Update 12/19/22. Nicotinamide riboside (Niagen) is a compound related to the B vitamin niacin. I've been hearing a lot about this supplement regarding its ability to slow aging, help diabetes, and improve exercise performance and other things. So I became curious. Does nicotinamide riboside really work? What does the research say? In this review, I'll show you the studies on nicotinamide riboside (also known as Tru Niagen) and the health benefits it's supposed to have. Keep reading, and let's see if you need to start taking nicotinamide riboside or not.
See These Reviews Too
- Reasons To Be Skeptical Of Nicotinamide Riboside (Niagen)
- My Niagen 30 Day Experiment
- Elysium Basis Review
- NMN Review
- Does Niacin Raise NAD levels?
What Is Nicotinamide Riboside?
Nicotinamide riboside is a form of the B vitamin, niacin. It boosts our production a molecule called NAD (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide). The NAD molecule, in turn, is something that helps us make energy (ATP). The NAD molecule also seems to play a role in the aging process.
Defects in our ability to make energy (APT) seem to play a role in aging. So, anything that could supply us with NAD might fix these problems and –theoretically – reduce the risk of aging-related diseases – and maybe the aging process too.
Nicotinamide vs. Niacinamide
Remember that both nicotinamide and niacinamide, refer to the B vitamin, niacin. Another name is nicotinic acid.
- nicotinamide =niacin
- Niacinamide=niacin
- nicotinic acid = niacin
All these different names can easily confuse some people. Also, nicotinic acid is not the same thing as nicotine you get from tobacco.
Nicotinamide Riboside Benefits
According to various advertisements, Niagen supplements are touted to help with a variety of problems such as:
All this sounds great. But is there any proof? In this review, I'll show you both human proof and lab animal evidence. This will help you best understand what we know – and do not yet know – about what Tru Niagen supplements mean for humans.
Let me know if you find any research I did not cover here.
How Do We Make NR?
Small amounts of nicotinamide riboside are found in milk. We also make NR from the amino acid, tryptophan, and vitamins, niacin, and niacinamide. Both niacin and niacinamide are thought to be better at producing NR than tryptophan.
Video: Raise Cellular NAD Levels Naturally
Nicotinamide Riboside And The Mitochondria
The mitochondria are often called the “powerhouses” of the cell. Basically, they are fat-burning batteries. They provide us with energy by burning fat. One of the benefits of nicotinamide riboside is it's supposed to help the mitochondria work better.
Does it?
Researchers in Finland noted nicotinamide riboside, given to mice caused the growth of mitochondria in both muscle and brown fat cells. In this study, the mice were given 400 mg per kilogram per day. How much in people? For someone weighing 180 pounds (82 kg), it's about 2.6 grams per day.
While this is just a mouse study, it's interesting because NR was shown to increase mitochondria in brown fat.
Brown fat burns more calories. By having more brown fat, some say, it can help people lose weight. So, by increasing the mitochondria in brown fat, might NR make brown fat work better? Might this help people lose more weight?
I believe this study is what first got people interested in nicotinamide riboside as a weight loss supplement. See the weight loss section below for more on this study.
Nicotinamide Riboside And Exercise
Can nicotinamide riboside / Tru Niagen supplements help people in the gym? Well, in one rat study, researchers gave rats either a placebo or nicotinamide riboside (300 mg per kilogram) for 21 days. For people, this is about 3.5 grams per day.
They made the rats do a swimming test. The rats which received NR performed worse than those given the placebo. It was not a “significant” decrease (significant in the world of science), but it was a decrease nonetheless.
What about people? Good question. Let's see what future research shows.
Nicotinamide Riboside And Muscle
As we get older, we tend to lose muscle strength and endurance. As we age, this loss of strength is called sarcopenia (sar-co-pee-knee-a). It turns out NAD levels decrease as we get older too. So, would restoring NAD levels, reverse sarcopenia, and help people get stronger again?
In one study, researchers used mice, and purposely knocked out their ability to make NAD. This caused the mice to get weaker. The researchers noted 1 week of nicotinamide riboside ” was sufficient to dramatically restore exercise capacity.”
How much did they use? For someone weighing 150 pounds (68 kg) it's about 1 gram per day.
While the results are intriguing, the word “significant” is not used anywhere in the study. In other words, were the results clincally significant? In other words, did NR significantly restore exercise capacity in the mice? Since they didn't say this, my hunch is it did not.
But the bigger question is would this same effect occur in people? We don't know. Let's see what future studies say.
Nicotinamide Riboside And Alzheimer's
Can this form of niacin improve memory in people with dementia? In one investigation, NR seemed to slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease after 3 months of use. But this was in mice. Another mouse study has shown NR can reduce brain cell death. Yet another mouse study noted NR reduced DNA damage and brain inflammation.
Currently, there is no human proof nicotinamide riboside helps people with dementia or those who have concussions or traumatic brain injury.
Does It Help Alcoholics?
It's well known that alcohol is a poison. So can NR help people who are alcoholics? A mouse study suggests NR supplements might reduce liver problems from alcohol. Basically, mice were force-fed alcohol for 16 days. Some mice received nicotinamide riboside, which in human amounts was around 5.7 grams for a 180-pound person. The mice getting NR supplements had less liver damage than those not getting NR supplements.
Remember, this was a mouse study. Also, the amount of NR used (5700 mg) was more LOT than in typical supplements. Tru Niagen labels recommend just 250-500 mg per day. Given the price of NR supplements, I'd doubt most people could afford this dosage.
Can Nicotinamide Riboside Lower Blood Sugar & Help Diabetes
Can Niagen supplements help people who have diabetes? A mouse study noted NR reduced blood sugar, weight gain, diabetic neuropathy and liver problems in mice that had type II diabetes. Researchers conducting another mouse study noted NR supplementation improved non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Researchers in Korea have also found NR supplements reduce liver inflammation.
See this review of diabetes for more insights
Can Nicotinamide Riboside Improve Liver Function?
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a serious disorder that can lead to sclerosis of the liver can cause liver failure. The liver has more mitochondria than any other tissue in the body. Since NR is trumpeted to help the mitochondria work better, might this supplement help people with NAFLD? Well, a mouse study has suggested it might but human evidence is lacking.
Can Nicotinamide Riboside Support Healthy Weight Loss
In one study -a test tube experiment – researchers treated mouse and human cells with nicotinamide riboside and noticed it increased enzymes (called sirtuin enzymes) involved in burning fat. The researchers also fed male mice a high-fat diet while giving them nicotinamide riboside -or nothing – to see what happened.
While NR did not cause weight loss, it seemed to reduce the mice from gaining weight. In another study, researchers gave obese mice various amounts of NR and saw no weight loss or changes in lean mass (I take this to be muscle) at all after 15 weeks of use.
There was no change in body weight.
Can Nicotinamide Riboside Help Your Eyesight
An interesting mouse study, found vitamin B3 (nicotinamide) helped reduce the odds of older mice getting glaucoma. This study did not use nicotinamide riboside but rather, regular nicotinamide (niacin).
Remember, NR supplements come from niacinamide. In theory NR supplements may have the same benefits but it will take more research to know for certain.
Can Nicotinamide Riboside Help Fibromyalgia
Can NR supplements help people who deal with fibromyalgia pain? Ribose is part of nicotinamide riboside. There has also been some speculation free radical stress in the mitochondria might be related to fibromyalgia symptoms.
While various websites might say NR supplements help fibromyalgia, we need human studies to know for sure.
People with fibromyalgia are often in a lot of pain. One study noted NR reduced “tactile hypersensitivity” (nerve pain associated with touch) in rats after a month of treatment. Fibromyalgia does appear to be connected to hypersensitivity of nerves but whether or not this means it helps people with this condition needs more research.
