What is the recommended dose of NR?

- **Look for:** Niagen® brand (ChromaDex — patent holder, clinical data); NR chloride; ≥250mg per capsule; third-party tested - **Avoid:** Non-branded NR (patent disputes, quality concerns); produc...

Is NR safe to take daily?

NR is rated "Generally Safe" based on clinical evidence. Always consult your healthcare provider before starting any supplement.

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Ingredient Research

Graded against 173,636 supplements + 177 published clinical interactions, sourced from PubMed, FDA CAERS, openFDA, NIH DSLD

NR

MODERATE EVIDENCEAmino AcidLast updated

SCAN DOSE SUMMARY

Nicotinamide riboside (NR) is a NAD+ precursor and vitamin B3 analog, branded primarily as Niagen® (ChromaDex). It competes with NMN as a NAD+ restoration strategy. Our research shows NR has MORE completed human clinical trials than NMN (as of 2026), including demonstration that 1,000mg/day raises NAD+ by 60% in overweight adults. However, the functional health outcomes have been disappointing: the largest NR trial (NIRI, 2021) found NO improvement in insulin sensitivity, body composition, or energy in overweight adults despite robust NAD+ elevation. This is the key NR dilemma: it reliably raises NAD+ in the blood, but translating that to health benefits in humans remains unproven.

WHAT IT DOES

NR enters cells via equilibrative nucleoside transporters (ENTs), then is phosphorylated by NR kinase (NRK1/2) to NMN, which is then adenylated by NMNAT to produce NAD+. This is one more step than NMN (which skips the NRK phosphorylation). The debate: NMN proponents argue NMN is "one step closer" to NAD+; NR proponents argue NR has better oral bioavailability and more clinical data. In practice, both reliably raise NAD+ in human blood. The gap: raising blood NAD+ does not automatically translate to tissue NAD+ or functional health benefits — which explains why the NIRI trial showed NAD+ up but no metabolic improvement.

OPTIMAL DOSAGE

Look for: Niagen® brand (ChromaDex — patent holder, clinical data); NR chloride; ≥250mg per capsule; third-party tested
Avoid: Non-branded NR (patent disputes, quality concerns); products not specifying NR form; products claiming functional health benefits not supported by human trials
Minimum effective dose: 250mg/day for NAD+ elevation
Third-party tested brands: Tru Niagen (ChromaDex), Life Extension, Thorne

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SAFETY PROFILE

Critical Interactions (Do Not Combine Without Medical Supervision)

No critical interactions identified.

Moderate Interactions (Monitor Closely)

Theoretical/Low-Risk Interactions

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BCAAs / EAAs

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Independently graded against 173,636 indexed supplements with 177 published clinical interactions, sourced from PubMed, FDA CAERS, openFDA, and NIH DSLD | Last updated:

Not medical advice. Based on published clinical research and systematic reviews.

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