NAD+ / longevity

NADH

Also called reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (reduced), stabilized NADH, ENADA, coenzyme 1

By Kymata Labs EditorialMedical review pendingLast reviewed October 11, 2026 · What changed

Kymata Health may earn a commission from the partner product links in the Where to buy section, marked where they appear. Educational reference, not medical advice.

Summary

NADH is the reduced form of the coenzyme NAD. Small trials of 10 to 20 mg a day are mixed: one fatigue trial found more responders than placebo, a larger one found little change, and a 35-person jet-lag trial found better test scores (all grade D). Most newer NAD research uses NR or NMN instead.

Top graded outcomes:D evidence grade Responders on a fatigue symptom scoreD evidence grade Fatigue, function and quality of lifeD evidence grade Cognition and sleepiness after an overnight flight

Key facts

What it is
The reduced (electron-carrying) form of NAD, sold as a stabilized tablet or capsule[1][3]
Top studied outcomes
Fatigue (mixed, D); jet-lag cognition (D); cognition in Alzheimer disease (D)[1][2][3][4]
Doses studied
10 to 20 mg a day; 20 mg in combination with 200 mg CoQ10 in two fatigue trials[1][2][5][6]
Evidence quality
Six small trials, none longer than 6 months; two fatigue trials tested NADH combined with CoQ10[1][4][5][6]
Evidence base
6 graded human outcomes on this page
Last reviewed
October 11, 2026

How it works

ProposedNADH donates electrons to the mitochondrial respiratory chain that makes ATP. In one fatigue trial, CoQ10 plus NADH raised NAD+/NADH and ATP in blood cells; whether oral NADH alone raises cellular NAD in people is not established.[5]

What the human research says

Human trials only, one row per outcome. The form column shows what each trial actually tested. Grades follow our evidence-grading policy.

At a glance: strongest evidence per outcome

Evidence at a glance: strongest human evidence per outcome
OutcomeGradeEffectStrongest evidenceRows
EnergyGrade DMixedRCT · n = 207 · 2021Form tested: CoQ10 200 mg + NADH 20 mg4 rowsIncludes this form
FocusGrade DImprovedRCT · n = 35 · 2002Form tested: Stabilized sublingual NADH2 rowsIncludes this form

Every graded row

Outcome
Form tested
Sort

Showing 6 of 6 outcomes. Human trials only.

OutcomeEffectGradeBest evidencePMID
Cognitive fatigue and quality of life with CoQ10 plus NADHMixedGrade D

RCT · n = 207 · 2021

Adults with ME/CFS

Form: CoQ10 200 mg + NADH 20 mg · Dose: 20 mg/day NADH (with 200 mg CoQ10) · Duration: 12 weeks

Cognitive fatigue and quality of life improved from baseline in the supplement group; the abstract reports within-group changes rather than a clear difference from placebo.

34444817 (opens PubMed)Source [6]
Fatigue, function and quality of lifeMixedGrade D

RCT · n = 77 · 2010

Adults with chronic fatigue syndrome

Form: Oral NADH · Dose: 20 mg/day · Duration: 2 months

Most outcomes did not differ from placebo; anxiety scores and peak heart rate after an exercise test fell with NADH.

20447621 (opens PubMed)Source [2]
Fatigue score with CoQ10 plus NADHImprovedGrade D

RCT · n = 73 · 2015

Adults with chronic fatigue syndrome in Spain

Form: CoQ10 200 mg + NADH 20 mg · Dose: 20 mg/day NADH (with 200 mg CoQ10) · Duration: 8 weeks

Fatigue impact scores fell more than with placebo, and blood-cell NAD+/NADH and ATP rose.

25386668 (opens PubMed)Source [5]
Cognition and sleepiness after an overnight flightImprovedGrade D

RCT · n = 35 · 2002

Healthy employed adults after a 3-hour eastward time shift

Form: Stabilized sublingual NADH · Dose: 20 mg, single dose · Duration: 1 day

The NADH group scored better on 4 cognitive tests and reported less sleepiness than the placebo group.

12385067 (opens PubMed)Source [3]
Responders on a fatigue symptom scoreImprovedGrade D

Crossover RCT · n = 26 · 1999

Adults with chronic fatigue syndrome

Form: Stabilized oral NADH · Dose: 10 mg/day · Duration: 4 weeks per arm

8 of 26 (31%) responded to NADH versus 2 of 26 (8%) to placebo; no serious side effects.

