How is Nuchido TIME+ different to other NAD+ products : The science explained

NAD+ has gained significant attention in recent years due to important role in cellular health and healthy aging. As interest in NAD+ has grown, a wide range of products have appeared claiming to boost NAD+ levels, including precursor supplements such as NMN and NR, as well as NAD+ IV infusions, injections and patches. 

However, these different approaches work in very different ways, and the scientific research supporting them varies considerably.  

To understand which approach may be most effective, it is important to first understand why NAD+ declines with age and what happens inside our cells when this occurs. 

This article will look at why NAD+ declines during aging, how the Nuchido TIME+ formulation works to address these changes and how we are different from other NAD+ products such as NMN, NR,  IVs, patches and injections. 

NAD+ is a large molecule so where possible, cells prefer to recycle it rather than make it entirely from scratch. The main source of NAD+ in your body is from the salvage pathway, which acts as the cells primary NAD+ recycling pathway. 

When NAD+ is used up in energy production, cellular maintenance and repair pathways it leaves behind the waste product nicotinamide (NAM). This nicotinamide is then recycled back into fresh NAD+ via the salvage pathway so that it can be used again. When we are young, our NAD+ levels are high because the salvage pathway works efficiently, meaning our cells can make and recycle all the NAD+ they need. 

As we get older, NAD+ levels decline due to the loss of NAD+ recycling. This occurs because the activity of the enzyme which powers the Salvage Pathway, called NAMPT declines with age, meaning less NAD+ is recycled. 

When this happens the waste NAM accumulates in the cell as it cannot be recycled. Cells work optimally when there is ‘homeostasis’ (when everything is in balance), so they must methylate and remove the excess NAM from the cell, which can lead to methyl donor depletion. 

Alongside this decline in NAD+ recycling, there is also an increased demand for NAD+ in older cells due to increased levels of inflammatory CD38. 

One of the key hallmarks of aging is ‘inflammaging’. This occurs when the immune system creates inflammation even when it isn’t needed. If this occurs for long periods of time it can lead to ‘chronic inflammation’, in which the pro-inflammatory pathways are constantly active. Chronic inflammation causes damage to cells, tissues and organs preventing them from functioning optimally. 

Increased inflammation in the body is known to deplete NAD+ levels, this is because it causes increased expression of a molecule called CD38. CD38 is the largest consumer of NAD+, it wastes around 100 molecules of NAD+ for every reaction it performs. It also has a higher affinity for NAD+ than other beneficial pathways that rely on NAD+ such as the sirtuins. This means the reduced NAD+ available in older cells is wasted by inflammatory pathways rather than being directed towards energy production or cellular repair, which further accelerates cellular aging. 

Overall, this creates the perfect storm, causing an NAD+ deficit within the cells. 

Understanding these biological causes of NAD+ decline is important when evaluating different approaches to boosting NAD+ levels. 

This is exactly how the Nuchido TIME+ formulations works. Nuchido TIME+ doesn’t just throw more raw materials into the cell such as NR or NMN in the hope that it will be converted into NAD+ and it doesn’t include whole NAD+ which struggles to enter most cells and is very unstable. Instead, our combination of ingredients targets each specific part of the NAD+ network which is known to cause NAD+ decline during aging as in the table below. 

NAD+ decline is a complex problem; therefore, one singular ingredient will likely never produce the best result. That is why we use a ‘whole-system’ approach. We look at the entire NAD+ network and target each part listed above that becomes dysfunctional with age. 

While other products may simply put a plaster on the problem of NAD+ decline, Nuchido TIME+ goes beyond this to fix the root causes and restore the cell’s youthful ability to make NAD+. 

Our unique whole-systems approach is supported by clinical data. We conducted a randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled crossover clinical trial on Nuchido TIME+. Participants were male and female, aged 20-80 years old. 

The results of our study showed that after 28 days of supplementation Nuchido TIME+: 

Other popular methods to boost NAD+ levels are precursor supplements such as NR (nicotinamide riboside) or NMN (nicotinamide mononucleotide). These are the raw materials used to make NAD+ inside the cell.  

We refer to these as first-generation NAD+ boosters because they were the first products created to try and boost NAD+ levels.  

The challenge with precursors is that they do not address the underlying causes of NAD+ decline. Current research suggests that NAD+ levels do not declines simply because the body lacks precursor material.  

In addition, precursors molecules must enter cells before they can be converted into NAD+. This process requires specific transporter proteins, and studies show that not all cell types possess these transporters. 

When ingested, precursor supplements may cause a slight increase in NAD+ levels. However, once the NAD+ is used within the cell, the waste product NAM is left behind and cannot be recycled through the salvage pathway.  

This can further disrupt cellular homeostasis and can cause methyl donor depletion, which can affect many important biological reactions. Additionally, because these products fail to address increased inflammation, much of the additional NAD+ increase will be consumed by CD38, potentially limiting their effectiveness. 

Another popular method is the use of NAD+ intravenous (IV) infusions, where NAD+ is delivered directly into the bloodstream.  

While this may sound like a promising approach because it gets the NAD+ directly into your blood. However, NAD+ primarily performs its biological functions inside cells rather than in the bloodstream. 

Because NAD+ is a relatively large molecule, it cannot easily cross the cell membrane. To enter cells it requires specialised transporter channels, and current evidence suggests that these channels are only present in limited cells types, such as heart and brain cells.  

Despite the popularity of NAD+ IV therapy, there is currently limited clinical evidence demonstrating that NAD+ delivered intravenously significantly increases cellular NAD+ levels across the body and recent studies suggest NAD+ infusions may cause an inflammatory response.  

Some providers also offer NAD+ injections or transdermal patches as alternative delivery methods. 

These approaches are based on the same principle as IV infusions — delivering NAD+ directly into the body. However, similar challenges remain regarding how efficiently NAD+ can enter cells where it performs its biological role.  

In addition, introducing large quantities of NAD+ into the body requires the body to metabolise and clear the excess molecules. This may contribute to side effects that some individuals report during NAD+ IV treatments, such as nausea or discomfort.  

Rather than relying on precursors or delivering NAD+ directly into the bloodstream, Nuchido TIME+ is designed to support the cellular pathways that regulate NAD+ production and recycling. 

By targeting mechanisms such as the salvage pathway, NAMPT activity and excessive NAD+ consumption by CD38, the formulation aims to address the biological causes of NAD+ decline rather than simply adding additional precursor material.