What Is NAD+ Therapy and How it Helps in Recovery

Last Updated on September 19, 2026 by Carol Gillette

Alternative to Meds Editorial Team
Medically Reviewed by ATMC Clinical Review Team

True healing gives true relief!

[ “bluebg”]

What Is NAD+

NAD+ is a type of naturally occurring molecule found in every living cell.³ Technically speaking, NAD+ is a coenzyme called nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide. Enzymes are naturally occurring chemicals that act as catalysts or “managers” for internal body functions. And “coenzymes” are another necessary piece of the puzzle, without which, enzymes cannot do their job.

Like many functions in the body, a cellular domino effect occurs, developed over the very long course of evolution. Nature has designed the body to work through exact molecular “recipes,” or pathways, with many ingredients working together in a step-by-step fashion, for proper function.

For example, tryptophan, an amino acid, is needed to produce serotonin, and serotonin is a precursor for producing melatonin.² Similarly, niacin is a precursor for producing NAD+. Many elements work in tandem, and researchers can guide us so we can precisely know the most effective ways to promote and maintain good health, especially at the cellular level.

Modern life takes a toll on our health in ways that may go undetected over a lifetime of overprocessed food, poor soil, environmental toxins, high stress, drugs, alcohol, and many other factors that may impact us every day. The intricate workings of a healthy body can be interrupted by these things, resulting in deficits of NAD+ and other nutrients. Even as we age, NAD+ levels are seen to decline.

Studies show that low levels of NAD+ are associated with many health-negative effects, especially degenerative conditions that are age-related.^1,3,4

NAD+ deficiencies are associated with conditions such as:

• Anxiety
• Insomnia
• Fatigue
• Neurodegeneration
• Rapid aging
• Memory loss
• Low metabolism
• Vision loss
• Alzheimer’s
• Poor metabolism
• Low energy
• Weight gain
• Loss of muscle strength

But there are solutions that can be implemented with effective and rapid relief, and have been shown to actually reverse these negative effects for better mental and physical health.

Health Benefits of Adequate Levels of NAD+

Maintaining healthy levels of NAD+ can help ensure many health benefits. This molecule helps to support the body’s response to all sorts of negative impacts, such as environmental toxins, foods with inflammatory properties, trauma, the toll of chronic use of medication, and more.

Researchers have only recently become interested in the amazing and powerful health effects of NAD+. But already, many clinical researchers have discovered that replenishing adequate levels of NAD+ can have powerful, positive health effects! ^5,6,13,14

Some of the amazing health benefits of adequate NAD+ levels in the human body include:

• Extends the life of cells
• Extends healthy lifespan
• Bolsters Immune cell function
• DNA repair
• Neuroprotective
• Protects and repairs dysfunctional mitochondria, which are necessary for energy production
• Improved cellular anti-oxidation, necessary for detoxification
• Reverses the effects of inflammation
• Slows or reverses age-related neurodegeneration, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes
• Protects against Alzheimer’s
• Protects against diabetes 2
• Protects endothelial cells (cells that line blood vessels)
• Improves heart function
• Provides effective therapy for sleep disorders
• Improves cognitive decline
• Relieves panic episodes
• Relieves migraine intensity and frequency
• Rapid relief of anxiety

These are just some of the health benefits of NAD+. We are sure to find out more of its amazing benefits as research continues!

How Do I Increase My Body’s NAD+ Levels?

There are many potential ways to help increase NAD+ levels. The foods we eat can potentially provide ALL the precursors, enzymes, co-enzymes, and co-factors that the body needs for optimum functioning. You can’t get NAD+ directly from eating a particular food, but you can supply all the raw ingredients the body needs to produce NAD+ in adequate amounts.