Nicotinamide Riboside And Multiple Sclerosis
Can Niagen supplements help people with muscular dystrophy or Duchenne muscular dystrophy? What about multiple sclerosis? While preliminary evidence suggests it might, the evidence is limited to mice at this point. More research is needed.
Summary Of NR Research
Here is a quick overview of the Niagen research presented above.
Study | Type | Results |
nicotinamide riboside is uniquely and orally bioavailable in mice and humans. | Human. 1 man | NR ↑ NAD |
Effective treatment of mitochondrial myopathy by nicotinamide riboside, a vitamin B3 | Mouse | NR ↑ mitochondria growth |
The NAD+ precursor nicotinamide riboside decreases exercise performance in rats | Rats | NR ↓ exercise ability |
Nicotinamide riboside restores cognition through an upregulation of proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator 1α regulated β-secretase 1 degradation and mitochondrial gene expression in Alzheimer’s mouse models | Mouse | NR ↓ Alzheimers progression |
Nicotinamide Riboside Opposes Type 2 Diabetes and Neuropathy in Mice | mouse | NR ↑ blood sugar |
Hepatic NAD(+) deficiency as a therapeutic target for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in ageing | Mouse | NR ↑ NAFLD |
Nicotinamide Riboside Ameliorates Hepatic Metaflammation by Modulating NLRP3 Inflammasome in a Rodent Model of Type 2 Diabetes | Mouse | NR ↓liver inflammation |
The NAD(+) precursor nicotinamide riboside enhances oxidative metabolism and protects against high-fat diet-induced obesity | Mouse/test tube | NR ↑ fat burning enzymes |
Loss of NAD homeostasis leads to progressive and reversible degeneration of skeletal muscle | Mouse | NR ↑ exercise ability |
Nicotinamide riboside, a form of vitamin B3 and NAD+ precursor, relieves the nociceptive and aversive dimensions of paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy in female rats | Rat | NR ↓ tactile hypersensitivity |
Effects of a wide range of dietary nicotinamide riboside (NR) concentrations on metabolic flexibility and white adipose tissue (WAT) of mice fed a mildly obesogenic diet. | Mouse | NR ↑ “metabolic flexibility” |
Chronic nicotinamide riboside supplementation is well-tolerated and elevates NAD+ in healthy middle-aged and older adults | Human | NR ↑ NAD |
In the table above, “NR” = nicotinamide riboside. Remember this is the same thing as TruNiagen.
Can Nicotinamide Riboside Slow The Aging Process
Sirtuins (pronounced “sir-two-ins”) are genes that appear to be involved in the aging process. It turns out that sirtuins need NAD to work. Nicotinamide riboside helps us make NAD.
So, the idea is NR supplements help anti-aging sirtuin genes work better by providing them with NAD. This in turn, might help us stay younger and healthier longer. But, aging is complicated. Currently, no studies prove Tru Niagen supplements can slow aging in humans. There is also no evidence Niagen can lengthen telomeres either.
Nicotinamide Riboside and Cancer
Some have speculated that NR supplements might increase brain cancer. In one test tube study, an enzyme involved in NAD production (called NAMPT) was “highly expressed” in glioblastoma tumors. Higher NAMPT levels generally mean lower patient survival. In another preliminary investigation, NR supplements appeared to cause the spread of triple-negative breast cancer and the spread of that cancer to the brain. Watch this video for more insights
Nicotinamide Riboside vs. Nicotinamide Mononucleotide (NMN)
Nicotinamide mononucleotide (called NMN and B-NMN) is another molecule that can raise NAD levels. Like NR, NMN comes from the vitamin niacin.
So how is NMN different than NR? They both come from niacin so I don't see them as very different from each other. NMN supplements have been tested in humans for various reasons including:
- Helping insominia (watch this video)
- Lowering triglycerides (watch this video)
- Helping diabetes and lowering cholesterol (watch this video)
- Building muscle in older folks (watch this video)
- Boosting exercise performance (watch this video)
Watch this video too to see the results of other human studies conducted on NMN supplements
NMN is also being investigated as a drug whcih has some fearful the supplement may one day be banned.
Nicotinamide Riboside In Foods
Can you get NR naturally? Yes. One of the best sources of this compound is milk from cows. In fact, the study linked to highlights the whey protein portion of milk as containing nicotinamide riboside.
So, if you are using drinking milk or using whey protein supplements, you are getting small amounts of NR too. The study also mentions “yeast containing foods” as well.
What Is Tru Niagen?
There are several different types of NR on the market. One of the most popular is called Tru Niagen. Why? Because it is the Tru Niagen supplement is made by the Chromadex company which invented nicotinamide riboside. Chromadex sells NR to other companies to let them use in their NR supplements. For example, two other popular
Everyone who sells an NR supplement pays Chromadex for the privilege of using it. Although if you read the Elysium Basis review, you'll see the controversy about this. Chromadex, located in Irvine California is a publicly-traded company. The stock symbol is CDXC.
Is NR Better With Pterostilbene?
Some supplements contain only nicotimide riboside while others -like Elysium Basis – combine it with other ingredients (like resveratrol or pterostilbene for example). Whether or not products that combine nicotinamide riboside with other ingredients are better than just taking NR alone is open to speculation until research is done.
How Much Nicotinamide Riboside Works?
Supplements usually contain 150-250 mg per one or two capsules. While human research does show this will raise NAD levels, the larger question is this the optimal dosage to improve health?
Niacin vs. Nicotinamide Riboside
The glaring omission in the research is NOBODY seems to want to compare Niagen to niacin. Do they raise NAD levels equally?
What's the difference between niacin and nicotinamide riboside? The biggest difference is the price. Niacin is inexpensive. Nicotinamide riboside is not. While I'm not aware of anyone looking at this (yet), I wonder if taking regular, old boring, niacinamide might raise nicotinamide riboside levels?
I mention niacinamide (also called nicotinamide and nicotinic acid) because it's the less toxic version of niacin. At least one rat study does show that niacinamide raises NAD levels.
Would the same thing happen in people? Rats and people are different, but since niacinamide is part of nicotinamide riboside, I think it's possible.
Here's Niacinamide on Amazon
Do NR Supplements Cause Flushing?
One of the most common side effects of the vitamin, niacin is flushing of the face. It's often called the “niacin flush” because it's so common of an effect. While some have reported flushing with nicotinamide riboside, my guess is it's probably a rare occurrence. In my 30 day experiment, I did not experience flushing.
Does Tru Niagen Raise NAD Levels?
Yes. The research does indeed show this. As proof, researchers in Colorado gave Niagen or a placebo to 60 healthy older adults (55-79 years) for 6 weeks. The amount used was 500 mg twice a day (1000 mg total). After 6 weeks, NAD levels were 5X higher than those taking a placebo. The supplement used in this was Niagen
Nicotinamide Riboside Side Effects
In August 2016, the FDA deemed Niagen Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS). That FDA ruling was probably based on the results of this small study in humans released which found nicotinamide riboside to be safe.
This study involved 12 healthy men and women who were given doses ranging from 100 mg, 300 mg or 1000 mg of NR per day for a week each. The study showed no side effects and that NR significantly raised NAD levels, with higher dosages leading to higher NAD levels. This study only looked at safety. It was not designed to test if NR improved any health issues.
For those who are not so “healthy”, it's wise to speak to a pharmacist and doctor to get a more personalized recommendation on safety. Here are a few things to consider when taking this supplement. This is list is not complete so follow up with your pharmacist/doctor.
- Start with less than recommended for the first week to see how you respond
- Don't take if you are pregnant/breastfeeding
- If you take medications like blood thinners, etc., speak to your pharmacist /doctor
- Stop taking NR at least 2 weeks before having surgery
- Speak to your doctor if you have a history or family history of cancer
- Until more is known, avoid if you have brain or breast cancer
Exercise vs. Nicotinamide Riboside
Looking at the claims being made for nicotinamide riboside I was struck by how its benefits are very similar to those made for exercise. For example, it's well known regular exercise can:
It doesn't take a lot of exercise either to achieve some of these effects. In the longer life study linked to above, it took just 15 minutes of walking per day to lengthen life by 3 years!
