NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) is a popular supplement in the anti-aging realm, as significant research supports its effectiveness in enhancing energy production. My husband’s integrative doctor, Joe Scherger, MD, has had him taking it orally for several years. But because it works at the cellular level, it’s hard to directly measure its efficacy, and while it’s available at stores like Clark’s Nutrition, it’s not cheap.

Now, it is also readily available as an IV drip. When I saw Restore Hyper Wellness co-owner Jeff Smith, DO, an integrative sports and pain medicine doctor, getting an NAD+ IV at Restore, I was interested to learn his protocol and the effects he experiences from this more direct form of supplementation.

NAD+ is an essential coenzyme that supports our energy powerhouse cells (our mitochondria) and cleans out damaged cell components.1 It is produced naturally and required by every living cell in our body,2 but as we age, our natural production declines. Dr. Smith is an ultra-athlete and certainly on the cutting edge of “body hacks,” so I am delighted to share our conversation as I learned quite a bit:

Why do you recommend supplementing with NAD+? Modern life. The stresses and exposures we all face today, coupled with diminishing abilities to replenish via natural resources (i.e. depleted soils), are good reasons to supplement important nutrients, like NAD+, required for optimal performance.

What benefits have you seen from IV supplementation? Overall, I just feel more vitality, more youthfulness. My sleep and athletic recovery have improved, and while I didn’t notice increased energy immediately, my endurance has definitely improved. I also feel less discomfort and aches and pains.

What is your dosing protocol? Restore Hyper Wellness’s established protocol is a loading dose of 500 mg administered over four consecutive days, followed by regular maintenance which can either be one 250-750mg IV monthly, or weekly 125mg IM [intramuscular] shots administered equally apart (i.e. every Tuesday). I did the initial loading doses and waited a few months before returning as the regiment is recommended, but not required.

How can we replenish NAD+ naturally? Healthy foods containing macronutrients like tryptophan and B3 [niacin] that are made into NAD (minimally processed eggs, broccoli, beans, avocado and lean grass-fed meat) all help fuel your body. Managing stress and sleeping well also aid in decreasing oxidized stress which depletes our mitochondria of their energy.

Who should not supplement? NAD+ is not recommended for those with a history of seizures, kidney or liver disease, allergies to niacin or B vitamins, or women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. It is also suggested that increased levels of NAD+ can boost the breakdown of glucose [glycolysis] and allow for the proliferation of cancer cells, so it is not recommended for those with recent cancers [within five years of treatment].

NAD+ supplementation is just another tool in our vast tool box of anti-aging modalities that help our body repair, recover and rejuvenate, he adds. They should all be supported by healthy lifestyle habits and balanced nutrition.

Del Sarto is founder and publisher of Desert Health and can be reached
[email protected]. For more information on NAD+ supplementation, visit www.restore.com or call (760) 505.3000.

References: 1) https://www.restore.com/blog/how-can-nad-iv-drip-therapy-help-me; 2) www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7963035/