In today’s age of depleted soil, overuse of pesticides and chemical-based fertilizers, supplements can also play an essential role in filling in any nutritional gaps. Here is a list of some of the ways NAD+ levels can be raised, followed by an expanded description of methods that have been shown effective for each. Many of these natural options can be followed at the same time to provide a coordinated strategy for increasing NAD+ levels.⁷

Here are some ways shown to increase NAD+ levels in the human body:

• Improve diet to include NAD+ precursors
• Supplementation
• Exercise

Improve the Diet

Choosing foods which contain the various precursors for NAD+ is a practical and recommended method of raising NAD+ levels in the body. ⁸

NAD+ precursors found in food include:

• Tryptophan
• Nicotine (NA)
• Niacinamide (NAM)
• Nicotinamide riboside (NR)
• Nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN)

Therefore, examples of foods to obtain these precursors include:

• Vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, cucumber seeds and peel, mushrooms
• Avocado, tomato
• Edamame
• Shrimp, tuna
• Organic whole milk
• Meats such as veal, chicken, and turkey
• Red & green lentils, chick peas
• Barley, wheat, rye, oatmeal

Note: High sugar consumption is associated with low NAD+ so avoid high sugar consumption.

Supplements

The orthomolecular medicine tenets used at ATMC support the use of supplements that can aid in many ways to support mental health and wellness in recovery. Supplements containing the NAD+ precursors listed above are another avenue used by those who want to increase their levels of NAD+. Resveratrol is one such supplement, which is sourced from grapes and berries. Resveratrol is moderately effective at raising NAD+ and also glutathione levels, another important neurochemical. Some consider its moderate effectiveness is somewhat counterbalanced by how great it is for the skin.

Such compounds are easily available at health food stores. Do seek sound nutritional guidance from your naturopath or other health professional who is informed about nutrition and NAD+ to help you choose sources that are high quality for the best benefits.^9,10,12

Exercise

Like many of our amazing body and brain connections, NAD+ and exercise are reciprocal in their effects. Exercise boosts NAD+ levels, and adequate NAD+ facilitates the energy mechanisms needed for exercising the body. Exercise is the easiest and most cost-effective method of boosting NAD+ levels. When exercising, our bodies use energy that comes from NAD+. Exercise forces the muscles in our body to produce more mitochondria, which NAD+ also enhances and protects. This balance between exercise and NAD+ also helps to maintain weight, keep the heart healthy, and contributes to the release of other natural feel-good chemicals within the brain and between nerve cells throughout the body.¹¹

What Is NAD+ IV Therapy?

Holistic approaches to treatment strive to find alternatives to potentially damaging medications. NAD+ IV Therapy is the perfect option for those who want to boost their NAD+ levels intravenously, a method that is remarkably effective and reliable. This form of therapy takes out the guesswork when it comes to determining if you are successfully increasing your NAD+ levels.

IV therapy provides a direct source of a variety of nutrients that are beneficial for the body. This is an important point, because there are several medical concerns that can affect a person’s GI health. Digestive issues and the presence of toxins such as mercury, can block or complicate the absorption of supplements and medications. Using IV therapy provides an option that can bypass the workings of the gut, providing lasting relief sooner.

NAD+ also provides numerous benefits when it comes to counteracting the negative effects of aging. Individuals who use this therapy treatment report quickly experiencing improvements in sleep, mood, and energy. This method of treatment also provides a much higher therapeutic dose when compared to oral supplements.

NAD+ Therapy at ATMC

ATMC inpatient treatment programs are based on orthomolecular (nutrition-based) medicine for mental wellness and recovery from drug damage and unresolved mental health symptoms such as anxiety, insomnia, cognitive decline, lingering fatigue, and many others.

NAD+ IV therapy, and NAD+ nutritional supplementation, along with organic foods and exercise programs, are some of the tools that we use at the center to help our clients recover their natural mental health. Other protocols are blended in the designing of an individual’s treatment program, including a wide variety of therapeutics, including medically managed withdrawal of medications, holistic detox, Equine therapy, Qigong, acupuncture, and many, many more.

You can find a comprehensive description of all our services and protocols used in programming at ATMC.

