Latest article: Nicotinamide Riboside: Understanding clinical applications
Date
01 Jul 2025
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What is Nicotinamide Riboside (NR)?
Vitamin B3 is an essential vitamin. While most practitioners associate vitamin B3 with niacin, the acid form of vitamin B3, it is important to note, that vitamin B3 comes in other forms including nicotinamide, a water-soluble amide form, as well as nicotinamide riboside (NR).1
More recently, research has focused on the benefits of NR as the preferred source of vitamin B3, due to its unique ability to produce health benefits without the adverse effects seen from high dose niacin and nicotinamide.2,3 NR does this by acting as a precursor to the oxidised coenzyme nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+).2
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Key highlights
- Niacin, nicotinamide and nicotinamide riboside are precursors of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+)
- NAD+ is imperative for healthy function of cells where it is needed as a cofactor in metabolic redox reactions. It is also a co-substrate for NAD+ consuming enzymes, which aid in DNA repair and healthy gene expression
- A decline in NAD+ levels is associated with ageing and neurodegenerative conditions
- Boosting NAD+ levels via exercise and supplementation, with NAD+ precursors in doses higher than found in food, may be advantageous for healthy ageing
- The microbiome may be an important factor involved in NAD+ production and replacement therapy.