Nicotinamide riboside (NR) is a chemical compound that acts as an NAD+ precursor and can be converted into NAD+ in our body. NAD+ is an important cofactor for many important biochemical reactions. NR also belongs to the class of B3 vitamins and plays a crucial role in the respiratory chain in the mitochondria, the "power plants" of our cells. This is why it plays a crucial role in supplying our body with energy.
We take a closer look at the studies on nicotinamide riboside (NR) and explain the role the molecule plays in ageing research and in our bodies. Don't worry, even if there are a lot of scientific abbreviations in some places, we will break down the complex relationships as clearly as possible.
What is nicotinamide riboside (NR)?
Nicotinamide Riboside is often used as a dietary supplement because it can potentially improve energy production, cognitive performance and cellular regeneration. Although the long-term effects of NR are not yet fully understood, there are numerous studies suggesting that it may represent a promising approach to healthy ageing .
Recent research suggests that taking nicotinamide riboside may help counteract age-related diseases and improve cellular respiration, making it a promising tool in terms of health maintenance and prevention.
NR, NAD, NAM, niacin, ... a brief profile of the molecules
You will no doubt have noticed in the first few lines that, in addition to the nicotinamide riboside (NR), several other molecules also play a role. If you want a more detailed insight into the science, you can read our NAD article. So that you don't lose track of things in the course of this article, we will briefly explain the most important players in NAD metabolism. This will help you to better understand the similarities and differences later on:
- NAD (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide): NAD is an essential coenzyme that is found in all living cells. It plays a central role in energy metabolism, particularly in cellular respiration, by transporting electrons between molecules. NAD exists in two forms: NAD+ (oxidized form) and NADH (reduced form). It is important for the production of ATP, the energy unit of the cell, and is involved in various other biochemical processes such as DNA repair and gene expression
- NR (nicotinamide riboside): NR is a form of vitamin B3 (niacin) and a precursor of NAD. It can be taken orally (as a tablet or powder) and is converted into NAD in the body. NR is used as a dietary supplement to increase NAD levels.
- NAM (nicotinamide): NAM, also known as niacinamide, is another form of vitamin B3. It is a precursor of NAD and can be converted into NAD in the body. However, the metabolic pathway is different to that of NR. NAM also has medicinal applications in its own right and is often used in skincare products as it has anti-inflammatory properties and can strengthen the skin barrier
- Niacin: Niacin, also known as vitamin B3 or nicotinic acid, is an essential vitamin that is converted into NAD and NADP+ in the body. It is important for energy metabolism and the synthesis of fatty acids and cholesterol. Niacin is also used to treat dyslipidemia, as it can help to lower cholesterol levels
By the way: NAD (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) has many different spellings: NAD, NADH, NAD+ to name just a few. To simplify things a little, let's stick with NAD.
Where does nicotinamide riboside occur?
Nicotinamide riboside is a molecule that can be found in low concentrations in some foods. These include dairy products and yeast. However, studies show that the NR concentrations in food tend to be low.
Since 2013, it has been possible to produce nicotinamide riboside chemically at great expense, which has led to extensive research in studies and to its use as a dietary supplement .
Although it may be difficult to obtain NR through diet alone, its use as a supplement is popular due to its potential health benefits.
Nicotinamide riboside occurs naturally in the following foods
- Milk from cows
- Various types of yeast
- Various types of beer
Although these foods contain small amounts of nicotinamide riboside, the most effective way to ensure adequate intake is to take supplements. The amount of NR in milk is only 4.8 micromoles per liter, which is well below the therapeutic requirement.
What is the function of nicotinamide riboside in the human body?
Nicotinamide riboside plays an important role in the human body. It is a precursor of the coenzyme NAD+, which is involved in numerous biochemical reactions that are essential for energy production, the cell cycle and DNA repair.
Research has shown that NR also has an antioxidant effect and can optimize cell metabolism . It is assumed that a sufficient supply of NR could have positive effects on the cardiovascular system and may also slow down ageing processes.
What are the benefits of supplementing with nicotinamide riboside?
Supplementing with Nicotinamide Riboside offers numerous benefits.
Firstly, there is a correlation between falling NAD+ levels and age-related diseases. NR was able to increase this level again in scientific studies.
On the other hand, NR has a beneficial effect on the body's own synthesis of ATP , as many enzymes (including the sirtuins ) require NAD+ to function. Supplementing with NR therefore helps to protect us from oxidative stress, inflammation or DNA damage .
