NAD+
The coenzyme cells use in metabolism and DNA-repair signalling. Not absorbed intact when swallowed, so it is not what goes in the scoop.
Deep dive · the ingredient
NAD+ and NR. What they are, at our 300 mg dose.
NAD+ is one of the most talked-about molecules in longevity. Thunder Honey Daylight delivers it the way the research does: not as NAD+ itself, but as its precursor, nicotinamide riboside. Here is what each one is, how they connect to niacin (vitamin B3), and exactly what 300 mg of NR does and does not do, with the real human studies attached.
- 300 mg nicotinamide riboside
- A form of niacin (vitamin B3)
- Cited to human trials
01The molecule
What NAD+ is, in plain words.
NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) is a coenzyme found in every living cell. Biochemically, it is a helper molecule that shuttles electrons during metabolism and acts as a substrate for a family of repair and signalling enzymes. It is one of the most abundant and essential molecules in human biology.
Two facts about NAD+ are well established in the scientific literature and worth stating plainly. First, the body cannot usefully absorb NAD+ taken by mouth as an intact molecule, which is why supplements use a precursor the body can convert. Second, measured NAD+ levels in human tissue tend to decline with age.
Why a precursor, not NAD+ itself
Because intact NAD+ is not well absorbed orally, formulators use building blocks the body already uses to make its own NAD+. The most studied of these in humans is nicotinamide riboside (NR). This is a formulation choice grounded in pharmacology: NR has the human bioavailability data that intact NAD+ does not.
02The ingredient we use
Nicotinamide riboside (NR), and how it relates to vitamin B3.
Nicotinamide riboside (NR) is a naturally occurring compound and one of the precursors the body converts into NAD+. In Thunder Honey Daylight it appears at 300 mg per serving, the same dose used in the human trial that tested it most directly. Chemically, NR is a member of the niacin (vitamin B3) family, which matters further down this page.
NR (nicotinamide riboside)
A precursor the body converts into NAD+. Well absorbed orally, with human data. This is the 300 mg active in Daylight.
Niacin / vitamin B3
The vitamin family NR belongs to. Nicotinamide is a recognised form of niacin, the vitamin behind the EU wordings below.
NRV
Nutrient Reference Value. For niacin the EU NRV is 16 mg; a food is a "source of" niacin at 15% of that, i.e. 2.4 mg per portion.
03The number that matters
300 mg of NR raised blood NAD+ by 51% in eight weeks.
In a randomised, double-blind trial of 140 adults, NR raised whole-blood NAD+ in a clear, dose-dependent way. Thunder Honey Daylight uses the exact 300 mg dose tested in that study, so the figure above is the one measured at our dose.
Cited study
Conze, Brenner & Kruger, 2019, Scientific Reports. 140 healthy overweight adults aged 40-60, 8 weeks, randomised double-blind. Whole-blood NAD+ rose dose-dependently: +22% at 100 mg, +51% at 300 mg, +142% at 1,000 mg. PMID 31278280
Trammell et al., 2016, Nature Communications. Established the oral bioavailability of NR and a dose-dependent NAD+ rise in humans. PMID 27721479
Where we stop. That NR raises NAD+ is shown in humans. That a higher NAD+ level then makes you feel more energetic, perform better, or live longer is not proven in people: the functional trials below were null or non-significant. So we describe the NAD+ rise as a fact and make no energy or longevity promise from it.
04The fuller picture
What trials looking beyond NAD+ found.
Raising NAD+ is one thing; a change you can measure in the body is another. Researchers have also tested NR against outcomes such as insulin sensitivity, body composition, energy expenditure and blood pressure. So far, those trials have largely found no significant change.
Cited studies
Dollerup et al., 2018
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2,000 mg/day NR, 12 weeks, insulin-resistant men. Safe, but no improvement in insulin sensitivity, body composition, or resting energy expenditure.
Martens et al., 2018
Nature Communications. 1,000 mg/day NR. Raised NAD+; blood-pressure and arterial-stiffness changes did not reach statistical significance.
In short: NR is a precursor the body turns into NAD+, and the studied dose raised measured NAD+ in people. More energy or a longer life from that rise has not been shown, so we do not promise either.
05EU-authorised · via niacin (vitamin B3)
The recognised benefit runs through niacin.
The nicotinamide in our NR is a recognised form of niacin (vitamin B3), a vitamin with a full set of approved EU health claims, each with a fixed wording. Phrases such as "boosts NAD+", "cellular energy", "anti-ageing" and "longevity" are not among them, so you will not see them here. These are the six niacin wordings, word for word from Commission Regulation (EU) No 432/2012.
"Niacin contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism."
Energy metabolism"Niacin contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue."
Tiredness and fatigue"Niacin contributes to the normal functioning of the nervous system."
Nervous system"Niacin contributes to normal psychological function."
Psychological function"Niacin contributes to the maintenance of normal skin."
Skin"Niacin contributes to the maintenance of normal mucous membranes."
Mucous membranesWhen they apply. A vitamin claim applies when the product is a "source of" that vitamin, at least 15% of the 16 mg niacin NRV, i.e. 2.4 mg niacin equivalents per portion, with niacin declared on the label. Our 300 mg of NR is well above that on dose. The wordings come from niacin, the vitamin, not from NAD+.
The library
Keep reading
The rest of the Learn library, all cited the same honest way.
One precursor, the dose the research used.
300 mg of nicotinamide riboside, alongside ten other actives, in one daily ritual.
30-day money-back guarantee · third-party tested by Eurofins
Educational, not medical advice
This page describes what NAD+ and NR are and what the cited studies investigated. It is not medical advice and does not mean Thunder Honey Daylight will produce the same result for you. The cited studies are individual research findings, often in small or specific groups. Thunder Honey Daylight is a food supplement, not a medicine.
Food supplement. Do not exceed the recommended daily dose. A food supplement is not a substitute for a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. Keep out of reach of young children. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication, or managing a health condition, talk to a qualified healthcare professional first. Developed in Sweden and third-party tested by Eurofins.
This page is educational and not medical advice.
1 Contains niacin (vitamin B3) which contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism, the reduction of tiredness and fatigue, normal psychological function, normal functioning of the nervous system, and the maintenance of normal skin. (EU Regulation 432/2012) Food supplement. Do not exceed the recommended daily dose. A food supplement is not a substitute for a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. Keep out of reach of young children.