How much would people pay for a supplement that promised to lengthen life by at least 3 extra years? Something to think about…
Does Nicotinamide Riboside Really Work?
There is a lot of talk about the possible benefits of NR and how it might slow aging, improve exercise, help weight loss and many other things. In this review, I've summarized the very complicated nicotinamide riboside research to help you understand the claims made and to better decide if this supplement is right for you. Personally, I believe NR supplements are overhyped and not worth the expense until human research shows it beneifts us.
Here is Nicotinamide Riboside on Amazon
August says
Prostaphane Is patented and only available from France. It claims to be the only stable Form of pure sulforaphane. Several credible bloggers agree. This sounds exciting but the fine print says one tablet is equal to three raw broccoli pieces. Expensive for that. I’d love for you to review.
Sulforaphane may greatly reduce progeria. Life extension may have something better, a two part precursor.
Joe Cannon says
August, Ive heard of sulforaphane but not Prostaphane. you got my attention. Im going to look into the research on Prostaphane. Look for a review to be posted soon 🙂
Joe Cannon says
August, here is the review on Prostaphane
what do you think?
Cheryl says
Hi, I have a friend, a retired physician, who has diabetes, has weathered six brain surgeries that affected his mobility and has recently been diagnosed with a mitochondrial disease that causes significant polyneuropathy. He was taking NMN (Nicotinamide mononucleotide) and having very good results with greatly increased strength, mobility and function of his muscles .
Due in part to cost, he recently switched to taking nicotinimide 500mg per day and is having even better results. He is astounded at how much stronger and better he is feeling just from the nicotinimide. He reports not only immediate improvement in muscle function and strength but also increased brain clarity and hearing.
We will see how this goes over time. In the meantime I am interested in learning about any relevant studies related to distinctions and comparisons between Niagen and nicotinimide as I have not found much in my search. thank you!
Joe Cannon says
Hi Cheryl, so glad to hear your friend is having good results with nicotinamide (Niacinamide). Your question about research comparing Niagen to nicotinamide is something I have wondered about as well. I have looked. I also cannot find any research studies comparing niacin /nicotinamide to Niagen
This is one of the reasons I don’t believe the claims about niagen.
5 reasons I’m skeptical about Niagen
I also took Niagen for 30 days just to see what happened. People told me they experienced results in 30 days.
Here’s the results of my 30 day Niagen experiment
I keep looking. If you ever turn up anything on your end do let me know.
Again, really happy to hear your friend is doing well. You are a good friend for helping him 🙂
Gilles says
I’ve been taking nicotinamide riboside for just over 2 years and have had some astonishing results. It has helped me with 3 health issues relating to age: chronic inflammation which showed as red and raw skin on my face, prostate problems and a bad valve in my right leg which diminished my ability to take long walks (over 7 km).
I’ve been taking NR with pterostilbene, 250mg in the morning and 250mg in the early evening with 50mg of the pterostilbene. My skin skin has cleared up completely and seems to be thicker, it was quite thin before. My father had valve problems in his legs that started to bother him in his 50’s and unfortunately I share this problem with him.
I’ve always enjoyed long walks and it’s not unusual for me to walk from 12 to 35km. Several years ago I started to experience intense pain when I would bend my legs climbing up stairs after a walk of 5 to 7km. Removing my shoes after these walks was excruciating. Since taking NR with pterostilbene I have not experienced any pain whatsoever after hiking all day, pretty amazing.
Unfortunately, I also inherited my father’s prostate and this in some ways had caused the most disruption. In spite of the Urologist medication I was getting up 3 to 4 times a night to urinate and this affected my sleep greatly, I would go for walks and I would be basically having to stop 2 or 3 times to pee. I also had a severely reduced libido and significant ED.
Since taking NR with pterostilbene I basically get up once in the early morning and I will not need to stop to pee when out for a walk. I have since added a natural product made by french firm called Prostaphane which is derived from broccoli sprouts and this has allowed me to sleep most nights without having to get up early in the morning.
I has also eliminated the early morning pain associated with my prostate condition. While traveling I have twice had interruptions in availability of NR and after a few weeks all of the bad symptoms would come back. I am nearly 62 years old and my blood pressure is completely normal.
I am mostly following Dr Leonard Guarente’s dosing and I am taking the product by Life Extension as the Dr’s product is not available in my country. Taking one extra dose of NR in the evening and found that allowed me to avoid most early morning urination and virtually all of the pain.
My PSA in the mid 60’s which I’ve been told is safe. I also take fish oil and vitamin D in the winter. I don’t take these for the prior mentioned health issues. Sadly the doctors and specialist have been pretty useless but sympathetic.
Joe says
Hi Gilles, thanks for sharing this. I am very happy to learn you have been having great results with nicotinamide riboside and pterostilbene. It sounds like you are taking them separately and not as a single product (nicotinamide riboside + pterostilbene are the ingredients in Elysium Basis). Heres my review of Elysium Basis http://supplementclarity.com/elysium-basis-review/
I have not heard of the Prostaphane supplement you mentioned. Thanks for the heads up on it. Since you said it comes from broccoli, I wonder if it is
sulforaphane, an extract of brocolli which has been studied to see if it helps prostate problems. Here’s one such study
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25968598
Again thanks for sharing all this information. I know the time you took to share this will be of help to others searching for answers.
TOD says
All the people that have great results are anonymous, no real profile behind.
In current ”like me” culture on Facebook and other social media, this is ODD!
If 60 years old person would look 45, 50 because or NR there would be tons of pictures. 100%
There is also no human study to support the industry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So I am 100% sure it works but for the industry not for customers, for us, it can have a problematic effect.
Joe Cannon says
TOD, you bring up an interesting point. There is definitely money to be made in Niagen. I see the ads all the time in my facebook and Instagram feeds. They are advertising on ESPN too. I can only say when I took it for 30 days, I did not notice any difference. Here is my 30-day experiment in case you missed it.
Leon says
I am 46. 12 months ago I was 110kg and not feeling good. I started taking 500mg tablets, you can break them in half and take 250mg at a time. I take 1500mg a day. 250mg every 3hrs.
The first tablet in the morning, makes me a little red for around 5-10min, not a big deal.
The rest of the day, the tablets don’t make me red at all.
I am now 76kg, feel strong, fit, fast and mentally flexible. I have EOA and the symptoms have cleared up. No more cloudy mind, in fact I am learning 2 languages. For a person who hasn’t learned languages before and only speaks English, this is a big deal. Arabic and Spanish.
I’ve also noticed my dexterity has increased. This sounds crazy but I found myself writing with my left hand the other day, yup apparently I’m now ambidextrous, so take that!
I haven’t felt like excising since I was a 25yr old kid. But now I find myself running up stairs and spontaneously doing sit ups and pushups at random times of the day. I don’t think I could stop myself from feeling physically motivated, if I tried.
Joe says
Hi Leon, thats quite interesting. What brand of NR are you taking? That is a good idea about breaking tablets in half.
KJmack says
I am a 66 year old male with type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. Drugs: Metformin, lisinipril, actos, Lipitor, glyburide
Supplements: multivitamin, b complex with c and e, coq10, dhea, 7-keto dhea, Msm complex, Memory complex, resveratrol, pterostilbene, acetyl-l-carnitine, alpha lipoic acid. All of the above for quite a few years except pterostilbene and reseveratrol (18 months).
Added nicotinamide riboside (Tru Niagen variant from Amazon) and 250 mg sustained release nicotinic acid on April 1 2018. First two weeks took 1 capsule of NR, 125 mg, once a day in morning before breakfast. Didn’t notice a major difference. Started 2 capsules a day, 250 mg, on April 14. It is now April 30 and am noticing several major changes.