These enzymes play an important role in the repair of our genetic material and the physiological stress response. It is assumed that a decrease in NAD+ impairs the function of sirtuins and can promote age-associated diseases .
Studies have shown that supplementation with NR increases the concentration of NAD+ in cells, insulin sensitivity , the mitochondrial function , the function of stem cells and the activity of sirtuins can be improved or increased. Nicotinamide riboside also has significantly fewer potential side effects compared to other NAD+ precursors .
These are the differences between nicotinamide riboside, vitamin B3 and NAD+
Nicotinamide riboside, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) and vitamin B3 are all involved in the organism's energy metabolism.
NAD+ is a coenzyme that is important for the functionality of various enzymes involved in cell energy production.
Vitamin B3, also known as niacin, is a water-soluble vitamin that plays a crucial role in the conversion of food to energy. NR is a specific form of vitamin B3.
Nicotinamide riboside is a fairly recent discovery and is used as a dietary supplement. There are some differences between these substances. NAD+ is a naturally occurring coenzyme in the body that is involved in several biological processes, while vitamin B3 (niacin) is an essential nutrient that is mainly ingested through food, but also exists naturally in the body.
Differences between nicotinamide riboside (NR) and nicotinamide (NAM)
Nicotinamide riboside and nicotinamide (NAM) are both variants of the B3 vitamin.
The key difference between nicotinamide riboside and NAM lies in their chemical composition and their metabolic processing in the body.
NR is a form of niacin that is converted into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) in the body. NR is considered a precursor of NAD+, as it can be transformed into NAD+ through a sequence of enzymatic reactions.
Compared to NAM, NR is generally considered to be a more effective precursor for NAD+ as it is less dependent on other metabolic processes for NAD+ formation. The administration of NAMz.B in some preclinical studies resulted in painful "flushing" seizures.
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Niacin was one of the first drugs used to treat high blood lipid levels (hypercholesterolemia). Niacin was able to lower the LDL level, but had a decisive disadvantage. High doses could lead to a so-called "flush", which caused people to turn red. This is another reason why niacin has never fully established itself as a drug against high blood lipid levels.
NR vs. other NAD boosters
Admittedly, the difference between the various precursor molecules of NAD and their individual advantages and disadvantages is even more complicated than the similar naming.
But what makes nicotinamide riboside (NR) special? What sets it apart from other NAD precursors?
Firstly, there is the long study length . No other molecule has such an extensive study situation with humans. Secondly, the bioavailability and demonstrable increase in NAD, not only in the blood but also in the muscle, speaks in favor of NR. Why NR reaches the muscle and heart in particular is probably due to physiology. EOne of the routes by which NR enters the (muscle) cells is via a transporter with the cryptic abbreviation Nmrk 2. This is found particularly often on heart and skeletal muscle cells, but also on liver cells.
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Studies on the transporter Nmrk2 are still quite scarce, but the transportercould possibly play a role in the future in the treatment of heart failure. This clinical picture comprises a whole range of pathomechanisms, at the end of which there is a reduced performance of the heart. One possible reason could be that Nmrk2 is downregulated in the heart muscle cells, resulting in poorer NAD metabolism, which ultimately leads to mitochondrial dysfunction.
Nicotinamide riboside dosage - these are the recommendations
The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) specifies a maximum amount of 160 mg per daily intake recommendation for nicotinamide. However, the dosage varies greatly depending on the study. Between 300mg and 2000mg per day are used in the studies. A clear statement on the nicotinamide riboside dosage can therefore not yet be made exactly.
What are the benefits of supplementing with nicotinamide riboside?
Supplementing with nicotinamide riboside offers numerous benefits. Firstly, there is a correlation between the falling NAD+ level in age-related diseases. NR was able to increase this level again in scientific studies. On the other hand, NR has a beneficial effect on the body's own synthesis of ATP , as many enzymes require NAD+ to function.
Wusstest Du?
Nicotinamide riboside has an effect on thecomposition of the microbiome according to thisstudy . Here, twins were treated with NR for 5 months and, in addition to an improved NAD metabolism, there was also an improvement in the composition of the intestinal flora . To be precise, NR increased the presence of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii . This bacterium is associated with better metabolic health and appears to have an anti-inflammatory effect.
