If you are someone who comes across Nicotinamide Riboside (NAD precursor that is proven to increase NAD levels) and wondering which of the two available NAD supplement you should take — Tru Niagen from ChromaDex or Elysium’s Basis?
Let’s find out which is the best NAD supplement…
If you are cusrious to know, two companies are in a patent war with each other, but what you need to understand is that as of now Elysium used to get NR from ChromaDex and now due to Elysium Health lawsuits they are getting it from unknown sources.
It doesn’t mean it’s bad, but if you want the same patent substance used in Nicotinamide Riboside research studies, you will be better of with TRU Niagen.
Considering it is also a cheaper route to go.
Subscribing into True Niagen seems to be the only viable option (cheaper and more reliable) based on this this review (current data).
Table of Contents
NAD+ Supplement Review / What is the Best Anti-Aging Supplement?
Now you know everything there is to know about NAD and its precursors. Let’s see if we can get you the best supplement:
#1 Tru Niagen Nicotinamide Riboside
Tru Niagen Nicotinamide Riboside is currently the best product on the market, at least in my humble opinion. Let me explain why:
Tru Niagen Ingredients
Each capsule contains 150mg of nicotinamide riboside chloride, and you should take two capsules per serving.
As you remember from above, Nicotinamide Riboside is the most effective NAD precursor, so it has the most chances of being transformed into NAD in your body.
This supplement is vegetarian; it has no gluten, no nuts, no caffeine, and no artificial colors or flavors.
According to data from the FDA regarding nicotinamide riboside solubility, Niagen is soluble in water.
Other ingredients include microcrystalline cellulose (anti-caking agent, and fat substitute) and Hypromellose (thickening agent and binder).
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Science Behind the Supplement
This supplement has a lot of science backing it up.
There are four different clinical trials published in peer-reviewed magazines which show that NIAGEN® is a safe, effective supplement.
These clinical trials are based on over a hundred preclinical studies at famous universities like Dartmouth Medical school or the University of Iowa.
The FDA is on board with NIAGEN® too, plus the GRAS certification is there.
ChromaDex, Tru Niagen’s company, has over 20 licensed patents for making and distributing this product.
Besides, there are over 140 research collaborations between this brand and Top US universities, which aim to improve this supplement to make it true youth supplement .
IS There Any Discount Available?
YES!
Currently, you have the chance to save up to 40% if you buy Tru Niagen. This TOP supplement can cost as little as $30, plus you have free shipping in the US.
#2 Elysium Basis Supplement
I’m not really on board with Elysium Basis, and I’ve explained most of my reasons above.
I’ll summarize them here so that you can compare this supplement with Niagen.
Elysium Basis Ingredients
There are two main ingredients in Elysium Basis: 250 mg NR and 50 mg pterostilbene.
Other ingredients include thickeners and anti-caking agents like Microcrystalline Cellulose, Hypromellose, Vegetable Magnesium Stearate, and Silica.
The 250 mg Nicotinamide Riboside are good for their anti-aging effects. But the 50 mg of pterostilbene still makes me want to avoid this product.
Although I took pterostilbene a few years back, before the studies started piling up against it, I wouldn’t recommend it today.
Elysium Health still states that pterostilbene protects you from cellular stress and can improve your metabolism because it activates sirtuins.
Pterostilbene has a similar chemical structure as Resveratrol, plus Resveratrol and coenzyme Q10 have proven beneficial effects against normal aging.
However, pterostilbene also increases bad cholesterol levels. So if you already have cholesterol issues, I wouldn’t recommend this supplement. Otherwise, you could probably take it after talking to your GP about it.
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Science Behind the Supplement?
This supplement features many studies on its official website to emphasize that it works.
A few of them aim to show that pterostilbene is a safe ingredient.
However, these studies have few participants and are short-term.
Other studies show the beneficial effects of normal NAD levels, like better mitochondrial and stem cell functions, along with reduced anti-aging effects.
The downside is that most of these studies are on mice.
Bottom line: the science behind this supplement shows that NAD is beneficial and that NR works, but didn’t convince me about pterostilbene.
IS there Any Discount Available?
Various discounts are depending on your purchase plan. One year prepaid deliveries allow you to save 33%, six months prepaid save you 25%, and a paid monthly delivery saves you 17%.
#3 Life Extension NAD+ Cell Regenerator Nicotinamide Riboside
This is another supplement that many people are refering to, but it is not even worth mentioning. It’s just 100mg dose and cost can go higher compared to other 2 supplements considering the same dosage.
