How Different Vitamin Boosters Affect Energy Molecules in Your Body
The differential impact of three different NAD+ boosters on circulatory NAD and microbial metabolism in humans
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
NR and NMN don’t directly boost NAD+ in blood cells—even though they raise systemic levels.
Most marketing claims assume NR/NMN are directly absorbed and used. But this study shows they only work after being transformed by gut bacteria into NA.
Practical Takeaways
Consider gut health when using NR or NMN—probiotics or microbiome testing might improve effectiveness.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
NR and NMN don’t directly boost NAD+ in blood cells—even though they raise systemic levels.
Most marketing claims assume NR/NMN are directly absorbed and used. But this study shows they only work after being transformed by gut bacteria into NA.
Practical Takeaways
Consider gut health when using NR or NMN—probiotics or microbiome testing might improve effectiveness.
Publication
Journal
Nature Metabolism
Year
2026
Authors
Stefan Christen, Karine Redeuil, L. Goulet, M. Giner, I. Breton, Riccardo Rota, A. Frézal, Atiye Nazari, P. Van den Abbeele, Jean-Philippe Godin, S. Nutten, Bernard Cuenoud
Related Content
Claims (7)
When you take NR or NMN supplements, your gut bacteria turn them into a form of vitamin B3, which your body then uses to make an important molecule called NAD+ that helps keep your cells healthy.
If you're a healthy adult, taking 0.5 grams of a form of vitamin B3 called nicotinamide gives your body a quick but short boost in certain energy-related molecules in your blood — but other similar supplements like NR and NMN don’t do much in the first few hours.
When you add a vitamin called nicotinamide riboside to gut bacteria in a lab, the bacteria turn it into another helpful compound, and this happens the same way in everyone — no matter their age or health condition.
Taking 1 gram of NR or NMN every day for two weeks can double a key energy molecule in your blood, but taking half a gram of regular niacin (Nam) doesn’t seem to do much — so NR and NMN might be better for boosting your body’s energy levels.
If healthy adults take a specific form of vitamin B3 (like NR or NMN) for two weeks, their bodies start getting rid of more of certain related compounds in their pee — and that might mean the body is using a particular internal process to boost energy levels, not the one scientists thought it used.