Qualia NAD+ 28-Day Trial: Blood NAD+ Up 67%, 88% Report Skin, Energy, and Mood Gains
WELLNESS

Qualia NAD+ 28-Day Trial: Blood NAD+ Up 67%, 88% Report Skin, Energy, and Mood Gains

By Léa · · https://www.medrxiv.org/content/medrxiv/early/2025/05/16/2025.05.14.25327611.full.pdf
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NAD+ supplementation is moving from marketing copy to clinical numbers. The Qualia NAD+ trial—pre-printed on medRxiv in May 2025 and cited in a 2026 PRISMA-guided systematic review—shows blood NAD+ rising 67% on average in 28 days (vs 4% on placebo), with more than 88% of 63 adults reporting improvements in skin recovery, energy, and mood. The result is the first consumer-scale RCT to translate the longevity field’s central molecule into measurable real-world gains.

Trial Design

Study: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study of Qualia NAD+ in Healthy Adults.

Source: medRxiv pre-print, May 2025. Cited in a 2026 PRISMA-guided systematic review of NAD+ supplementation.

Participants: 63 healthy adults aged 35-76, 62% women.

Duration: 28 days (4 weeks).

Design: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled.

Test article: Qualia NAD+ (nicotinamide riboside + additional antioxidants and vitamins).

Outcomes

Blood NAD+: +67% in the active group, +4% on placebo.

Self-reported (88%+ of participants):

  • Improved skin recovery
  • Increased energy and vitality
  • Improved mood

Age stratification: Absolute NAD+ gains were largest in the late-50s through 70s—the cohort with the greatest baseline decline.

What NAD+ Is and Why It Falls

NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) is a coenzyme involved in ATP synthesis, DNA repair, sirtuin activation, and mitochondrial function. A single molecule sits at the gate of multiple aging-related pathways.

NAD+ levels drop roughly 10-20% per decade after age 40. By the 60s, levels are less than half what they were in the 20s. The decline is implicated in skin aging, sarcopenia, cognitive decline, and chronic fatigue—a shared substrate underneath many “aging” symptoms.

NAD+ itself is too large to be absorbed intact from the gut. Clinical studies use precursors: NMN (nicotinamide mononucleotide) or NR (nicotinamide riboside), which the body converts back into NAD+. Qualia NAD+ is built around NR, augmented with antioxidants and B-complex vitamins.

Why This Matters for Perimenopausal and Postmenopausal Women

The 62% female participant base and the stronger effect in older adults make this trial directly relevant for postmenopausal women. A separate 2023 trial in postmenopausal women found NMN supplementation improved insulin sensitivity and skeletal muscle function, supporting the same mechanism.

The 5-10 years following menopause are a period of dual NAD+ and estrogen decline, and the two reinforce each other. Estrogen upregulates the rate-limiting NAD+ biosynthesis enzyme NAMPT; when estrogen falls, NAMPT activity falls, and NAD+ synthesis falls with it. Supplementing precursors interrupts one arm of the loop.

The Science Is Behind the Marketing

An NPR feature in May 2026 noted that NAD+ infusion clinics and the supplement market are growing fast while large human RCTs remain early-stage. The questions of effect size, long-term safety, and optimal dose are not yet resolved.

What is consistent is the direction of the signal. Animal models show extended lifespan and healthspan. Human trials show improvements in insulin sensitivity, muscle function, energy, and mood. The Qualia NAD+ data—67% NAD+ increase and 88% self-reported improvement—are the first consumer-scale RCT to put numbers behind that signal.

Limitations

Heavy reliance on self-report. Skin, energy, and mood are subjective and vulnerable to placebo effects. Four weeks is short for both efficacy and safety assessment. Splitting 63 participants in two reduces effect-size precision to about 30 per arm.

Larger and longer RCTs are underway and expected to report in 2026-2027. Until then, treating NAD+ supplements as universal anti-aging drugs is ahead of the data. The signal is real; the calibration isn’t done.

References

  • medRxiv pre-print, May 16, 2025
  • Qualia NAD+ manufacturer: Neurohacker Collective
  • Commercial NR dose: 100-300 mg/day
  • Commercial NMN dose: 250-500 mg/day
  • NAD+ IV infusion clinics exist in the US but are not FDA-approved indications