Frequently Asked Questions

Is Nicotinamide Riboside (NR), Nicotinic Acid (NA), Or Nicotinamide (Nam) Related to Nicotine?

Though their names sound quite similar to nicotine, which is found in tobacco, the molecules are not related. [1]
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Is NR A New Ingredient? How Much Research Has Been Done on It?

NR was first identified in 1940’s, however it was not available as an ingredient until recently. Earlier forms of vitamin B3 were discovered in the late 1930’s and they addressed various health issues such as pellagra. Since that time, NAD has been more widely studied in the scientific community and the role of NR as a NAD precursor in humans has become better understood.Over a decade of pre-clinical research has been conducted on NR with the first human clinical study published in 2016. Since then, there have been an additional nine published human clinical studies on NR. There are at least 30 additional human clinical trials planned and/or currently underway.

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Can I Take NR With Other Forms of Vitamin B3?

NR, nicotinic acid and nicotinamide are all recognized forms of Niacin or Vitamin B3. They have not been tested in combination. As with any dietary supplement, it is recommended that you consult your qualified health care provider with any questions.

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At What Dose Levels Has NR Been Studied in Humans?

NR has been studied in humans in the dose ranges from 100mg - 2000mg per day. There is no Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) for NR (nicotinamide riboside). The current science supporting NAD upregulation suggests a single daily dose as low as 100mg provided a significant increase in NAD levels [2].Is NR Natural?NR is a naturally occurring nutrient found in trace amounts in milk. [3] Other milk-derived products such as whey and yeast-containing foods are also presumed as natural sources of NR. [4] However, you would need to consume around 100,000 glasses of milk [2] to achieve the human study quantities proven to significantly boost NAD. The NR available as an ingredient today is a nature-identical, synthesized version, meaning that it is identical both structurally and functionally to naturally occurring NR.

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Are There Any Known Side Effects Of NR?

Multiple published clinical studies have administered NR in doses up to 2,000 mg/day and no clinically meaningful adverse effects attributed to the consumption of NR were reported. Although adverse side effects were not attributed to NR ingestion during the clinical trials, as with any form of supplementation, if you experience any prolonged discomfort or side effects, please discontinue use and consult your healthcare provider. 

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Is NR Safe?

NR has been successfully notified as a NDI (New Dietary Ingredient) to the US FDA. NR also has achieved GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status, which defines the levels at which it can be incorporated into various foods and beverages. Safety of intake has been validated in multiple clinical trials of human subjects consuming up to 1000 mg/day for 8 weeks [5] and at 2000mg for 12 weeks [6-8].

References

  1. Vitamins.  [cited 2020 5/8/2020]; Available from: https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/MIC/VITAMINS.

  2. Trammell, S.A., et al., Nicotinamide riboside is uniquely and orally bioavailable in mice and humans. Nat Commun, 2016. 7: p. 12948.

  3. Trammell, S.A., et al., Nicotinamide Riboside Is a Major NAD+ Precursor Vitamin in Cow Milk. J Nutr, 2016. 146(5): p. 957-63.

  4. Chi, Y. and A.A. Sauve, Nicotinamide riboside, a trace nutrient in foods, is a vitamin B3 with effects on energy metabolism and neuroprotection. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care, 2013. 16(6): p. 657-61.

  5. Conze, D., C. Brenner, and C.L. Kruger, 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): p. 9772.

  6. Dollerup, O.L., et al., A randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial of nicotinamide riboside in obese men: safety, insulin-sensitivity, and lipid-mobilizing effects. Am J Clin Nutr, 2018.

  7. Dollerup, O.L., et al., Nicotinamide riboside does not alter mitochondrial respiration, content or morphology in skeletal muscle from obese and insulin resistant men. J Physiol, 2019.

  8. Dollerup, O.L., et al., Effects of nicotinamide riboside on endocrine pancreatic function and incretin hormones in obese, non-diabetic men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2019.