NR, NMN, & NAD+ Supplements: What Testing Reveals About Quality

Key Takeaways:

• NAD+ is essential for energy production, DNA repair, and cellular health—but levels decline significantly with age.

• The NAD+ supplement market is booming, but quality control has not kept pace, meaning many products are underdosed, mislabeled, or even counterfeit.

• Oral NAD+ supplements are poorly absorbed, which is why bioavailable precursors like NR are used instead.

• Lab testing reveals major concerns: Over half of popular NR, NMN, and NAD+ products fail to meet label claims, with some containing no active ingredient at all.

• To protect your health and your wallet, choose supplements that offer transparent labeling, patented ingredients, and verified third-party testing.

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) is a vital molecule found in all living cells, facilitating essential functions like energy production, DNA repair, and cellular communication. As a coenzyme¹—a molecule that helps other enzymes do their jobs efficiently—NAD+ can be imagined as the oil that keeps our bodily engines running smoothly.  

While every cell in our body needs NAD+, its levels tend to decline significantly with age,² largely due to accumulated oxidative damage and ongoing metabolic stress. Low or inadequate NAD+ levels are associated with many hallmarks of aging,³ including mitochondrial dysfunction and impaired cellular health. 

Although taking an NAD+ supplement sounds like a straightforward solution to age-related decline, it’s not quite that simple. Oral NAD+ is poorly absorbed because it doesn’t readily cross cell membranes in its intact form.⁴ Instead, it must first be broken down before it can be taken up by cells and converted back into NAD+. 

Fortunately, there’s a more bioavailable option: NAD+ precursors like nicotinamide riboside (NR). NR is readily taken up by cells and efficiently converted into NAD+, which is why it forms the foundation of this rapidly growing supplement category. Nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) is another NAD+ precursor, but requires additional conversion steps before it can enter cells—and currently, it’s banned by the FDA from being sold as a dietary supplement.

But with this growth of NAD+ precursors and direct NAD+ supplements comes more risk—particularly from brands selling underdosed, mislabeled, or counterfeit products. 

The NAD+ Boom: Growth Without Guardrails

With more and more scientific evidence highlighting its benefits for cellular health and aging, the NAD+ supplement market is booming, projected to grow from $200 million in 2021 to over $500 million by the end of the decade. This rapid expansion has begun to outpace quality assurance, making product integrity in the NAD+ precursor category more critical than ever. 

As a result, consumers are increasingly exposed to products containing dramatically less NR or NMN than advertised—or sometimes none at all. Even worse, some products are mislabeled or counterfeit, potentially containing ingredients not listed on the label.

That’s why, now more than ever, it’s crucial to purchase from brands that invest in rigorous testing, product integrity, and strong quality control. These elevated measures of transparency, including third-party testing for purity, potency, and contaminants, are essential for protecting consumer safety and ensuring you get what you paid for. 

Unfortunately, not all brands measure up—let’s take a closer look at what some recent lab-accredited testing by Niagen Bioscience (formerly ChromaDex) has revealed.

Industry Analyses Reveal a Troubling Reality

Third-party testing is the gold standard for ensuring supplement purity and potency, especially for complex and high-demand ingredients like NR, NMN, and NAD+ itself. After all, if what’s inside the capsule doesn’t match the label, it’s not only a waste of money—it also erodes consumer trust and is potentially unsafe. 

Over the past few years, three lab-accredited testing reports have revealed startling details about just how much—or rather, how little—NR or NMN is actually found in your supplement bottle.

In October 2021, a Quantitative Analysis of 22 NMN products with the highest market share on Amazon revealed that only 14% met or exceeded their label claims. Even more concerning, 64% had NMN levels below detectable limits (under 1%), and 14% contained no NMN at all.

Next, in February 2025, Niagen Bioscience analyzed 39 NR products and found that only five met or exceeded 100% of their label claims. About one-third contained less than advertised, and over 70% had significantly less—or even undetectable—amounts of NR. Not only that, but seven counterfeit Tru Niagen products being sold on Amazon were also identified, none of which provided the amount of NR claimed on their labels.

Finally, in May 2025, Niagen Bioscience tested 22 of the best-selling NAD+ products on Amazon, including softgels, capsules, liquids, and liposomal delivery systems, finding that 55% of the products contained little to no actual NAD+.

One reason behind this may be the supplement delivery system. While liposomes can enhance the bioavailability of some compounds, NR, NMN, and NAD+ may not be ideal candidates. In liquid form, liposomes have an aqueous (water-based) core, which can accelerate the degradation of these compounds. NR, NMN, and NAD+ are inherently unstable in water and can degrade within weeks when stored in liquid environments. Essentially, many liposomal NAD+ products may degrade before they ever reach your cells, making them far less effective than promised.

So, what does all of this mean for consumers—and how can you be sure your NAD+ supplement actually contains what it claims?

What Consumers Should Look for in an NAD+ Supplement

It’s critical to look for NR, NMN, or other NAD+ boosting supplements that have been third-party tested for purity, potency, and contaminants. 

For example, Niagen® NR, a patented form of NR, is tested by NSF International through its Certified for Sport® program and/or Alkemist Labs through the Alkemist Assured™ Transparency Program, and has the strongest clinical backing for both safety and effectiveness in raising NAD+ levels.⁵

Consumers should stick with reputable brands that prioritize science, safety, and transparency—just because a product is trending on TikTok doesn’t make it trustworthy.

Here’s what to look for when purchasing an NR, NMN, or NAD+-boosting supplement:

□ Third-party testing for purity, potency, and contaminants

□ Public access to third-party testing results 

□ Use of patented and clinically backed ingredients

□ Transparent labeling with clear dosage disclosure

□ Commitment to strong quality assurance and manufacturing standards

□ Availability through verified retailers (not just Amazon, where counterfeit products have been frequently reported)

Sticking to these guidelines helps ensure you’re getting what you paid for, so your cells can actually reap the benefits.

Conclusion: Trust What’s Proven

The hard truth is that most NAD+ precursor supplements on the market fail to deliver what they promise, offering underdosed, mislabeled, or even unsafe products that waste your money and undermine your trust.

The bright side is that independent testing continues to reveal which brands are falling short—and which are actually delivering. Peer-reviewed, research-backed ingredients like Niagen® NR stand apart from the crowd, thanks to third-party testing, transparent labeling, and consistent product quality.

While the NAD+ supplement category is still relatively new, it’s growing at a breakneck speed—and counterfeit or mislabeled products are becoming increasingly concerning. Fortunately, science-backed and trustworthy products that truly support your health and longevity are available, offering both peace of mind and proven effectiveness. 

1. Katsyuba, E., & Auwerx, J. (2017). Modulating NAD+ metabolism, from bench to bedside. The EMBO Journal, 36(18), 2670–2683. https://doi.org/10.15252/embj.201797135 
2. McReynolds, M. R., Chellappa, K., & Baur, J. A. (2020). Age-related NAD+ decline. Experimental Gerontology, 134, 110888. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exger.2020.110888
   
3. Rajman, L., Chwalek, K., & Sinclair, D. A. (2018). Therapeutic Potential of NAD-Boosting Molecules: The In Vivo Evidence. Cell Metabolism, 27(3), 529–547. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2018.02.011
   
4. She, J., Sheng, R., & Qin, Z.-H. (2021). Pharmacology and Potential Implications of Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Precursors. Aging and Disease, 12(8), 1879–1897. https://doi.org/10.14336/ad.2021.0523
   
5. Conze, D., Brenner, C., & Kruger, C. L. (2019). 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. Scientific Reports, 9(1), 9772. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-46120-z