Brain Health: Why You May Need an NAD Supplement

There are many factors that contribute to cognitive decline over time. Some of the biggest contributors are a reduction in cellular energy produced in the brain, build-up of waste materials, and inflammatory processes damaging neurons. 

Promising studies have elucidated a potentially therapeutic target for improving energy production in the brain and optimizing neural function: a chemical called NAD+. NAD+ is found in every cell of the body, where it helps turn nutrients into energy and completes cellular repair. The body produces it naturally, but levels decline with age, free radical damage, and stress. 

The demand for energy and repair is highest in the brain, and studies have shown that NAD+ depletion is a common factor across many neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. NAD+ supplements have shown promise in improving cognitive function in people with neurodegenerative conditions and in the aging brain.

Let’s dive into some causes of cognitive decline and how NAD+ may help. 

Reduced Cellular Energy

Most people have heard “the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell” but it doesn’t just affect your energy levels or muscle function, it powers your brain too. As we age, mitochondrial efficiency goes down, leading to a reduced production of energy in neuronal cells. This impacts memory and the ability of neurons to communicate with each other. 

How NAD+ May Help with Cellular Function

NAD+ participates in the reaction that produces the cellular energy molecule ATP. In animal models, restoration of optimal NAD+ concentration in aging cells resulted in greater production of ATP in neuronal cells. This translates to better cognition, sharper memory, and a reduction in age-related decline in cellular function. 

Build-up of Waste Materials

There’s a lot going on in our brains that we don’t think about. Cells prune away damaged neurons and old pathways, build new connections, construct proteins that help cell signaling and transmission, and execute structural repair. There are byproducts of these reactions that are usually cleaned up and disposed of by the brain’s immune cells, called microglia. 

As we age, not only does the brain become less accurate when building proteins, but the cleanup system begins to falter as well. These waste materials build up in the brain and disrupt structural components, affect communication, and can even trigger toxicity. 

How NAD+ May Help with Healthy Aging

As the demand for protein production and repair increases with age, so does the need for quality control mechanisms. NAD+ activates regulators, called sirtuins, of waste cleanup that degrade misfolded proteins and dead cells. It also aids in maintaining healthy mitochondrial turnover, preventing the buildup of dysfunctional components in the first place that contribute to toxic congestion in brain tissue. By enhancing these repair and recycling pathways, NAD+ helps counteract the age-related decline in cellular maintenance.

Inflammatory Damage

Systemic inflammation can be caused by several factors, like excess free radicals (damaging particles), metabolic conditions like diabetes, chronic infections, poor diet, sleep deprivation, stress, and even pollution. These conditions activate signaling molecules that tell your immune system that something is wrong, and it needs to be dealt with. 

Your brain has its own immune system, where the immune microglia fight infection, get rid of poorly performing cells, and modulate your neurotransmitters, like serotonin and dopamine. When microglia receive the inflammatory signals, they activate, even if there is no direct infection or injury to the brain. When overactive, they can directly attack your neuronal cells, reduce the production of necessary neurotransmitters, and increase the presence of glutamate, which is neurotoxic in excess. 

Beyond systemic inflammation, aging also has the power to overactivate your microglia.

How NAD+ May Help with Inflammation

When microglia become overactive in response to systemic or age-related inflammation, NAD+ helps keep their reactivity in check. By reducing the production of damaging free radicals that amplify inflammation, NAD+ may reduce the strength of the inflammatory reaction and the resulting damage to cells. Through two types of sirtuins, SIRT1 and SIRT3, inflammatory gene pathways are suppressed and the inflammatory signaling molecules are reduced, which helps prevent runaway immune activity that can damage neurons, deplete neurotransmitters, and impair cognitive function over time.

Our NAD+ Supplement Recommendations 

Depending on your goals, there is an NAD+ supplement that will work for you. 

Best for Long-Term Support: Quicksilver Scientific NAD+ Gold

Quicksilver’s NAD supplement delivers a precursor to NAD+ called NMN within a liposome, which encapsulates the supplement and protects it from damage in the digestive tract by absorbing immediately through the mouth. It is delivered alongside TMG, which reduces long-term risk of depleting the critical methyl groups needed to prevent imbalances of neurotransmitters. The Quicksilver Delivery System uses phospholipids to protect and shuttle NMN directly into cells, enhancing bioavailability.

Best for Fast-Acting Mental Energy: Premier Research Labs NADH

Premier’s supplement delivers NAD+ support through a stabilized, reduced form of NAD+ called NADH that is used right away in ATP generation, since it is already activated. Unlike supplements that deliver precursors to NAD+, NADH can immediately participate in generating energy, so it works quickly for mental alertness and physical stamina. Its patented stabilization technology helps preserve NADH’s integrity until absorption.

Best for the Aging Brain: Core Med Science Liposomal NAD+

Core Med Science’s Liposomal NAD+ offers a direct source of NAD that doesn’t need to be converted for use. This is best for people who are no longer producing enough NAD+ on their own and experiencing age-related slowdowns in cognitive function, memory, or sleep quality. Its liposomal delivery system uses sunflower lecithin to protect NAD molecules and promote efficient absorption, helping replenish critical stores that support DNA repair, neurotransmitter balance, and mitochondrial health.

Conclusion 

Though cognitive decline is multifactorial and is still being researched, early data suggests that NAD+ can ameliorate some of the drivers of inflammation and cellular damage. By supporting mitochondrial efficiency, regulating inflammatory responses, and enhancing the brain’s natural cleanup systems, NAD+ may help you feel sharper now and as you age. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best NAD supplement?

The best NAD supplement depends on your goals. For long-term support, Quicksilver NAD+ Gold is best because it provides methylation protection; for fast-acting mental energy, Premier NADH provides ready-to-use energy; and for age-related cognitive decline, Core Med Science’s Liposomal NAD+ delivers direct and easily absorbed NAD.

Do NAD+ supplements help with brain fog?

Yes, they support cellular energy, waste product cleanup, and inflammation control in the brain, which are all drivers of reduced brain fog. 

How to reduce brain fog?

Try supplementing with NAD+ to promote energy production in the brain, improve protein production as you age, and keep your brain clear of damaging debris.