Comparison
NAD vs NMN: which one should you actually take?
Why you cannot efficiently swallow NAD⁺ itself, what NMN does differently, and what the FDA's September 2025 reversal changed.
Read the comparison
The Longevity Lab
NAD
versus
NMN,
NAD
versus
NMN,
decoded.
Every major precursor and delivery format, compared without the biohacker hype or the supplement-industry spin.
3
Precursors compared
6
Delivery formats
18
In-depth guides
0
Paid placements
The Main Event
Two molecules, the same goal, very different answers.
NAD⁺ is the coenzyme your mitochondria run on. It declines with age. Everyone agrees on that part. The disagreement — and the whole reason this site exists — is which precursor, in which format, is worth your money.
Precursor A
NMN
Nicotinamide Mononucleotide
One enzymatic step from NAD⁺, and the subject of more longevity buzz than any other precursor. Lawful as a US supplement again since the FDA's September 2025 reversal.
- Molecular Weight
- 334.22 g/mol
- Typical Daily Dose
- 250–1,000 mg
- Best-evidenced delivery
- Oral capsule
VS
Precursor B
NR
Nicotinamide Riboside
The incumbent. Sold under the Niagen name by ChromaDex, two enzymatic steps from NAD⁺, with the longest clean regulatory record of the common precursors.
- Molecular Weight
- 255.25 g/mol
- Typical Daily Dose
- 300–1,000 mg
- Best-evidenced delivery
- Oral capsule
The Formats
Delivery matters more than the label on the bottle.
The same milligram figure on two different labels can mean very different amounts reaching your bloodstream. The format is most of the story.
Format 01
Oral
The unglamorous default: cheapest per dose, easiest to keep up, and the format most human research used.
Format 02Sublingual
Skips first-pass metabolism for the fraction absorbed under the tongue. A real edge, smaller than marketed.
Format 03Injectable
The at-home middle ground: skips digestion entirely. Prescription-only in the US.
Format 04IV Therapy
Complete delivery over several hours in a clinic chair. The least practical habit to repeat.
Format 05Nasal Spray
Nose-to-brain delivery is real research. For NAD⁺ precursors, the evidence is not there yet.
Format 06Transdermal
The one format to skip, for reasons of molecular size and skin physiology.
Why We Exist
The NAD space is drowning in hype. We're a straight-shooter.
Every brand claims theirs is the "most bioavailable." Every biohacker on YouTube has "the one protocol that works." Some of the research is funded by the companies selling the supplement.
We cite the peer-reviewed research. We show you how to work out cost per milligram. We flag conflicts of interest. When a comparison is genuinely a toss-up, we say so — instead of picking the one with the highest affiliate payout.
How we work
The Journal
Fresh from the lab.
New comparisons, format deep-dives, and protocol notes.
Science
Why NAD⁺ declines with age
Falling NAD⁺ is mostly a consumption problem, not a production one, and that changes what is worth taking.
Read the science
Protocol
When to take your dose
Morning dosing has a real circadian rationale. The with-or-without-food question is mostly folklore.
Read the protocol
Where to Begin
Not sure where to start?
Answer four questions and we'll point you at the delivery format most likely to fit your goal, budget and tolerance for process.
Take the format finder