NAD: 3 Simple & Cheap Ways to Increase this Powerful Molecule

You Don’t Need to Shell Out Thousands of Dollars to Increase This Longevity Molecule

9 min readJan 22, 2024

In the quest for longevity and vitality, NAD (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide) has emerged as a crucial piece of the puzzle.

Essential for energy production, NAD is a coenzyme present in EVERY cell in the body.

It’s involved in hundreds of metabolic processes, and without it, we would all be dead.

That’s why keeping NAD levels high as we get older is so important for living longer and stronger.

However, as interest in its benefits surges, so does the cost of access, with some resorting to pricey NAD injections and precursors supplements.

But what if the key to boosting NAD levels rested in simple, budget-friendly practices?

Uncover three potent yet economical ways to elevate this powerhouse molecule, avoiding the hefty price tag associated with high-end treatments.

Discover how you can harness the benefits of NAD without breaking the bank, proving that revitalizing your cellular energy doesn’t have to come at an exorbitant cost.

But first, a quick look at NAD and why you want to keep it’s levels high!

NAD: Part of the Fountain of Youth

So, what is NAD anyway?

Nicotinamide adenine dineclueotide, is a vital coenzyme found in every cell in your body.

What’s a coenzyme?

According to Cuffari (2021):

A coenzyme is defined as an organic molecule that binds to the active sites of certain enzymes to assist in the catalysis of a reaction. More specifically, coenzymes can function as intermediate carriers of electrons during these reactions or be transferred between enzymes as functional groups.

So it’s basically a helper molecule that’s involved in the process of converting food into energy.

Or, what’s known as the Krebs Cycle:

Fully understanding the Krebs Cycle or what a coenzyme is aren’t important for appreciating how vital NAD is.

You just need to know NAD helps produce cellular energy, and when it’s levels are high you can feel AMAZING!

Health Benefits of NAD

You already know without NAD you would be dead.

So, you can rightly assume it’s important stuff.

But, what exactly does having high NAD levels do for you?

And, on top of all that, high NAD levels are associated with a higher metabolism, a leaner physique, and increased athletic performance.

So, not only will keeping your NAD levels high keep you alive, it will keep you THRIVING!

Injections & Precursors

So, how do you go about increasing this miracle molecule?

You could get it injected directly into your veins.

And you would definitely reap all of the benefits listed above.

But, they’re not cheap. The average price is around $800.

Plus, the drip injections can take hours and people often get sick during them.

You could also try the trendy NAD precursors:

NR (nicotinamde riboside)
NMN (nicotinamide mononucleotide)

These are building blocks of NAD, and when you ingest them in supplement form your body may convert them into NAD.

And while they likely do increase NAD levels, they’re not the cheapest supplements out there.

You could expect them to cost you $60 or more a month.

Certainly cheaper and more convenient than injections, but they also have to be refrigerated to remain effective.

Which, makes me you wonder: if the supplements weren’t refrigerated at the warehouse and during delivery…will they even work???

I think they do. But i’m not willing to bet $60 or more on it.

Especially, when there are free and super inexpensive ways to increase NAD.

And if you’re like me, then you’ll want to find out what those cheap but potent methods are!

1. Exercise: Get Fit & Boost NAD Levels!

(Courtesy of **The Lazy Artist Gallery)**

It’s no secret that exercising is one of the best ways to stay healthy and age well.

From increasing cardiovascular fitness to decreasing insulin resistance, regular exercise can do wonders for the body and mind.

But, it’s also a FREE way to increase NAD!

According to a study from 2023, regular exercise prevents NAD from declining in skeletal muscle.

The authors added that:

Acute exercise led to profound alterations of intracellular NAD+ metabolism in various investigations, with the magnitude and direction of changes being strongly dependent on the applied exercise modality, cell type, and investigated animal model or human population. Exercise training elevated NAD+ levels and NAD+ metabolism enzymes in various tissues.

Additionally, another study from 2023 found that exercise alone was more effective than NAD precursors at elevating NAD levels:

All in all, the data accumulated thus far indicate that the effectiveness of exercise clearly exceeds that of NAD+ precursor supplementation, and exercise remains one of the most potent interventions against muscle and systemic aging

Lastly, a study from 2022 also found a strong connection between exercise and NAD levels:

The research team found that not only was NAD+ one of the metabolites that was most downregulated with aging, but its levels were linked to the amount of physical activity undertaken….What is of great interest, however, is that the levels in the trained older adults were almost the same as the younger adult group. This was borne out by looking at individuals’ NAD+ levels and physical activity

But how is exercise keeping NAD levels high?

It seems to be due to hormesis.

Basically, a hormetic effect is when a little bit of something that would kill you in a higher dose is beneficial for you.

Think cold exposure.

Too long in the freezing cold and you won’t make it.

But a few minutes in an ice bath makes your body healthier and more resilient.

Exercise has a similar effect.

As the authors of this study state:

Other than pharmacological and nutritional approaches, exercise is thought to restore NAD+ homeostasis through metabolic adaption to chronically recurring states of increased energy demand.

