What Is NAD Therapy?
NAD is a coenzyme found in every cell that helps with energy production, DNA repair, and metabolism, and its levels naturally decline as we age. NAD therapy, given by injection or IV, aims to restore those levels, and many people report more energy and mental clarity. I will be honest with you, though: the research on NAD given this way is still early and promising rather than proven, so we use it thoughtfully, not as a miracle.
In my more than 20 years in medicine, I have learned to separate what is exciting from what is established, and NAD sits right in between. Here is the honest picture.
The biology is real. NAD, short for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, is genuinely essential to how your cells make energy and repair themselves, and levels do fall with age. That is why it has become popular in wellness circles, with people using it for energy, focus, recovery, and general cellular support.
Where I will be straight with you is the evidence. NAD given by IV or injection is not FDA-approved for anti-aging or energy, and the clinical research on delivering it this way is limited. Recent reviews found few if any solid outcome trials for infused or injected NAD, and some data suggest oral forms may raise your NAD levels just as reliably. In plain terms, the promise is real but not yet proven, and honest marketing should say so.
So here is how we approach it. If NAD is something you want to explore, we treat it as supportive wellness within a larger plan, set realistic expectations, and use only pharmaceutical-grade product with medical oversight, because the safety of a treatment depends heavily on its quality and how it is given. What we will not do is sell it to you as a cure for aging.
In my practice, that honesty is the point. You deserve a provider who tells you what the science actually supports, and helps you spend your time and money where it does the most good.
Wondering what patients actually notice? See does NAD+ help with energy and stamina for what my patients report and where the human trials stand today.
Curious about other tools from the same honest-evidence shelf? Our new page on low-dose naltrexone (LDN) takes the same straight look at one of functional medicine’s most talked-about therapies.
If you are curious whether NAD fits into your wellness plan, the next step is a consult where we talk through your goals honestly and build a plan around what truly helps.
To Health and Wellness, Dr. Ty Tallman