1) very little “random” pain unlike before. Like many people in 60’s, I would hurt myself for what seems no reason: pick up a heavy garbage bag, back pain. Turn leg funny going up stairs, knee pain. Sit too long, back or hip pain, etc. After 2 weeks of NR at 250 mg per day, nothing like that at all. I also seem to have better range of motion for things like turning my head to look at things, etc.
2) More energy, both mental and physical. More willing to do exercise, and not suffering when I do. More willing to focus on mental tasks like my online classes without needing to take breaks. Less need to take a nap when the afternoon rolls around and I got only 6 hours of sleep. etc.
3) No side effects noticed.
4) In 5-6 weeks will be doing my annual full spectrum blood test and will report back with what that turns up and how it compares to previous.
Joe says
Hi KJmack, thanks for sharing that and I’m glad to learn you are getting some good results with Niagen. I noticed you are taking both pterostilbene and resveratrol. They are very similar to each other. One NR supplement – called Elysium Basis – is a combo of pterostilbene and NR. They use pterostilbene because it’s better absorbed than resveratrol. So, do you need to take them both? It’s up to you. Just wanted to mention it.
Here’s the Elysium Basis review
I’ll look forward to learning the results of your upcoming blood test 🙂
KJmack says
Joe,
They are similar, but pterostilbene is better absorbed than resveratrol. Also, pterostilbene has a biological half-life of 105 minutes compared to resveratrol’s 14 minutes. So I take pterostilbene in the morning with my niagen and keto dhea, while I take resveratrol with my evening supplements.
May not need to take both, but resveratrol is relatively inexpensive compared to pterostilbene. In terms of price, I get 150 mg pterostilbene per day for about 10 bucks a month through amazon, 37 bucks for the niagen per month. That is with free shipping.
Joe says
KJmack, true, pterostilbene is more expensive which I think is because its newer. Eventually, the price will fall as it did for resveratrol. Im glad you did all the math. Sometimes not doing so can make things get pricey.
KJmack says
Well results from the blood test are back. Lipids, except for hdl, went down 20-25 percent. I am now up to 500 mg per day of NR split between morning and evening. No chronic pain to speak of, which was probably due to metaflammation from T2DM. Below is the list of positive impacts from NR I’ve noticed.
1) On April 30, 2018, I noticed that 90 percent of my chronic pain/stiffness/discomfort during the day was gone, and about 50 percent of my night time pain/stiffness/discomfort was gone.
2) As I reinitiated an extensive exercise routine, I went from 100 minutes of aerobic exercise per week in mid-April to 400 minutes per week by the end of May. Recovery pain/discomfort was minimal and surprising given the ramp-up.
3) I have noted an increase in flexibility since April, particularly in hips, shoulders, and neck
4) My sleep pattern has stayed the same, but my sleep feels deeper and more restful. When I take a nap, they last 20-40 minutes with the same feeling of refreshment I used to get from a 75-90 minute nap.
5) Spring allergy symptoms are virtually non-existent compared to previous years.
On June 10, noting that I was still feeling some pain/discomfort/stiffness at night in bed, I switched 125 mg NR to post-dinner along with 250 mg of sustained release niacin. This alleviated the majority of the night-time pain/discomfort/stiffness I had been feeling. Last night, June 16, I went to 250 mg of NR post dinner after reading the article below:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1568163717301782
Joe says
Hi KJMack, thanks for the update on how you are doing. I am very glad to hear you are improving. I’m running a little self-experiment of Niagen on myself. I’ll post my results in the near future.
Male39 says
Hello i am an 39 year old male and i am am taking NR for 1 Week now (100 mg / day). Here are my experiences – both good and bad.
In general i feel much more awake and sleep less, even i you want to. I also sometimes experience very very low grade headaches, but this might be due to the sleeping rythm.
My blood pressure has dropped from about 140-150 to 130-140. I measure that 2 times each day, so its not just Imagination.
Energy and concentration seems to be raised and i am getting less tired at the gym. This is noticeable, because i need less breaks during the training.
Libido seems to be raised a little. I actually had some slight problems here from a previous finasterid intake, but those seem to be gone now. It is more like it was about 10-15 years ago again.
By now no effects on skin, wrinkles, hair, weight.
I intend to take it for 30 days now as a first try. If i notice any other (possible) effects, i can tell you here.
Joe says
Hi Male39, yes let me know what happens after your 30 days are up.
male39 says
I am finished a little earlier, because i gave away some of the pills to my family. I took it for 20 days in total now with 100 mg / day.
As far as i can tell now, there seem to be no noticable side effects except that i wake up earlier in the morning. I can also discourage anyone from taking NR after 4 pm because maybe you wont be able to sleep. I am also not sure, whether or not the reduced sleep might have an impact on health.
Off course i cant judge any anti aging benefits after that short time.
NR seems to mostly affect the brain. If i go dancing or badminton with NR, it seems to me that i can react more quickly and move more concentrated and focussed without feeling dizzy. Its like if i am very awake and my mind is very clear. Maybe some of those effects could be compared to caffeine, but since i never drinkt coffee i honestly cant tell for sure.
The second noticable thing is libido. In the last years, i sometimes had different types of ED problems (because of finasteride i guess) and that disappeared. This includes libido, feelings and potency.
As mentioned before, the blood pressure decreased a little. Maybe the heart rate increased slightly.
Its hard to judge other small effects, because i cant really tell whether they are from NR, general lifestyle or just coincidence. I am already a very active person and i do a lot of physical activity. In the last weeks, i had a small decrease in body fat (to 19% as a 39 year old, which is rather low) and hip size (could be because of training ), no noticeable change in muscle mass, only on one single day a slight headache, maybe slightly increased appetite, maybe a little acne but else i didn’t notice changes in skin or hair. No other special conditions or health problems.
I intend to make a small break and try 200 mg /day for a few weeks to see more effects.
Joe says
Male39, thanks for reporting all that. Some of your results such as libido are very interesting. The part about not taking NR past 4pm is interesting as well given NR doesn’t seem to have any overt stimulant properties. Definitely let us all know what happens when you start taking 200 mg/day. I know NR is expensive so appreciate you reporting all this.
Liz says
I am a 50 year old female in good health, but wanted to try Nicotinamide Riboside 250 mg for its anti-aging potential effect. I used the product manufactured by LifeExtension. I took it for 2 weeks. I didn’t really notice a beneficial effect beyond my normal supplements, such as CoQ10, curcumin, EPA/DHA, Red Panax Ginseng, Magnesium, and Acetyl L Cartinine.
However, I did notice that I was getting low grade headaches every day that would worsen throughout the day, as well as some fatigue in the evening. One of my friends who hadn’t seen me in a while even mentioned that I “looked tired” and not my normal self. I immediately stopped taking the product and my headache went away and now I feel better.
I’m not sure whether these symptoms were due to the product or were coincident with something else (stress?) I am building a new house, so that could be the cause. I’m going to start taking the product again in a few days. If the headaches and fatigue return, I can likely say it’s due to the product. I can report back my results.
Has anyone else had these symptoms? Headache, neck tension/pain, and fatigue toward the evening that is unusual?
Joe says
Hi Liz, thanks for sharing and yes, I’d be interested in learning if your fatigue and headaches return when you start taking nicotinamide riboside again. Do let me know what happens.
George Steele MD says
I have been taking NR for the last year (250 mg per day) and have noticed that my ability to do intervals on the treadmill has decreased over time to where now I feel like the rats in the Kourtizidis NR swimming study on NR (like I am drowning). When I was 60 years I trained (avoiding all antioxidants but following a ketogenic diet) as was able to run a mile (at 1% grade) in 6 minutes 18 seconds (9.5 mph for 1 mile). Now I am 63 years.
Since starting the NR my exercise tolerance is decreasing (meaning I am not getting the training effect of interval exercise (intervals up to 11 or 12 mph for 80 seconds on/40 seconds at 4.5 mph. This is very frustrating.
