npj Aging and Mechanisms of Disease (Nov 2017)

Repeat dose NRPT (nicotinamide riboside and pterostilbene) increases NAD+ levels in humans safely and sustainably: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study

  • Ryan W. Dellinger,
  • Santiago Roel Santos,
  • Mark Morris,
  • Mal Evans,
  • Dan Alminana,
  • Leonard Guarente,
  • Eric Marcotulli

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41514-017-0016-9
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 3, no. 1
pp. 1 – 9

Abstract

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Natural compounds restore NAD+ levels in humans It’s possible to boost declining levels of NAD+, a molecule required for fundamental chemical reactions in the human body, with a dietary supplement. A team led by Leonard Guarente of MIT and Elysium Health gave 120 healthy adult volunteers between the ages of 60 and 80 NRPT (known commercially as Basis) over the course of eight weeks. Volunteers taking the regular dose of NRPT had 40 percent more NAD+ compared to their baseline when tested at four weeks and at eight weeks. Others who took a double dose of NRPT had even higher levels of NAD+, while those who took the placebo saw no increase. Research shows that NAD+ levels decline in animals and humans with age. Boosting NAD+ in animals improves age-associated diseases, so researchers now want to understand whether humans, too, may benefit.