#109 How To Boost NAD Levels To Fight Inflammation, Improve Recovery, and Slow Aging | Dr. Charles Brenner
FoundMyFitness
Rhonda Patrick, Ph.D.
4.8 • 5.8K Ratings
🗓️ 9 February 2026
⏱️ 119 minutes
🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS
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Summary
Many symptoms attributed to aging are also consistent with chronic inflammatory stress and impaired NAD metabolism. Dr. Charles Brenner explains the mechanisms, the human data, and what interventions actually move the needle. He also cuts through the crowded world of NAD boosters, including oral NAD pills, NMN, NR, and NAD IV drips, clarifying what actually raises NAD in humans and what emerging research suggests about NR for lowering inflammation and improving recovery.
Timestamps:
- (00:00) Introduction
- (05:36) Why disease states disrupt NAD levels
- (10:20) How coronavirus infection impacts NAD levels
- (13:34) Can diet and supplements artificially inflate NAD levels?
- (15:27) Why blood NAD might not show the full picture
- (16:59) How obesity and insulin resistance drain NAD resources
- (19:40) Does poor sleep disrupt NAD levels?
- (20:32) The anti-inflammatory effects of nicotinamide riboside (NR)
- (25:17) Can a single lifestyle change restore NAD?
- (28:01) Cognitive benefits of NAD precursors
- (31:37) Should you measure your NAD levels?
- (34:37) Does exercise boost NAD—and if so, which type?
- (36:39) Can NAD precursors speed exercise recovery?
- (39:14) Is acute sleep loss enough to lower NAD?
- (40:46) Does NR supplementation during pregnancy benefit offspring?
- (45:21) Safety of nicotinamide riboside during pregnancy
- (47:27) Could NR supplementation support fertility?
- (48:37) Shift work and jet lag—can NAD precursors help?
- (51:19) Morning or night—when should you take NR?
- (54:20) NAD supplements vs. precursors—what actually boosts NAD?
- (58:07) NAD IV drips—real benefits or just hype?
- (59:15) Oral vs. IV nicotinamide riboside—what's more effective?
- (1:00:44) Do oral NAD supplements genuinely raise NAD levels?
- (1:02:37) NMN vs. NR—does being 'one step closer' really matter?
- (1:05:44) Does the gut microbiome influence NAD production?
- (1:08:22) Could NR supplementation enhance immune function?
- (1:11:41) Can NR supplementation improve peripheral artery disease?
- (1:16:05) Can NR realistically reduce liver fat?
- (1:21:12) Does NR supplementation give athletes a recovery edge?
- (1:22:57) What's a safe dosage for nicotinamide riboside?
- (1:25:00) Resveratrol and pterostilbene—beneficial pairing or pointless stack?
- (1:26:35) NAD precursor supplements—why sourcing matters
- (1:28:48) Do NAD precursors increase cancer risk?
- (1:34:34) Is NR worth supplementing for healthy individuals?
- (1:38:56) From enzyme nerd to NAD pioneer (Brenner's origin story)
- (1:43:26) Simplifying NAD's role in energy and repair
- (1:50:13) Why DNA repair depends heavily on NAD
- (1:52:03) The PARP/NAD-consumption mechanism
- (1:54:42) NAD's role in gene regulation
- (1:57:02) Why NAD shortages hit the brain hardest
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Today, my guest is Dr. Charles Brenner, who was a distinguished biochemist who made the groundbreaking discovery of nicotinamide ribicide. |
| 0:07.0 | This is a potent vitamin precursor to NAD. |
| 0:10.1 | This is a molecule that is fundamental to cellular energy, DNA repair, gene regulation, and also immunity. |
| 0:17.9 | Dr. Brenner is recognized globally as the leading expert on NAD biology, so it is a |
| 0:23.5 | real treat to have him here today. This episode is an in-depth discussion on all things NAD. In this |
| 0:31.4 | episode, Dr. Brenner and I discuss why nicotinamide ribicide is uniquely positioned among NAD precursors for effectively boosting |
| 0:39.7 | NAD levels. It has robust clinical evidence supporting anti-inflammatory benefits at doses between |
| 0:45.9 | 500 to 1,000 milligrams a day. We discussed the significant role NAD plays in conditions driven by |
| 0:52.7 | chronic inflammation, including obesity, insulin |
| 0:55.9 | resistance, peripheral artery disease, and age-related cognitive decline. |
| 1:00.8 | We also talk a little bit about the surprising implications of nicotinamide ribicide and |
| 1:06.3 | NAD for exercise recovery. |
| 1:08.0 | We discuss how inflammation profoundly taxes the NAD system across a variety of |
| 1:14.0 | different tissues. It's not merely just the blood, but also other organs as well, highlighting really |
| 1:20.4 | the necessity of addressing all of these underlying lifestyle factors that affect inflammation. |
| 1:25.8 | We also discuss practical guidance on supplement timing, |
| 1:29.5 | particularly the rationale behind why taking nicotinamide ribicide in the morning is important |
| 1:34.5 | to align with circadian biology. We discussed the emerging data indicating nicotinamide riboside |
| 1:40.6 | potential benefits for fertility, improved maternal lactation, and notably enhanced |
| 1:46.1 | developmental outcomes in offspring, everything from lean muscle mass to cognitive function. |
| 1:51.3 | We also discussed the very critical evaluation of intravenous NAD therapies versus oral supplementation. |
| 1:59.0 | We get through the myths. |
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