NR does function as an antioxidant and it has been shown that vitamins C and E block training effect by reducing mitohormesis (the mitochondrial signaling to the nucleus to turn on the machinery to make more mitochondria, thereby making you stronger and more fit).
So, I hate to say it but I am stopping NR. I will update in 3 months as to whether I am able to return toward the level of fitness I desire. So call me a rat.
Joe says
Hi George, That’s interesting. I’m familiar with the effects of vitamin E and C supplements on reducing exercise ability. You are the first I’ve heard report a similar effect with NR in humans. Hopefully its a fluke but I appreciate you doing this experiment on yourself and will look forward to learning what happens.
Judy says
Hi Joe,
I appreciate your thorough review on the NAD products. Did the human study of one mention how long he took it?
While I haven’t taken any NAD, I tried niacin 250 or 500 mg. once (not niacinamide). I thought the flush might help because I am almost always cold but the redness and accompanying itching was too uncomfortable.
Joe says
Hi Judy, yes, in the study (nicotinamide riboside is uniquely and orally bioavailable in mice and humans) the guy took 1000 mg of nicotinamide riboside for 7 days.
Sorry it took so long to get back to you. I’ve been dealing with some website issues.
Any other questions, just ask.
Catherine says
I am 62 yr female. Pretty good overall health except Hypothyroid and Osteoporosis. I started taking Niacel by Thorne Research a over 30 days ago. Within a few weeks I began to have tooth pain. Which is rare because I never have tooth pain and have perfect checkups annually for many years.
After 3 weeks of use I stopped taking it because of the constant tooth and jaw pain. After 4 days of non use the pain subsided. On day 5 I resumed. By day 6 the pain returned.
QUESTION: Is there any research on teeth, jaw bones, bone loss, osteoporosis for this supplement?
Joe says
Hi Catherine, Im not aware of any side effects resulting in jaw and tooth pain. I’m also not aware of any side effects for those with osteoporosis. I try keep up with the NR research and add to this review as more human studies are published. I’d say the best advice for now is to see a dentist. I’d rather you see a dentist now before the holidays than suffer through the holidays in pain.
If you turn up any connection to dental pain, do let me know.
Catherine says
Hi Joe, Thank you for your quick reply! I too have only read positive things about NR. It sounds very promising! I did actually go to the dentist today and the good news is he believes its unrelated to NR… bad news is I may need a root canal. blah.
I plan to try NR again in a few weeks after the tooth issue is resolved. I will keep you posted. Thank you for all your research and sharing of knowledge.
Joe says
Hi Catherine, sorry to hear about the root canal. That can’t be fun. Hopefully its not as bad as the dentist thinks. On the plus side, if you need it, I’ve known people who got root canal and they said they were not in much pain afterwards. Yes probably best to get off supplements for a couple of weeks before and after the root canal.
Have a great holiday 🙂
Jessie Lindsay says
I just started NR. I keep looking at the research though because I find many people who commenting are deciding to take higher doses that studies show are not necessary. I saw research that said NAD pathways are always open for NR and that means it will also feed a tumor and make it bigger.
They were talking about glioblastomas. Since then I have been trying to find the link. It was New Science I think. It gave me pause about taking more than the dose required.
Joe says
Hi Jessie, is this the reference you are thinking about: https://www.scitechnol.com/peer-review/nad-in-cancer-prevention-and-treatment-pros-and-cons-zR4d.php?article_id=5285
This talks about how NR might reduce cancer but during cancer growth, raising NAD levels might promote cancer.
If you check your internet history on your browser you can find the sites you were looking at. That might reveal the page you were looking at.
During my research on this for you, I located a website called AboutNR.com that said ” No evidence that NR or NAD+ precursors cause brain cancer.” I checked and this site was created by Chromadex, the company that makes nicotimide riboside.
That said, they do make reference to what is basically a test tube study showing that an enzyme (called nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase) involved with NAD is elevated in glioblastoma stem-like cells. Its interesting but since we are not isolated cells in a test tube, its difficult to automatically assume this means NR raises cancer in people. Id like to see some people studies on this. Here is the link to that study: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5187672/
As for the people who are taking more NR than studies have used, they are basically taking a guess and assuming that more is better. I dont think thats always the right move. If you are going to use NR, Id say stick to what the studies have used.
Again if you can find that link you saw that got your attention, let me know. I’d like to see it.
NR is a fascinating topic so if you have any other questions, just ask 🙂
Ruth Holt says
I forgot to say that I read that one of the human trials established the optimum dosage of NR to be somewhere between 250mgs & 500mgs. I also saw an interview on YouTube, with Dr Charles Brenner, where he told a man who was taking more than 2 grams a day, that he was wasting his money & shouldn’t take more than 500mgs a day.He should know, being the first person to perform a clinical trial on himself of NR.
Joe says
Hi Ruth, I think Ive included that human study in my review. If its the study I thinking of, it didn’t have many people and that might be a problem. Do you know the name of his study? Id love to look at it to see if I’m correct.
There is a LOT of money being pumped into NR. magazine articles and Ive it mentioned a lot on social media. I’m still going to say hold off for the moment especially for those who cant afford it. Until I see more human studies, I cant justify the price.
Again, if you can find the title of his study, let me know what it is and I will definitely read it.
Ruth Holt says
I am surprised that you didn’t include any of these:
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?cond=&term=Nicotinamide+Riboside&cntry1=&state1=&recrs=
I researched this stuff until my eyes were crossed, for literally months. I started my research because I had been told that My eyes have got just the beginnings of cataracts & while I was looking at new research on that, I came across NR, Pterostilbene & of course Resveratrol.
I think the latest buzzword is Healthspan. Not increasing the number of years you live, so much as increasing the number of years lived in good health. Without the diseases of old age.
I think it was David Sinclair that said ” what good is there in living more years crippled with arthritis & suffering from dementia” or words to that effect. So Healthspan is the number of years you can live a good quality of life. That’s what I’m after, to live longer in perfect health.
I changed my diet ( I think I’m about the right weight for my liking. I’m 5’2″ tall & I weigh 44.2 kilos) & exercise regularly & I have been taking 325mg of NR per day plus 100mgs of Pterostilbene. I wrote the various supplement sellers. & asked if they’d give me a deal for buying bulk. Most of them said yes & I got a reasonable deal for buying a year’s supply up front.
Since then, I found another website that do good bulk deals for both Pterostilbene & Resveratrol so when my present supplies of Pterostilbene run down I’ll purchase & then take both of the sirtuin activators, with my NR.
I’ve only been taking these supplements, for under 3 months & I think most of the results can be very subjective, so I’ll wait until at least 6 months to a year, or maybe longer, before I comment on results.
Joe says
Hi Ruth, I thank you for bringing this to my attention. I tried to focus on the studies that were published. ClinicalTrials.gov is a great they dont list results. they only say the studies are ongoing or completed. When they are published in medical journals then we can see the study, how it was conducted etc. Some of the studies look really interesting. I really want to see their results.
Ruth Holt says
I am surprised that you didn’t include any of these:
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?cond=&term=Nicotinamide+Riboside&cntry1=&state1=&recrs=
I researched this stuff until my eyes were crossed, for literally months. I started my research because I had been told that My eyes have got just the beginnings of cataracts & while I was looking at new research on that, I came across NR, Pterostilbene & of course Resveratrol. I think the latest buzzword is Healthspan. Not increasing the number of years you live, so much as increasing the number of years lived in good health. Without the diseases of old age.
I think it was David Sinclair that said ” what good is there in living more years crippled with arthritis & suffering from dementia” or words to that effect. So Healthspan is the number of years you can live a good quality of life. That’s what I’m after, to live longer in perfect health.
