Form Comparison

Nicotinamide vs Oral NAD+

How nicotinamide and oral NAD+ differ in potency, absorption, tolerance, and cost.

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Quick verdict. Oral NAD+ is largely broken down to nicotinamide in the gut, so you pay a premium for nicotinamide after digestion. Plain nicotinamide is cheap, well absorbed, and has a positive phase 3 outcome trial. Choose nicotinamide; no published human data show that oral or sublingual NAD+ delivers more.

Side by Side

Nicotinamide NAD+ (Oral or Sublingual)
Absorption High Low
How it is absorbed Well absorbed and the main circulating NAD+ precursor. It is also what NAD+-consuming enzymes release. Largely broken down in the gut to nicotinamide and other small precursors before absorption. Sublingual absorption claims lack published human pharmacokinetics.
Typical dose 500 mg twice daily in the skin cancer trial Per product
Common uses NAD+ support, skin cancer prevention in high-risk patients marketed for energy
Side effects No flushing. Doses of several grams daily have caused liver toxicity. None reported at supplement doses.
Cost Low High
Also called niacinamide NAD, NADH

When to Choose Nicotinamide

Choose nicotinamide when cost matters and you want the precursor with outcome data. The only NAD+ precursor with a positive phase 3 outcome trial (fewer nonmelanoma skin cancers). High concentrations inhibit sirtuins in cell studies.

Nicotinamide

Pennies per day and the only precursor with a phase 3 outcome trial, in skin cancer prevention.

What to look for: Nicotinamide (niacinamide) 500 mg tablets. Not nicotinic acid, which causes flushing.

Find on iHerb Affiliate link

When to Choose NAD+ (Oral or Sublingual)

There is rarely a reason to choose oral NAD+: NR or NMN are better documented. Paying for intact NAD+ buys nicotinamide after digestion.

NAD+ (Oral or Sublingual)

There is rarely a reason to choose oral NAD+: NR or NMN are better documented.

What to look for: NAD+ named on the Supplement Facts panel, with the amount per serving stated.

Find on iHerb Affiliate link

Products on Titrate

200 of the 214,745 labels in the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database list NMN and NAD+ as an active ingredient (144 on market). 121 are sold as NMN and NAD+ products by name.

Open supplement search

NMN and NAD+ does not have its own search category yet. Each product above links to its full label in the NIH database.

Related

References

Chen AC, Martin AJ, Choy B, et al. A phase 3 randomized trial of nicotinamide for skin-cancer chemoprevention. N Engl J Med. 2015;373(17):1618-1626.

Trammell SA, Schmidt MS, Weidemann BJ, et al. Nicotinamide riboside is uniquely and orally bioavailable in mice and humans. Nat Commun. 2016;7:12948.

Martens CR, Denman BA, Mazzo MR, et al. Chronic nicotinamide riboside supplementation is well-tolerated and elevates NAD+ in healthy middle-aged and older adults. Nat Commun. 2018;9(1):1286.

Dollerup OL, Christensen B, Svart M, et al. A randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial of nicotinamide riboside in obese men: safety, insulin-sensitivity, and lipid-mobilizing effects. Am J Clin Nutr. 2018;108(2):343-353.

Yoshino M, Yoshino J, Kayser BD, et al. Nicotinamide mononucleotide increases muscle insulin sensitivity in prediabetic women. Science. 2021;372(6547):1224-1229.

Pencina KM, Lavu S, Dos Santos M, et al. MIB-626, an oral formulation of a microcrystalline unique polymorph of beta-nicotinamide mononucleotide, increases circulating nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide and its metabolome in middle-aged and older adults. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2023;78(1):90-96.