Your body adapts to the routine stress you put it under when exercising regularly, and part of that adaptation is increasing NAD levels.

Exercise is a hormetic stressor that makes you fitter, and younger, by churning out more NAD.

The specific type of exercise you engage in doesn’t seem to matter. As long as you’re challenging yourself through resistance and aerobic training, you’ll likely get that NAD boost!

And if the concept of hormesis is appealing to you, you’re in luck.

Because the next way to increase NAD relies on the same principle!

2. Fasting: A Potent Longevity Practice

Fasting, or intentionally going without food for a certain amount of time, is an ancient practice.

Many religions and spiritual traditions have used fasting as a way to grow spiritually through abstaining from worldly pleasures.

In recent years, the practice of intermittent fasting, which is usually characterized by not eating for at least 12 hours, has gained popularity as an anti-aging hack.

And as of right now, it’s one of the only proven ways to increase health and lifespans.

As LaFountain (2023) reports:

If you truly want to maximize your longevity, you want to stay healthier while living longer. Intermittent fasting can help you achieve this without the challenges of pure caloric restriction.

And one of the ways in which intermittent fasting promotes longevity is through, you guessed it, increasing NAD!

And once again, it’s the power of hormesis at play.

Go too long without food and the body will give out.

But a nice compressed window without any food and the body responds in amazing ways.

Thomas Ingoglia from the Longevity Collective explains how the body responds to intermittent fasting by writing:

Sirtuins, such as the SIR2 and SIRT 1 family of genes, are lifespan regulators that have been conserved through evolution.
Sirtuins encode a deacetylase that is dependent on NAD+
SIR2, a type of sirtuin, regulates lifespan and mediates calorie restriction (fasting) in lower species
Modulating the activity of sirtuin through calorie restriction, such as fasting, may help to combat the diseases of aging
Fasting promotes the expression of SIRT1 and NAD+-levels in mice. (6, 7)

Fasting helps turn genes on and turn other genes off.

In this case it turns on the sirtuins, namely SIR2, which is associated with longevity.

And this in turn helps upregulate NAD.

Lastly, a study from 2010 on mice found that:

A 24-h fasting in mice increased mRNA and protein expression of both SIRT1 and PPARalpha in the livers, where the NAD(+) levels increased with increasing nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) activity in the NAD(+) salvage pathway

To make the process easier to understand, this infograph gives a streamlined view of how fasting increases NAD:

Admittedly, fasting isn’t always the easiest or most fun thing to do.

And unless you’re really into anti-aging and living well, fasting daily to get a reliable bump in NAD may not be worth it to you.

That’s not a problem.

Because this last NAD-boosting method doesn’t require fasting or exercise.

In fact, it’s as easy as popping a supplement…

3. Niacinamide: The B Vitamin that Boosts NAD

Vitamin B3, also known as Niacin, exists in two forms:

nicotinic acid
niacinamide

It’s present in many foods, but also can be taken as a supplement.

While both nicotinic acid and niacinamide can increase NAD, niacinamide is the superior choice because it doesn’t cause skin flushing.

As the controversial, but highly respected and accomplished, Dr. Mercola says about niacinamide:

Based on everything I’ve studied, I believe niacinamide is the absolute best NAD+ precursor — and the most effective way to improve your NAD+ levels.
As you can see in the diagram below, when your body uses up NAD+, it breaks down into niacinamide. The niacinamide is then recycled, first into NMN, and then into NAD+.
NAMPT is your body’s NAD rate limiting enzyme in the salvage recycling pathway. This key enzyme is the rate-limiting enzyme in the pathway to restore niacinamide back to NAD+ and controls how much NAD your body makes.

To further illustrate what Dr. Mercola is talking about, this chart shows the process of how niacinamide becomes NAD in the cells:

Niacinamide is more direct building block than nicotinic acid, or even NR and NMN.

It’s also cheap.

A bottle of niacinamide will cost you somewhere around $25.

And, you don’t need a lot of it.

While studies on high doses, around 500mgs, have proven to significantly boost NAD, it comes with some downfalls too.

So, 50mgs 3 times a day is the optimal way to safely increase NAD.

Beats spending upwards of a thousand dollars and waiting hours for an IV injection, huh?

Boost NAD the Ol’ Fashioned Ways & Stay Youthful

Remember this: the journey to age gracefully doesn’t have to carry a hefty price tag.

NAD, the unsung hero of cellular energy and aging well, is within reach through simple and cost-effective means.

Yes, NAD injections and supplements containing it’s precursors can boost your levels too.

But, they’re not cheap (yet).

And, they may come with some side effects.

To boost NAD and preserve your youthful energy, all you have to do is embrace the power of fasting, exercise, and niacinamide to naturally elevate your levels.

Picture yourself gracefully aging, savoring the richness of your golden years, with the energy of a teenager, the drive of a wall street tycoon, and the passion of a prize fighter.

It’s easily within reach!

Here’s to a life well-lived, where the key to vitality is not found in a clinic, but in the simplicity of daily choices, ensuring your NAD remains a powerful ally in the journey of aging beautifully.