Nicotinamide Riboside (NR): NAD Trials and FDA GRAS
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Nicotinamide Riboside (NR): half-life, strengths and approval status

Amounts studied · Approval status · Half-life notes

What is nicotinamide riboside?

Nicotinamide riboside (NR) is a niacin-like compound that the body turns into NAD+, a coenzyme cells need for energy metabolism. It is sold mainly as nicotinamide riboside chloride (Niagen).

Also known as: NR, nicotinamide riboside chloride, Niagen.

Amounts studied

NR has no intake value or upper limit. Trials used 100, 300 or 1,000 mg a day for 8 weeks (Conze 2019) and built up to 1 g a day over 10 weeks (Orr 2024). These are study protocols, not a recommendation.

Approval status and how it is used

It is sold in the US as a dietary supplement. Under the 1994 dietary supplement law (DSHEA), FDA does not approve dietary supplements before they are marketed, and the maker, not FDA, is responsible for safety and labeling. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements niacin fact sheet says NR is sold as a supplement but not labeled as a source of niacin. In 2016 FDA responded to a GRAS notice (GRN 635) for nicotinamide riboside chloride, for use as a source of vitamin B3 in foods such as vitamin waters, protein shakes and bars at up to 0.0057% by weight.

What studies show: in an 8-week trial in overweight adults, 100, 300 and 1,000 mg a day raised whole-blood NAD+ by 22%, 51% and 142% within 2 weeks; there was no flushing, adverse events were similar to placebo, and LDL cholesterol did not rise (Conze 2019). In a 6-week crossover trial in healthy middle-aged and older adults, NR was well tolerated and raised NAD+ (Martens 2018). In 20 older adults with mild cognitive impairment, 1 g a day for 10 weeks raised blood NAD+ 2.6-fold but did not change thinking test scores (Orr 2024).

See the oral NAD+ page for NR and NMN together, and NMN on its own.

Nicotinamide riboside half-life and time to peak

  • Half-lifeNot listed
  • Time to peak (Tmax)Not listed

We could not find a single published half-life or time to peak for nicotinamide riboside that applies to a supplement dose, so we do not list one. The trials here measured NAD+ in blood. The oral NAD+ page lists the one blood measurement of NR itself that we found.

How to track nicotinamide riboside in Dose Track

  1. Add nicotinamide riboside as a custom compound. Start typing its name and Dose Track fills in the details from its research library for you to check, and it sits next to everything else you take.
  2. Log each dose when you take it so your history shows exactly what you took and when.
  3. Set reminders on your own schedule, whether that is daily, weekly or every few days.
  4. Your log is stored on your phone and no account is needed. Data only leaves it for features you choose, like AI answers and lab reading.

How Dose Track handles peptides · Reconstitution calculator · Half-life calculator

Oral NAD+ Precursors (NR and NMN)nicotinamide riboside, NR NMN (Nicotinamide Mononucleotide)nicotinamide mononucleotide, beta-NMN NAD+ (injectable)nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide Niacinamide (Nicotinamide)nicotinamide, vitamin B3

Frequently asked questions

What is the half-life of nicotinamide riboside?+
We could not find a single published half-life or time to peak for nicotinamide riboside that applies to a supplement dose, so we do not list one. The trials here measured NAD+ in blood. The oral NAD+ page lists the one blood measurement of NR itself that we found.
Does nicotinamide riboside raise NAD+?+
Yes, in trials. In one 8-week trial, 100, 300 and 1,000 mg a day raised whole-blood NAD+ by 22%, 51% and 142%.
Does NR improve memory?+
In a 10-week trial of 20 older adults with mild cognitive impairment, 1 g a day raised blood NAD+ but did not change thinking test scores. The authors called for a larger, longer trial.
Can I track nicotinamide riboside in Dose Track?+
Yes. Nicotinamide riboside is in Dose Track's research library, so when you add it as a custom compound its details are filled in for you to check. You can then log each dose next to your other compounds, set reminders on your own schedule, and see your history next to your lab results. Your log is stored on your phone and no account is needed. Data only leaves it for features you choose, like AI answers and lab reading.

Sources

  1. FDA. Agency response letter, GRAS Notice No. GRN 000635 (nicotinamide riboside chloride), August 3, 2016.
  2. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Niacin: fact sheet for health professionals (updated November 18, 2022).
  3. Conze D, et al. Safety and metabolism of long-term administration of NIAGEN (nicotinamide riboside chloride) in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of healthy overweight adults. Sci Rep. 2019;9(1):9772.
  4. Martens CR, et al. Chronic nicotinamide riboside supplementation is well-tolerated and elevates NAD+ in healthy middle-aged and older adults. Nat Commun. 2018;9(1):1286.
  5. Orr ME, et al. A randomized placebo-controlled trial of nicotinamide riboside in older adults with mild cognitive impairment. Geroscience. 2024;46(1):665-682.
  6. FDA. Questions and answers on dietary supplements.

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