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Elysium Health Include Pterostilbene, Should You Subscribe to It?
Pterostilbene is a compound that makes your body think you’re on a calorie-restricting diet.
As we’ll discuss later, caloric restriction and NDA go hand in hand.
If you take a supplement with pterostilbene, you’ll lose weight faster and accelerate the effect of NDA.
Elysium Health was on board with this NAD+ research from the start, so originally they were the only brand which mixed NR and pterostilbene.
However, a recent study showed that pterostilbene increases your bad cholesterol levels.
ChromaDex has also stopped commercializing pterostilbene after it’s been shown to increase LDL.
Taking that into account, I wouldn’t recommend any supplement which uses this substance.
Besides, Elysium has had various other problematic ingredients, like trace residue of toluene.
While this isn’t the most toxic artificial ingredient, it’s still a problem that Elysium didn’t disclose it’s manufacturing process to the FDA.
Nicotinamide Riboside Research! Do NAD-Boosting Supplements Have Anti-Aging Effects?
Low NAD levels in the body are known to impair our mitochondrial function.
With age, our NAD levels decline, so does the mitochondrial functionality.
Scientists suggest that increasing NAD levels may delay aging and all the bad deceases that come with it.
What I’m interested in discovering if it is really true and if NAD really may help to delay aging and make us more energetic right away. Is there any product that can help? Possibly!
Public interest in NAD has grown in the last few years as research started to pile up looking at the role of mitochondria decline that you can find in numerous age-related conditions and diseases, including Alzheimer’s, diabetes, cancer.
Researchers are reviewing enzymes that are dependent on NAD, particularly sirtuins that seem to be vital in aging.
Nicotinamide riboside (NR) is a form of vitamin B3 (niacin) that is a NAD precursor. It boosts NAD levels and increases mitochondrial function. Some small amounts of NR can be found in some foods, that contain whey or yeast.
Researchers into NAD precursors got a surprise when a study by famous scientists, printed in the Cell journal, discovered that injections of different precursorsrejuvenated mitochondria in old mice.
NR is marketed as a supplement called Niagen by a company that has licensed patents from the universities that discovered how to synthesize.
Also, a Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry is on the company’s advisory board.
The existing research shows some convincing results on animal trials.
These supplements are known to increase NAD (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) levels in test animals.
Afterward, NAD helps the mitochondria release more energy.
In turn, more energy leads to enhanced DNA repairs and your body working better.
NAD levels decrease with biological age, so that’s why NAD supplements are becoming more popular.
NAD and sirtuins appear after prolonged calorie-restrictive diets, and they’re also linked to Resveratrol.
This molecule is found in the skin of dark grapes and has a potential beneficial effect against aging.
That’s why Niagen can sell NR as well as other supplements.
The brand organized a small 6-week trial study you can find in Nature Communications.
The results show that NR can increase the NAD levels in the bloodstreams of healthy older adults.
The catch is that the doses taken by the subjects were double the ones indicated on the label.
While this doesn’t show causation between increased NAD levels and anti-aging, the company awaits FDA approval for its product, which they think can treat Cockayne syndrome.
This genetic disease is rare and determines children to age prematurely.
What Are the Benefits of NAD?
To answer this question, imagine all the risks of decreased NAD levels in the blood.
One consequence is neurodegeneration. Conversely, increased NAD levels can make you more alert, improve your memory and mental clarity.
Decreased NAD levels are also linked to vascular inflammation, increased fat storage in your liver and your adipose tissue, insulin resistance, fatigue and decreased muscle strength.
In turn, normal NAD levels improve the health of your blood vessels, so you’re at less risk for heart issues.
NAD decreases dangerous production of fat cells so that you can avoid illnesses such as the nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
With a normal production and deposition of fat, you can also avoid the risks of extra belly fat.
Normal NAD levels allow your body to consume the extra blood glucose, so you have steady blood sugar levels.
With NAD activating your energy production in the mitochondria, your body will burn more fatty acid, giving muscles an excellent source of energy.
Instead of feeling fatigued, you’ll feel rested and strong.
NAD helps you fight the usual health problems associated with old age so that you can feel, think and act better.
Other NAD Precursors?
There are four NAD precursors you may have heard of:
Niacin
Niacin is vitamin B3 you can find in flour and fortified milk.