Find out more about ATMC’s use of NAD+ therapy, as well as other forms of IV therapy, as these are some of our most popular protocols, giving profound and immediate relief to our clients. Please call us for more information about how NAD+ IV and our other treatments may benefit you or your loved one’s healing pathway.

for more about NAD+ IV Therapy & Recovery

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Sources:

1. Grant R, Berg J, et al., A Pilot Study Investigating Changes in the Human Plasma and Urine NAD+ …. published in the Journal of NAD Research 29 Aug 2019 [cited 2025 Aug 1]

2. Robinson M, Turnbull S, Lee BY, Leonenko Z. The effects of melatonin, serotonin, tryptophan and NAS on the biophysical properties of DPPC monolayers. Biochim Biophys Acta Biomembr. 2020 Sep 1;1862(9):183363. doi: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2020.183363. Epub 2020 May 22. PMID: 32450141. [cited 2025 Aug 1]

3. Braidy N, Liu Y. NAD+ therapy in age-related degenerative disorders: A benefit/risk analysis. Exp Gerontol. 2020 Apr;132:110831. doi: 10.1016/j.exger.2020.110831. Epub 2020 Jan 7. PMID: 31917996. [cited 2025 Aug 1]

4. Reiten OK, Wilvang MA, Mitchell SJ, Hu Z, Fang EF. Preclinical and clinical evidence of NAD⁺ precursors in health, disease, and ageing. Mech Ageing Dev. 2021 Oct;199:111567. doi: 10.1016/j.mad.2021.111567. Epub 2021 Sep 10. PMID: 34517020. [cited 2025 Aug 1]

5. Valero T. Mitochondrial biogenesis: pharmacological approaches. Curr Pharm Des. 2014;20(35):5507-9. doi: 10.2174/138161282035140911142118. PMID: 24606795. [cited 2025 Aug 1]

6. Alegre GFS, Pastore GM. NAD+ Precursors Nicotinamide Mononucleotide (NMN) and Nicotinamide Riboside (NR): Potential Dietary Contribution to Health. Curr Nutr Rep. 2023 Sep;12(3):445-464. doi: 10.1007/s13668-023-00475-y. Epub 2023 Jun 5. PMID: 37273100; PMCID: PMC10240123. [cited 2025 Aug 1]

7. Radenkovic D, Reason, Verdin E. Clinical Evidence for Targeting NAD Therapeutically. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2020 Sep 15;13(9):247. doi: 10.3390/ph13090247. PMID: 32942582; PMCID: PMC7558103.[cited 2025 Aug 1]

8. Mill K, et al., Long-term Administration of NMM Mitigates Age-associated Physiological Decline in Mice& published in the Journal of Cell Metabolism Vol 24, Iss 6, P795-806 Dec 13, 2016 [cited 2025 Aug 1]

9. Çatak J. Determination of niacin profiles in some animal and plant based foods by high performance liquid chromatography: association with healthy nutrition. J Anim Sci Technol. 2019 May;61(3):138-146. doi: 10.5187/jast.2019.61.3.138. Epub 2019 May 31. PMID: 31333870; PMCID: PMC6582921. [cited 2025 Aug 1]

10. Ito TK, et al. A single oral supplementation of nicotinamide within the daily tolerable upper level increases blood NAD+ in healthy subjects.  Translational Medicine of Aging, 5, 43-51 [cited 2025 Aug 1]

11. Jiang Z, Luo X, Han C, Qin YY, Pan SY, Qin ZH, Bao J, Luo L. NAD⁺ homeostasis and its role in exercise adaptation: A comprehensive review. Free Radic Biol Med. 2024 Nov 20;225:346-358. doi: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2024.09.036. Epub 2024 Sep 24. PMID: 39326681. [cited 2025 Aug 1]

12. Sharma A, Chabloz S, Lapides RA, Roider E, Ewald CY. Potential Synergistic Supplementation of NAD+ Promoting Compounds as a Strategy for Increasing Healthspan. Nutrients. 2023 Jan 14;15(2):445. doi: 10.3390/nu15020445. PMID: 36678315; PMCID: PMC9861325. [cited 2025 Aug 1]

13. Chen Q, Xiao J, Lin Z, Xu X, Chen J. NAD+ supplement relieved chronic sleep restriction (CSR)-induced microglial proinflammation in vivo and in vitro. J Neuroimmunol. 2024 Dec 15;397:578469. doi: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2024.578469. Epub 2024 Oct 24. PMID: 39520937. [cited 2025 Aug 1]

14. Brady N, et al., In NAD Migraine Headaches and Anxiety Disorder, A Case Report published in the Journal of NAD Research published/presented Nov 22, 2022 [cited 2025 Aug 1]

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Editor’s note: This content was originally published on September 27, 2022, and has since been edited, updated with additional information, and republished on August 1, 2025, by Diane Ridaeus