting supplement I currently trust. It doesn’t just dump NMN into your system and hope for the best. It actually supports multiple rate-limiting steps in the NAD pathway, including restoring NAMPT enzyme activity, and inhibiting enzymes that degrade NAD (like CD38).

Nuchido is backed by legit science, and their clinical studies show a 242% increase in NAD+ levels in just 16 days. That’s impressive.

It contains:

Pterostilbene (a bioavailable cousin of resveratrol)
Quercetin (inhibits CD38, which destroys NAD)
Alpha Lipoic Acid, L-carnitine, Vitamin B3 (building blocks + cofactors)

This isn’t a miracle pill. But it’s a smart, layered approach. One that makes sense biologically.

If you'd like to try it out, I have 20% off for you, for your first order - just click THIS link or enter code ANETA20 at the checkout! (affiliate partnership)

Final thoughts: The hype vs the truth

I don’t chase every new biohacking trend. I test, I wait, I observe. And NAD? It’s one of those things that came in like a storm. But when you dig deeper, you realize the flashy supplements and IVs miss the bigger picture.

Instead of throwing expensive precursors at a broken system, I focus on: