NAD+ and Brain Health: What the Research Shows So Far

What NAD+ does in the brain

• Energy. Nerve cells cannot store much fuel. They make ATP constantly, and NAD+ carries the electrons that make it.
• Repair. Brain cells mostly do not get replaced, so they rely on repair. The enzymes that fix DNA damage (PARPs) and manage cell stress (sirtuins) use NAD+ as fuel.
• Mitochondria. NAD+ supports the upkeep of the cell's power plants, including clearing out worn ones.
• Inflammation. In lab studies, higher NAD+ is linked to calmer immune activity in brain tissue.

Brain NAD+ falls with age

This has been measured in living people. A 2015 study used a specialized MRI method to read NAD+ levels in the brains of healthy adults from their 20s to their 60s and found a steady decline with age. Lower NAD+ leaves less for both energy and repair.

What human studies have found

It can be raised. A 2022 trial in people newly diagnosed with Parkinson's disease gave an NAD+ building block (NR) for 30 days. Brain scans showed NAD+ rose in the brain itself, and those whose levels rose showed a small improvement in symptoms. It was a phase 1 study of 30 people, designed to test safety. Larger trials are under way.

Memory results are mixed. Small trials of NR in older adults with mild memory problems raised NAD+ in the blood without a clear improvement on memory tests over a few months.

Infusions raise blood levels. A pilot study tracked NAD+ in the blood during and after an infusion and found levels rose and then settled over hours. It did not measure thinking or memory.

Animal results are stronger than human ones. In mice bred to develop Alzheimer's-like disease, raising NAD+ improved memory and reduced brain inflammation. Results in mice often do not carry over to people, which is why the human trials matter.

In short: raising NAD+ in the human brain is possible. Whether that improves memory or slows brain aging has not been shown.

What clients report

After NAD+ drips, many people tell us they think more clearly and feel more focused for days to a couple of weeks. Some notice better sleep. Some notice nothing after one session. These are reports, not trial results, and we say so before anyone books.

What NAD+ is not

NAD+ is not a treatment for Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, dementia, concussion, ADHD, depression or anxiety. If you have memory loss that is getting worse, confusion, or a change in mood or personality, see your doctor or a neurologist. Those need a diagnosis.

What has stronger evidence for brain health

• Regular aerobic exercise. It has the best evidence of anything on this list, and it raises the body's own NAD+ production.
• Sleep. Seven hours or more. The brain clears waste during deep sleep.
• Blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol in range. What damages blood vessels damages the brain.
• Treating hearing loss.
• Staying socially and mentally active.
• Limiting alcohol and not smoking. Processing alcohol uses up NAD+.

NAD+ is something to consider in addition to these.

How NAD+ is given

• Drip: NAD+ into the bloodstream over one to four hours. It has to run slowly; too fast causes a warm, tight feeling in the chest and stomach that fades when the nurse slows it.
• Shot: a smaller amount, about ten minutes.
• Pills: building blocks (NR or NMN) taken daily, which the body converts to NAD+.

At Zen IV Spa

NAD+ drips come in 250, 500 or 1,000 mg. A licensed nurse gives them at your home, hotel or office anywhere in New York & New Jersey, 8 AM to 11 PM, and stays for the whole drip. A licensed provider reviews your health history on a video call first. Our medical director oversees every treatment.

Quick answers

Does NAD+ improve memory? Not proven in people. Small trials have raised NAD+ without a clear change on memory tests.

Does NAD+ reach the brain? A 2022 study showed brain NAD+ rising after an oral building block. This has not been measured after an infusion.

Can NAD+ prevent Alzheimer's or Parkinson's? No study has shown that.

How soon would I notice anything? People who notice a change usually report it within the first week.

Is it safe with my medications? Tell the provider everything you take on the video call. That is what the call is for.

Want to talk it through first? Use "Ask a Provider" at zenivspa.com, or book NAD+ at zenivspa.com/iv/nad/.

All treatments are medical services. Every guest is screened, and every treatment is provided only under the clearance, prescription or standing protocol of a licensed medical provider. Compounded peptides are not FDA-approved unless stated. Nothing on this page is a diagnosis or a promise of results.