I changed my diet ( I think I’m about the right weight for my liking. I’m 5’2″ tall & I weigh 44.2 kilos) & exercise regularly & I have been taking 325mg of NR per day plus 100mgs of Pterostilbene.
I wrote the various supplement sellers. & asked if they’d give me a deal for buying bulk. Most of them said yes & I got a reasonable deal for buying a year’s supply up front. Since then, I found another website that do good bulk deals for both Pterostilbene & Resveratrol so when my present supplies of Pterostilbene run down I’ll purchase & then take both of the sirtuin activators, with my NR.
I’ve only been taking these supplements, for under 3 months & I think most of the results can be very subjective, so I’ll wait until at least 6 months to a year, or maybe longer, before I comment on results.
I don’t know whether you received the above message as it keeps appearing in the box, when I try to reply to you.
The above link is to the result that I got from putting NR into the clinical trials.gov website. It came up with about 14 different results, all NR trials that are recruiting, in progress, or completed.
I don’t know how much I am allowed to put on your website, but I want to give you something interesting.
ChromaDex: Response To The Claim Niagen Is Just ‘Expensive Vitamin B3’
Jan.30.17 | About: ChromaDex Inc. (CDXC)
KarinCA
KarinCA
Biotech, small-cap, micro-cap, long only
(707 followers)
Summary
Interview with Dr. Charles Brenner, an expert in NAD+ and energy metabolism, as well as a published researcher and inventor of the NR NAD+ related patents.
Published research is demonstrating NR is an effective NAD+ precursor in slowing or stopping neuronal cell death associated with NAD+ depletion.
ChromaDex controls NR technologies from an IP point of view, and developed commercial-scale production of NR. The company has multiple business segments.
anti-aging, niagen and health span
Niagen/nicotinamide riboside/NR is a patented metabolism-boosting vitamin that was discovered in 2004. ChromaDex (NASDAQ:CDXC) controls NR technologies from an IP point of view, and developed commercial-scale production of NR. CDXC trademarked NR as NIAGEN while looking to commercialize NR as a patented, high-value compound.
After seeing publication of an article claiming NR is just an expensive vitamin B3 supplement, I decided to contact Dr. Charles Brenner for an expert opinion. Here’s a link to his 2004 paper on the discovery of NR as a milk-derived NAD+ precursor vitamin. He later published this 2007 paper establishing NR as a SIR2-activating, lifespan-extending vitamin.
Dr. Brenner is the Roy J. Carver Chair and head of biochemistry at the University of Iowa. He’s also a founding co-director of the University of Iowa Obesity Initiative. Researchers around the world have validated and added to his research providing evidence of NR’s unique properties in neuroprotection, sirtuin activation, protection against weight gain on a high-fat diet, and improvement of blood glucose and insulin sensitivity. Dr. Brenner is one of five Scientific Advisors for CDXC.
The following interview explains the differences in Niacin/Nicotinic Acid/NA, Nicotinamide/NAM and Niagen/NR/Nicotinamide Riboside. I’m breaking the names out because it can get confusing given how similar they are.
Following is my interview with Dr. Charles Brenner, an expert in NAD+ and energy metabolism, a published researcher, and inventor of the NR NAD+ related patents.
Q: Thank you for taking the time to answer some questions. It is greatly appreciated, especially since I take Niagen daily along with many friends and family. Many don’t understand the importance of NAD+. Would you be kind enough to take the time to explain it a bit?
Answer (Charles Brenner): NAD+ is the central mediator of metabolism. No cell can survive without it. NAD+ is required for foods to be converted to energy, for the synthesis of hormones, for DNA to be repaired, and for resistance to stresses like reactive oxygen species. NAD+ declines in aging. Our resiliency and metabolism decline in aging. Boosting NAD+ is a way to maintain youthful metabolism and youthful resiliency.
Q: Why are nicotinamide and niacin in our diet at 15 mg/day?
CB: Deficiency of vitamin B3 causes pellagra – almost no one has pellagra anymore. Low doses of nicotinamide and/or niacin prevent this deficiency.
Q: Why do some people take large doses of niacin?
CB: High doses of niacin, meaning 500 mg to 4 grams/day, improve cholesterol (HDL up, LDL down, free fatty acids down). Unfortunately, high dose niacin causes flushing, which limits its use.
High dose nicotinamide is not as commonly used. It doesn’t improve cholesterol.
Q: What is the relationship between NR and NAD+?
CB: NR is one of three vitamin precursors of NAD. NAD is the master regulator of metabolism, which declines in aging. The basic thesis of NR is that NR boosts NAD+ without inhibiting sirtuins (the problem with nicotinamide), without causing flushing (the problem with niacin) and in damaged cells including nerves and muscles. Nicotinamide and niacin can’t substitute for NR because they aren’t used in all of the same cells and they don’t produce the same results. The best example of these compounds not being equivalent is with respect to glycemic control. Nicotinamide and niacin promote insulin insensitivity (which is bad), while NR promotes insulin sensitivity (which staves off type 2 diabetes). So you should not believe anyone who says that the three compounds are equivalent.
Different cells and tissues use different pathways to make NAD. Some cells don’t need a vitamin to make NAD and can make NAD by expressing eight different genes that convert the amino acid tryptophan to NAD. It turns out this is the basis for the differences between NR, niacin and nicotinamide and tryptophan. A lot of different cells need NAD. If the genes for a particular NAD precursor are not on, no amount of that precursor can help that cell make NAD.
For example, if any of the eight genes in the tryptophan pathway are not turned on in a particular type of human cell, that cell can’t make NAD from any amount of tryptophan. That’s part of the reason why tryptophan is such a poor NAD precursor. Tryptophan is an inefficient precursor in some cells and it’s simply not an NAD precursor in other cells because the tryptophan pathway genes are off.
Niacin and nicotinamide are both very important compounds in prevention of dietary insufficiency but they cannot substitute for NR as metabolic boosters because there are different genes required to make NAD from these compounds.
Q: The article I asked you to read stated that “All three produce NAD+ in the human body.” Please elaborate on this.
CB: There are trillions of cells in the human body of many hundreds of cell types. For example, there are nerve cells, skeletal muscle cells, cardiac cells, several types of pancreatic cells, several types of blood cells, liver cells, etc. What makes a neuron a neuron and not a hepatocyte is the expression of neuronal genes. When we discovered NR as a vitamin, we discovered the NR pathway to NAD. The value proposition of NR depends on the unique ability of NR to maintain and boost NAD in every cell and tissue and, in particular, in tissues undergoing damage and stress.
There are only two steps in the NR pathway to NAD but there are two genes that can do the first step and three genes that can do the second step. The NR pathway never gets turned off. NRK1 is expressed in every cell and tissue, while NRK2 is turned on by cellular damage, particularly in skeletal and cardiac muscle. This means that people supplementing with NR are able to keep NAD levels high in stressed cells that specifically have the NR pathway turned on to deal with cellular stress. Supplementing with niacin and nicotinamide doesn’t help because they don’t feed into the NR pathway, which is turned on by stresses.
Q: What’s the problem with niacin or nicotinamide as a NAD+ precursor?
CB: There are three problems with niacin and two problems with nicotinamide, particularly at high doses.
First, niacin can’t be used in lots of tissues because the niacin pathway is not on. The brain and skeletal muscle can’t use niacin to boost NAD and these are two of the most important tissues that suffer the ravages of aging. Niacin also causes flushing at high doses and does not efficiently elevate mitochondrial NAD.
The nicotinamide pathway declines in aging, which means you would need ever higher doses to try to maintain your NAD. Second, at high doses, nicotinamide inhibits sirtuins, which is the opposite of NR. NR is a STAC that extends lifespan in model systems.
Q: Can you give me some clarification on model systems?
CB: Basically, we are talking about yeast, flies, worms and rodents – systems in which scientists have total control over the genetics, environment and diet and can carefully look at results. In yeast, nicotinamide shortens lifespan. NR extends yeast lifespan even when they are on a high sugar diet.
