Fair question. The supplement industry runs on trends. Something gets mentioned on a podcast, influencers pick it up, and suddenly it’s everywhere. Six months later nobody’s talking about it.
NAD+ has been in that cycle for a few years now. Here’s why I think it’s different.
The Biology Is Real
NAD+ isn’t a new compound someone discovered in a lab and branded creatively. It’s a coenzyme that researchers have studied for over a century. It’s essential to cellular energy metabolism. Without it, cells can’t produce ATP efficiently.
What’s new is the application — the idea that supplementing NAD+ in aging adults can restore some of what’s lost. That part is newer and still developing. But the underlying biology is not speculative.
The Research Is Accumulating
Studies from Harvard’s aging research labs, particularly work by David Sinclair, have positioned NAD+ as central to the biology of aging. Animal studies have been compelling. Human trials are more modest but consistently show improvements in energy metabolism and muscle function in older adults.
This isn’t the same as saying clinical trials prove it works for everything. It’s saying the evidence base is genuine and growing, which puts NAD+ in a different category than most trends.
The People Using It Are Not the Typical Supplement Crowd
NAD+ has been adopted most visibly by people who are serious about health optimization and skeptical of hype: physicians, researchers, endurance athletes, and executives doing everything else right and looking for an edge on aging. That profile matters. Trends get driven by people who want a quick fix. NAD+ users tend to be people who’ve addressed the basics and are asking what comes next.
My Honest Take
I was skeptical. I tried it because my provider suggested it, not because I was chasing a trend. The results I noticed were real enough to keep me using it.
Is it for everyone? No. Is it a magic solution? No. Is it a well-grounded intervention with a real biological rationale and a growing evidence base? Yes. That’s enough for me to take it seriously.
If you want to find out if it’s right for you: GobyMeds offers a provider evaluation. Use code MTVN25 for $25 off your first order. I earn a commission if you use that link.
Judy White is the founder of Motivation Weight Loss. She writes from personal experience and is not a medical professional.