Niacin improves overall cholesterol levels and raises good HDL cholesterol.
This is a safe and affordable product – so what should you be wary of?
Firstly, Niacin can give you flushes. Secondly, Niacin can’t increase NAD levels in your brain or muscles, thus depriving you of certain benefits like cognitive health.
Nicotinamide (NAM)
Nicotinamide, also known as Niacinamide, doesn’t lead to flushing, it’s been around for a while, and it’s not expensive.
Besides, it can increase NAD levels in all tissues.
But there are two issues with NAM. Firstly, it inhibits sirtuins – remember them from above?
Your body can’t repair your DNA or overhaul your cells without these proteins.
Basically, NAM defeats the purpose of NAD because your cells have more energy, but they can’t use it to repair themselves.
Another issue is that NAM’s results are poorer for older people and obese people.
It can even increase neurodegeneration and can’t reduce bad cholesterol levels.
Nicotinamide Riboside (NR)
Your cells can use this molecule that’s related to vitamin B3 to create NAD.
The more stressed or battered your cells are, the more useful NR is to them.
You can find NR in milk, but you’d need to drink 75 gallons for just a dose.
That’s why Nicotinamide Riboside supplements are a good idea. NR doesn’t have any of the side effects above; no flushes, no sirtuin inhibition and no limited availability in your body.
The studies aren’t extremely conclusive, though, and the price is a bit high.
Nicotinamide Mononucleotide (NMN)
NMN is NR with an extra phosphate molecule. However, this molecular addition means that NMN is too big to get into your cells so that it can increase NAD.
That’s why your body transforms NMN into NR, which can then replenish NAD levels.
Mice test trials show that’s possible, but the downside is that this process takes longer.
Besides, who knows if your kidneys can effectively get rid of all the extra phosphate?
The extra molecule leads to a price increase, seeing as it’s more expensive to make NMN than NR.
So an NMN supplement costs double than an NR supplement, though it’s five times less effective.
Is Nicotinamide Riboside Safe?
The short answer: yes. The longer answer is eponymous to the name of this article here: Chronic nicotinamide riboside supplementation is well-tolerated and elevates NAD+ in healthy middle-aged and older adults.
This study above is extremely clear to the benefits and safety of taking NR, but there is other research which shows the same thing.
NR can actively increase NAD levels; it improves brain health, makes you livelier and gives you more energy.
It works for older people; it’s effective and well-tolerated.
Pro tip: The best time to take NAD supplements is in the morning, on an empty stomach.
Nicotinamide Riboside Side Effects
Some people have reported mild to moderate side effects, such as fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, headaches, diarrhea, stomach discomfort and indigestion.
The dosage of 1000mg of NAD+ supplement to 2000mg daily for humans has no dangerous effects. Animal test trials show no harmful effects either.
The only issue is that these human studies are short-term and involve few subjects.
There are no warnings against the use of nicotinamide riboside supplements.
I would like to see more extensive tests with plenty of participants observed throughout a few months or longer.
That said, the current studies show that NR can cause a bit of nausea, headaches, stomach discomfort and tiredness.
Besides, NR doesn’t cause facial flushing like niacin.
Does Niacin Increase NAD?
Yes, but only in your liver and it is not know how much is getting into a cell.
Therefore, niacin supplements – or vitamin B3 – can help reduce bad cholesterol levels.
Niacin doesn’t have other anti-aging results, like improved memory function, more energy, less muscle fatigue or improved cardiovascular health.
How to Increase NAD Levels Naturally
If you don’t think there’s such a thing as a miracle pill, here are some ways to boost NAD+ levels:
You can start a ketogenic diet, which is high in fat and low in carbs, to improve your energy metabolism.
When your body burns fat instead of glucose to get energy, you’re in ketosis.
In ketosis, your NAD+ levels increase, so your body can fight free radicals and slow down the effects of aging.
Intermittent fasting increases NAD+ because you’re restricting your caloric intake, which leads to an increased sirtuin production.
Intermittent fasting is a cell regenerator and boosts your metabolism, unlike traditional calorie-restrictive diets.
Oxaloacetate is another way of increasing your NAD levels because it transforms into malate in your body. Malate increases your energy and acts much like caloric restriction on your NAD.
That said, I strongly vouch for Tru Niagen from ChromaDex as the best Nicotinamide Riboside supplement. It’s the best NAD supplement out there, with proven effects, and a Nobel laureate in Chemistry helps manufacture it.