In mice and people, both nicotinamide and niacin can induce insulin resistance, which is a precursor to diabetes. NR promotes insulin sensitivity and resistance to diabetic neuropathy. The previous blog on Seeking Alpha suggested that people could take either nicotinamide or niacin to get the same benefits of NR. That’s just utterly inconsistent with facts. NR is a STAC – to my knowledge the only bona fide one in the marketplace – I don’t count resveratrol because that has been pretty much debunked. Nicotinamide is a sirtuin inhibitor and niacin can’t contribute to brain or muscle NAD.
Q: The previous article did some calculations about the efficiency of NR versus nicotinamide and niacin, justifying why the individual wanted to take particular amounts of low cost vitamins in place of NR. You were the senior author of the clinical study. Were those calculations correct?
CB: No. The Seeking Alpha blogger did a calculation of how much more nicotinamide or niacin in order to have the activity of NR in a mouse’s liver. The paper is here.
It’s well known that niacin and nicotinamide work in liver. The problem again is niacin can’t be used by muscle or brain and that damaged tissues induce the NR pathway in order to maintain function. Niacin isn’t used by all tissues and high dose nicotinamide inhibits sirtuins. His premise was false because it was based on liver data. He’s not going to get any benefit to damaged nerves or muscle so his idea is simply invalid.
NR is the only NAD-boosting compound that elevates metabolism, protects damaged nerves, extends lifespan in mice and other model systems, and increases insulin sensitivity. Inexpensive NAD precursors are not STACs and cannot substitute for NR. We are dealing with an aging population with a high incidence of chronic diseases that involve inflammation, insulin insensitivity, neuropathy and heart diseases, all of which can potentially be addressed uniquely by NR. You can be assured that there is no other NAD precursor that can do what NR does.
Having Dr. Brenner take the time to explain a bit more about Niagen was very helpful. It’s clear that its benefits can’t be duplicated by the other B vitamins.
Published research is demonstrating NR is an effective NAD+ precursor in slowing or stopping neuronal cell death associated with NAD+ depletion. Not only does Niagen appear to be an anti-aging ingredient, there is research being published showing neuroprotection. Following are some highlights.
Nicotinamide riboside, a trace nutrient in foods, is a vitamin B3 with effects on energy metabolism and neuroprotection:
Additional studies with nicotinamide riboside in models of Alzheimer’s disease indicate bioavailability to brain and protective effects, likely by stimulation of brain NAD synthesis.
Dr. Jeffrey Milbrandt published a study titled SARM1 activation triggers axon degeneration locally via NAD+ destruction. This study clearly shows the harm when NAD+ is low.
Along the same lines as the study Dr. Milbrandt published is one titled “Neuronal death induced by misfolded prion protein is due to NAD+ depletion and can be relieved in-vitro and in-vivo by NAD+ replenishment”:
We propose the development of NAD(+) replenishment strategies for neuroprotection in prion diseases and possibly other protein misfolding neurodegenerative diseases.
Of the ongoing and upcoming human clinical trials of NR, several of them deal with neuroprotection. Thorne Research and the Mayo Clinic are running a trial dealing with concussion. Kansas University will be running an Alzheimer’s Disease trial. UT Health Science Center in Texas will run one dealing with Mild Cognitive Impairment. These will be interesting trials to watch.
NR Human Clinical Trials 2016 – 2017
Checking clinicaltrials.gov periodically will show you current status of human trials of nicotinamide riboside/NR.
ChromaDex has Multiple Business Segments
ChromaDex doesn’t just deal with ingredient technologies. It provides analytical services such as contaminant testing. It also provides consulting services to guide clients through the regulatory requirements in the food, dietary supplement, consumer product and pharmaceutical industries. It is the leading provider of phytochemical reference standards, botanical reference materials, and research grade materials for the natural products industry. Its relationship with various universities and research institutions allows it to become aware of and acquire early stage ingredient technologies that are protected by intellectual property.
What I find of most interest are its ingredients for sale since I have been using two of them, Niagen and pterostilbene since May 2016 with very noticeable results. There are many sources to purchase them if you take a look at Amazon.
Its portfolio of ingredient technologies includes NIAGEN nicotinamide riboside “NR,” pTeroPure pterostilbene and PURENERGY, a caffeine-pTeroPure co-crystal, IMMULINA and AnthOrigin.
Risks
It’s difficult to predict how well Niagen will produce revenue in the immediate future now that the company is in a legal fight with one of its major Niagen/NR purchasers (Elysium). We simply don’t know how fast other supplement companies will ramp up their sales. A patent has recently been issued to Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) which includes NR in cosmetics. It’s difficult to say if or when it starts ordering product. It could easily become the largest buyer if it starts to market an anti-aging skin care product with NR in it.
There is a lot of interest in NR, but, it’s difficult to predict what share price will do short term, although, long term looks promising since it has a solid history as a company and a good business plan.
My primary interest in the company is the ingredients Niagen and pterostilbene since I take both. The lengthy debate about Niagen vs. Niacinamide in the comments section of my first article on ChromaDex is why I think periodic updates are important. Not everyone understands the differences.
Author’s note: Please scroll back to the top and click to follow me if you like my work.
Disclosure: I/we have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours.
I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.
I am having real problems with replying to your website, but hoping you can moderate out anything that is too much.
The above article ( that I’ve tried to copy & paste into this) I not only found extremely interesting but it has in it a list of clinical trials, with the names you asked for.
Thanks, Ruth Holt
About this article:Expand
Ruth Holt says
I’m so sorry! I’m not doing this very well at all. I can’t see the list in the article.
I’ve been trying to copy & paste just the list of trials, but for some reason, it won’t let me paste the list on here. It just keeps coming up with select/select all/ look up
Ruth Holt says
Is there anyway I could email you the list?
Joe says
Hi Ruth, I will email you, just reply back with the list. Thanks 🙂
Joe says
Hi Ruth, I just emailed you. I also see your other comment that has all the text. let me read through the comment and reply then/
Joe says
Hi Ruth, I have looked at the studies listed on clinicaltrial.gov that you so kindly listed for me. I am grateful that Chromadex is funding research on NR. The thing with Clinical Trials is that they dont publish the results of the studies. That’s why I like to go to Pubmed.gov. that is the site where clincial studies and the results of them are published.
There is no doubt that NR has been shown to do some interesting stuff in lab animals. When it comes to people though, I just dont yet see the evidence. I’m sure human studies will eventually be published. When they are I will be sure to update my review. Since you are taking NR and Pterostilbene I hope you will keep me updated on how you are progressing with them and any before and after blood work you have done too.
Jim says
I found some research that says it did a clinical trial on NR and NAD+ levels. It did not however include a link to the actual research.
Here is the press release: https://www.elysiumhealth.com/clinical-trial-press-release
Jim says
Second link I meant to post: https://www.elysiumhealth.com/help
Joe says
Hi Jim, interesting you should mention this. Elysium has been embroiled in a lawsuit with ChromaDex, the makers of Nicotinamide riboside. It looks pretty heated. here’s the link:
https://techcrunch.com/2017/01/16/a-new-lawsuit-alleges-anti-aging-startup-elysium-health-hasnt-paid-its-supplier-and-is-in-breach-of-agreement/?
Jess says
Hi Joe, you did a very interesting report!
Nevertheless, I can not find anywhere indications from what age NR could be interesting to administer in humans, starting from the observation that the aging process begins around 25-30 years.
Would you have any suggestions (or reads) on this?
Regards,
Jess
Joe says
Hey Jess, thanks so much! That is a good question. I’m not sure of the answer. I’d like to wait to see human studies before Id make a guess.
Borut says
Please find the link on the role of NAD+ in cancer prevention and treatment:
http://www.scitechnol.com/peer-review/nad-in-cancer-prevention-and-treatment-pros-and-cons-zR4d.php?article_id=5285
Joe says
Borut, this study looks like a review article and not an original study of nicotinamide riboside preventing or treating cancer in humans. It may indeed eventually be found to play a role but for now, I think we need human studies.
