Beyond longevity: Nestlé Research links NAD+ boosters to gut health

A new Nestlé Research-led clinical trial has found that NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) booster supplements — typically marketed toward longevity — promote health in “unexpected” areas of gut health, by enhancing beneficial bacteria in the digestive system.

The evidence shows that 14-day supplementation with common NAD+ boosters NR (nicotinamide riboside) and NMN (nicotinamide mononucleotide) comparably increases circulatory NAD+ concentrations in healthy adults’ blood, while another precursor (NAM or nicotinamide) did not.

The researchers determined that NR and NMN enhance microbial growth and metabolism, converting into nicotinic acid in the gut, which is a potent NAD+ booster. They note that NR and NMN and their microbially produced nicotinic acid offer a sustained increase in systemic NAD+ levels and are “potent modulators of gut health.”

“NAD+ is a key coenzyme that plays a role in keeping the cells in our body functioning properly. It is important for energy production, DNA repair, and certain cellular functions, yet levels naturally decline as we age,” says Stefan Christen, specialist in Metabolomics at Nestlé R&D and one of the lead researchers on the study.

“Therefore, researchers compared three NAD+ precursors — NR, NMN, and NAM — to provide a better understanding of how NAD+ precursors behave in the human body. This is the first comparative clinical study to suggest that NR and NMN supplementation can similarly increase NAD+ levels in healthy adults and may also support gut health.”

Dual impact of NAD+ boosters

Their findings, published in Nature Metabolism, indicate that consumers taking NAD+ supplements may experience benefits beyond boosting NAD+ levels.

After 14 days of supplementation, NR and NMN increased circulatory NAD+ levels, according to the randomized, open-label, placebo-controlled study with 65 healthy participants. NAM caused only short-term changes and did not raise NAD+ levels in the same way as NR and NMN.

In the trial, NR and NMN enhanced gut microbial growth and metabolism.The Nestlé researchers also highlight the impact of NAD+ boosters on gut health. In the trial, NR and NMN enhanced gut microbial growth and metabolism. 

“These findings deepen our understanding of how NAD+ precursors can support healthy aging at the cellular level and pave the way for the development of innovative solutions to support healthy longevity,” says Christen.

Nestlé’s subsidiary, Nestlé Health Science, includes NR in its supplement formulas for Solgar Cellular Nutrition Cellular Energy and Pure Encapsulations NR Longevity. Meanwhile, NAM is widely used as vitamin B3.

In previous NAD+ findings covered on Nutrition Insight, NXT USA highlighted updated clinical science supporting its patent-pending herbal blend, BluNADBooster, which outperforms NR in raising NAD+ levels. However, combining both ingredients demonstrated synergies for improved performance, brain health, reduced inflammation, and overall quality of life.