Nicotinamide riboside and Parkinson's disease - initial results
Scientists have long suspected that the metabolism of nerve cells plays a role in some neuronal diseases. Decreasing NAD levels could have a negative effect on the mitochondria (the power plants of the cells) and thus influence the performance of our nerve cells. At least that is the hypothesis. One of these neuronal diseases in which nerve cells in the brain die is Parkinson's disease. Here the dopaminergic neurons in the brain gradually die off, which leads to the typical symptoms.
In order to test their hypothesis, the scientists in the NADPARK study examined 30 patients according to the highest scientific standards (i.e. double-blind, randomized).
Half of the participants were given 1000mg nicotinamide riboside per day for 30 days. In the end, the scientists were able to prove that NR was able to increase NAD levels in the brain. But not only that, the participants with nicotinamide riboside even showed an improvement in their cognitive performance.
This was only a small study, but it clearly shows that even high doses of NR are well tolerated and that there is measurable success. It will certainly not be the last study on nicotinamide ribosideand Parkinson's disease.
Liposomal NR, nicotinamide riboside chloride - what forms are there
Liposomal NR is a form of nicotinamide riboside that is encapsulated in liposomes. Liposomes are tiny fat bubbles that help to transport active ingredients directly into the cells and increase bioavailability. However, the study situation here is not yet very good. The higher bioavailability is more of a hypothesis than a proven fact. You can find out more about the various ways to increase bioavailability in our article on absorption pathways.
Nicotinamide riboside alone would not last long and would not be well absorbed by our gut. For this reason, it is often combined with chloride to produce nicotinamide riboside chloride . This form of NR is significantly more stable and can therefore increase bioavailability.
High homocysteine levels due to NAD precursors
Supplementation with NR can increase NAD levels. At the same time, the researchers found in some studies that homocysteine levels also increased.
Homocysteine is an amino acid whose increased occurrence is considered a proven risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease. How does this fit together? On the one hand, NR appears to have positive effects on the heart, as in this study where nicotinamide riboside increased NAD levels within the heart and thus indirectly contributed to improved mitochondrial function in the heart. On the other hand, NR, with homocysteine, appears to increase a risk factor for the development of arteriosclerosis. The explanation is hidden in the metabolization of the molecule.
Methyl groups as a decisive factor
In order to better understand the homocysteine issue, we need to take a closer look at NAD metabolism. Put simply, there are various ways in NAD metabolism in which we can regenerate NAD from precursor molecules such as NR or NAM. These conversions require so-called methyl groups . These are compounds of carbon and hydrogen atoms that are easily transferable. If we now add more precursors to our body, in our case nicotinamide riboside, then an increased conversion of these precursors into NAD takes place. Our desired effect, higher NAD levels, is therefore achieved.
However, the body also needs some methyl groups for this. And this is where homocysteine comes into play. On the one hand, homocysteine is an intermediate product in this metabolism and, on the other hand, our body needs methyl groups to convert homocysteine into a harmless form.This is how the researchers explain the result.
Once again summarized as simply as possible. The hypothesis is: The conversion of NR into NAD requires methyl groups. The consumption of methyl groups leads to higher homocysteine levels.
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Methyl groups are involved in numerous processes in our body.Including in the regulation of our DNA.With the help of methyl groups, our body can control which part of the DNA is read and which is not. Similar to volume controls, certain areas become louder (active) or quieter (inactive). This field of research is known as epigenetics.
Betain-TMG - a safe supplement
We have already seen that taking NAD precursors can potentially lead to higher homocysteine levels . It should be noted that this does not necessarily have to be the case. This could not always be proven in the studies and there appears to be a personal predisposition to this.
One possible solution to this problem is to provide the body with more methyl groups.We therefore need a methyl group donor and this is exactly what the molecule betaine can do. There are different forms. Betaine-TMG is the most important, because as a methyl group donor it can lower homocysteine levels, while betaine-HCL supports the production of stomach acid. Similar name, but completely different application.
Conclusion on nicotinamide riboside
NR is a promising longevity molecule . Studies have shown that it increases the concentration of NAD+ in the cells and thus has positive effects on insulin sensitivity, mitochondrial function, stem cell activity and the function of sirtuins. What makes nicotinamide riboside particularly interesting is its status as "GRAS" (generally regarded as safe)- in other words, it is generally considered safe. These promising results raise hopes of a longer and healthier lifespan.