10071523 (opens PubMed)Source [1]
Cognitive test scoresImprovedGrade D

RCT · n = 24 · 2004

Adults with probable Alzheimer disease (12 matched pairs)

Form: Stabilized oral NADH · Dose: 10 mg/day · Duration: 6 months

Total dementia-scale scores were higher than with placebo, driven by verbal fluency and visual-constructional tasks; attention, memory and clinician ratings did not differ.

15134388 (opens PubMed)Source [4]

Forms

FormElemental %Absorption (human data)GI toleranceStudied for
Stabilized oral NADHVaries[1]Not applicable (whole compound or extract; no elemental fraction)No head-to-head human absorption data between products in our sources.[1]No serious side effects were reported in the trials.[1][3]Fatigue, jet-lag cognition (10–20 mg/day)

Studied doses

Doses studied in human trials ranged from 10 to 20 mg of NADH a day for 4 weeks to 6 months; one jet-lag trial used a single 20 mg dose.[1][2][3][4]

These are amounts used in research, not personal advice. Your clinician or pharmacist can say what fits you.

Interactions

Published interactions only: each row cites a source. No row means none was found in our sources, not that a combination is safe.

None found in our sources.

Who should be careful

Pregnancy and breastfeeding
No safety data were found in the trials we cite.[1]
People with a diagnosed condition
The fatigue and dementia trials were small and short; NADH has not been shown to change the course of either condition.[2][4]

Talk to your pharmacist or clinician before starting a supplement, especially if you take prescription medicines.

Where to buy NADH

Products from brands we partner with that contain NADH. Listing a product is not a claim that it works; check the amount per serving against the doses studied above, and the label for other ingredients.

  • SupersmartPaid linkNADH2 capsules: 10 mg NADH; 30 servings. Matches the 10 mg a day used in two trials. The label says it is better kept refrigerated.Shop at Supersmart (opens in new tab)Price and label checked 2026-10-11 on the brand’s site.

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    • Offer terms from Supersmart’s site and its affiliate program, checked Oct 8, 2026. Offers can change; the brand's checkout is final.

Frequently asked questions

How is NADH different from NAD+, NR and NMN?

NADH is the reduced form of NAD. NR and NMN are precursors the body converts into NAD; most recent NAD trials test NR or NMN, not NADH.[5]

Does NADH help fatigue?

Results are mixed: one 26-person crossover trial found more responders than placebo, while a 77-person trial found most measures unchanged.[1][2]

Does NADH help jet lag?

One 35-person trial found that a single 20 mg sublingual dose improved several cognitive test scores and sleepiness after a 3-hour time shift.[3]

How much NADH was studied?

10 to 20 mg a day.[1][2]

Is NADH safe?

No serious side effects were reported in trials up to 6 months, but the trials were small.[1][4]

Sources

  1. [1]Therapeutic effects of oral NADH on the symptoms of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol, 1999. crossover-RCT PMID 10071523
  2. [2][Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome].. Rev Clin Esp, 2010. RCT PMID 20447621
  3. [3][Stabilized NADH (ENADA) improves jet lag-induced cognitive performance deficit].. Wien Med Wochenschr, 2002. RCT PMID 12385067
  4. [4]Treatment of Alzheimer's disease with stabilized oral nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide: a randomized, double-blind study.. Drugs Exp Clin Res, 2004. RCT PMID 15134388
  5. [5]Does oral coenzyme Q10 plus NADH supplementation improve fatigue and biochemical parameters in chronic fatigue syndrome?. Antioxid Redox Signal, 2015. RCT PMID 25386668
  6. [6]Effect of Dietary Coenzyme Q10 Plus NADH Supplementation on Fatigue Perception and Health-Related Quality of Life in Individuals with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Prospective, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.. Nutrients, 2021. RCT PMID 34444817

What changed

  1. October 11, 2026 · all · new pageFirst draft. Every PMID checked against NCBI E-utilities (title, year and journal taken from the PubMed record) and abstracts read for each cited row. Product details in Where to buy read from the brand page on the date shown. Self-reviewed in a second strict pass (no independent reviewer yet).Writer: Kymata Labs Editorial · No credentialed reviewer yet

How we write, grade and correct these pages: editorial and evidence policy.

Supplement & Nutrient Encyclopedia. Educational information only; it is not medical advice and does not replace a clinician. Dietary supplements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Statements about supplements have not been evaluated by the FDA.

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