George says
You need to convert to a HED dosage. From Natural Health Research “Human Equivalent Dose (HED in mg/kg) = Animal Dose (mg/kg) × Animal Km ÷ Human Km ,
where Km is a correction factor reflecting the relationship between body weight and body
surface area.
For a typical adult (body weight 60 kg, body surface area 1.6 m2), Km is 37.
For the most often used laboratory animal species the average Km are as follows:
Mouse 3
Rat 6
Guinea Pig 8
Rabbit 12
Dog 20
Human Adult 37
To calculate the MRSD, the HED derived from NOAEL is further divided by a safety factor (typically 10) to help determine a reasonable safety ceiling and help minimize the risk of toxicity in human clinical trials.
Determination of Human Equivalent of Pharmacologically Active Dose (PAD) is more complicated and depends upon many factors such as pharmacokinetics (i.e. absorption, concentration in the target tissue, metabolism, elimination, etc.) and differs markedly among pharmacological classes of drugs and clinical indications. Although far from ideal, the calculation method described above can be sometimes utilized. However, in the case of Pharmacologically Active Dose (PAD), dividing by safety factor is unnecessary. (2) Below is an example of conversion of a hypothetical PAD from mice to human:
Pharmacologically Active Dose (PAD) in mice 5 mg/kg
Human Equivalent Dose (HED) 5 × 3 ÷ 37 = 0.4 mg/kg”
For 400mg/kg in mice comes to ~32mg per kg if my math is right
Joe says
Hey George, thanks for chiming in. I appreciate that information very much!
Blake says
It’s Irvine, California. Irving is a city in Texas.
-An Irviner
Joe says
Hi Blake, opps. Thanks for the assist 🙂
Jenny says
Check this out:
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-02/sri-sfp021313.php
NR works well controlling breast cancer in mice. I am trying to find out if the lab actually started the clinical trial mentioned in the article.
Joe says
Hi Jenny, I found the full study if you want to read it https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3582128/ It was published in 2013. I didnt see any human follow ups to the study. I did some online searching for nicotinamide riboside and cancer for you too. I saw mouse and test tube studies but not any human studies. I try to keep up with the research nicotinamide riboside but have not seen any human studies yet. I’m sure eventually they will be done eventually.
If you ever do see any, do let me know (2 eyes are better than 1 as they say).
Thanks for your comment. I’m going to add a section to my review on NR and cancer research.
Jenny says
I contacted several people at the lab. Something might have happened to the group after this report came out. The lead author Antonio F. Santidrian now works elsewhere and there is nothing on his webpage anymore about the human trial. The results for mice are too good to ignore, so we can hope others will jump onto it. For someone like myself with a new diagnosis of breast cancer, this is timely.
Unrelated to this, I started taking Niagen May 1 because of all the reviews and love what it has done for me. I am going to triple my intake from 500mg/day to three times a day, thinking it can’t hurt. I will discuss all of this with an oncologist, once one is assigned to me. (It seems I could save a lot by replacing Niagen, which is NR into nictotinamide and ribose. Is this true?).
But meanwhile, I am enjoying a sharpened sense of both smell and hearing, smooth elbows, better skin, and the energy of someone 30 years younger.
Joe says
Hi Jenny, Niagen and many other NR supplements are pretty expensive and thats why I brought up the idea that a combination of both ingredients might work the same. While I am not aware of any study -yet – comparing niacinamide + ribose to NR alone, I think it might be a viable option. It is interesting what you said about having better smell and hearing etc. This might be a test to see if the combination is working as well as Niagen alone. If you have the same results, then it might be as good. Do let me know what happens.
Do let me know what your oncologist says about NR for breast cancer. I am curious.
How long do you need to wait before you have an oncologist assigned to you?
Angid says
Niacinamide + ribose together would not be equivalent to the NR molecule. This is not a mixture, but a chemical compound.
Joe says
Angid, maybe or maybe not. Lets test it and see.
Jeanne says
Hi Jenny, this has nothing to do with the niagen topic but since you mentioned breast cancer, I want to introduce you to research and info that is worthwhile for you to investigate: Dr. Johanna Budwig
She was a chemist, physicist and an MD and helped a lot of people with cancer based on her extensive research. Well worth looking into.
God bless!
Joe says
Jeanne and Jenny, I found this short review of Dr. Budwig on Dr. Weil’s website
https://www.drweil.com/health-wellness/body-mind-spirit/cancer/budwig-cure-for-cancer/
Tim says
I appreciate your balanced approach on the NR supplement. I also agree with you that in an ideal world, cardio exercise should be superior (more on that below). I bite my tongue every time I hear someone say something “extends” lifespan. If simply adding NR extended lifespan, then evolution would have given us genes to make plenty of it. It didn’t, so I am assuming that there must be downsides. There is no free lunch in evolutionary terms.
However, gavage feeding 4 month old mice 300/mg per kg and coming to the conclusion that NR decreases exercise performance is a true head scratcher. No one is suggesting that I am aware of that you can further increase NAD in young people (or mice). What would have been actually useful is to conduct this study in 2 year old mice. Meaning, use the NR to help restore NAD production and see if it increases performance over the also old control group.
The reason I say this is because as a +40 year old avid 10K runner, I am ideally conditioned, have a near perfect diet, and even then I can definitely tell the effects of aging. My best performance was in my early 30s (32 to be exact). In my case, I feel that NR w/ pterostilbene (600mg – 100mg) has been very helpful in getting my running times closer to where they were in my 30s. Same? No… But definitely closer.
Joe says
Hi Tim and thanks for the feedback. I agree using older mice who were not fed through a feeding tube (gavage feeding) would have been better. I am looking forward to seeing human studies of NR when they come out.
Nick says
I originally started basis by ellysium 2 yrs ago at 2 capsules per day
I was 62 at the time 6′ 3″ 254#
No major medical complaints and no regular meds
For years I had moderate foot pain worse in morning and pain in both thumbs to the point I couldn’t open a jar Standard complaint
Prior to starting NR I got to the point where my feet , knees and hands hurt a lot in am upon rising and I required supports in shoes and on feet and ointments and aleve daily for pain
The first year I noticed after 3-4 months my foot pain was dissipating
Next at 6 month I noticed my knee pain was less when climbing stairs
After 1 year my hands hurt less and I began increasing from 2 to 4 caps a day My weight changed from 254 to 238 with not diet to speak of at the end of 14 months I began taking 2000 mg NR along with 1000 mg of reservatrol and pterostibane daily
After 24 months no foot pain at all no knee pain no hand pain my blood pressure dropped from 141/88 to 121/67 for no apparent reason and no other medication.
I now weigh 225 # and I am about to increase my rate to 3000mg NR and 2000 mg reservatrol and pterostibane daily.
Joe says
Hi Nick, thanks for sharing that and I’m glad you are doing better. My guess is your blood pressure dropped because you lost weight but regardless, the important thing is that you are making great progress. Kudos!
joy says
Joe, I didn’t know about this supplement BUT I’ve been taking Niacinimide 500mg 3 times daily for OA issues based on Dr. Kaufman’s research. Going on 2 yrs maybe.
And on Ribose, when I was given the Fibro dx in 1999, which I question, I’ve been taking DRibose powder daily, 2-3 times daily for Energy. The talk back in 1999 was DRibose and so I jumped on it and taking it for years.
I believe both the above help me. I would THINK the new supp you bring up would be of benefit. Don’t know if I’ll try it or not, I’m pretty OK with what I’m doing. Managing it all.
Joe says
Hi Joy, I wonder if what you are taking now – niacinamide and ribose – is producing it in you already. I thought it was pretty pricey when I saw it in the store. If you try it, let me know what you think.