BEAUTY + WELLNESS
vitamin B3-rich foods like meat, nuts and dairy can naturally increase NAD+ levels. But age and stress can dramatically deplete our NAD+ levels, often faster than we can replenish them. ‘If you compare a cohort of people in, let’s say, their sixties versus a cohort in their twenties, NAD+ is going down by roughly a factor of 50%,’ explains Leonard Guarente, a professor of biology at MIT who is also the co-founder of the longevity-focused science company Elysium Health.
Today, you can get NAD+ in many luxurious places. In London’s newly opened The HVN, co-founded by Harrods’ former fashion and beauty director Muriel Zingraff, you’ll enjoy your drip coddled in cosy, warmly lit rooms designed to put your mind and body at ease. Many other UKbased longevity- and wellness-focused clinics also offer at-home supplements, alongside the on-site IVs and shots.
Even some of the top longevity experts don’t agree on the best NAD+ delivery vehicle. The infusions are intense and pricey (running, on average, anywhere from £250 to £1,600 for 500mg), and can be painful if you try to do them too quickly. Tough-guy Rogan shared that he has sped up his IV in the past and described it as feeling like ‘your guts are on fire’. NAD+ shots – either given by a medical provider or self-administered in the muscles – provide a lower dose that is faster, more comfortable, and slightly more affordable (starting at around £80). Some believe that NAD+ is too large to be properly imparted by IVs and injections, and that its effects can be short-lived. Guarente, whose company Elysium Health makes NAD+ supplements, is sceptical of these delivery methods. ‘NAD doesn’t get into the cells,’ he says. ‘You have to have NAD precursors’ – that is, five predominant chemicals, which combine to make up the NAD+ molecule, including NR (nicotinamide riboside) and NMN (nicotinamide mononucleotide).
Because NAD+ is essential to every single cell in our body, its fans link the molecule to a hyperbolic list of benefits: it gives you lots of energy during the day and helps you sleep better at night; it transforms mood, clears brain fog, and improves memory; builds muscle and melts away fat. Peer-reviewed human studies are lacking but, in a number of independent clinical studies over the past 10 years, NAD+ has shown positive health impacts, such as slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s in mice. In 2016, a study published in Science reported elderly mice that spent six weeks taking a NAD+ precursor not only ended up living longer but also could run further and faster, and their paws had stronger grips.
Scientists are still trying to understand the full effects of NAD+ on the body and note that it may be best used for specific indications. One is to speed up wound healing: Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Daniel Barrett offers patients NAD+ treatments post-op. David Younger, a neurologist and author of The Autoimmune Brain, notes that NAD+ has long been used to treat alcoholics for withdrawal symptoms and liver disease. He has seen an uptick in the number of his patients who have visited doctors for NAD+ and peptides for brain health, but says that a person should proceed with caution under the guidance of a licensed physician. ‘There can be negative side effects to the kidney,’ he says. ‘It’s a good idea to get a basic screen of your general health before starting any supplement.’
At New York’s longevity-care clinic Modern Age, chief medical officer Anant Vinjamoori says that IV infusions often appeal to ‘folks who are high performers – elite athletes, some celebrities, people who really need to be at the top of their game’.
Make-up artist Ash K Holm is one of them: she gets the treatment once a month. She meets up with friends who also work in the beauty industry, like hairstylist Andrew Fitzsimons and Kosas founder Sheena Zadeh-Daly, for NAD+ infusions at the Santa Monica Dripology clinic, which Holm helped found with her husband, former ICU nurse Hamed Afshari. Holm credits NAD+ for giving her the focus and fine motor skills to create ultra-precise, 4K-perfect looks for clients like Ariana Grande and Camila Cabello. ‘To set myself up for success, I’ll get a NAD drip or shot the day before the music video, because I know I’ll be [putting in long hours] on set,’ she says. ‘It’s my life hack, in a nutshell.’ ■
Editor’s note: This article does not constitute individual medical advice, and you should consult with your doctor before deciding if NAD+ or other peptide treatments are right for you.