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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
The 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, which is simply a description of its role in the cell, not a statement about what our product does for you.

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. Both are observations from the research, described here for context.

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.

The 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 is an important factual point for what we are allowed to say below.

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.

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, which matters for what can be claimed.

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.

The 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, which is why we can describe the NAD+ rise factually rather than estimate it.

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.

300 mg/day · our dose+51% NAD+
8 weeks
1,000 mg/day in the same trial+142%
higher dose
100 mg/day in the same trial+22%
The honest counterweight

What the functional trials actually found.

It would be easy to imply that raising NAD+ delivers more energy or a longer healthspan. The honest reading of the human evidence is more careful. Trials that looked for downstream functional benefits, rather than the NAD+ rise itself, have largely come back null or non-significant.

Cited (honesty counterweight)

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. PMID 29992272

Martens et al., 2018, Nature Communications. 1,000 mg/day NR. Raised NAD+; blood-pressure and arterial-stiffness changes did not reach statistical significance. PMID 29599478

Our position: we make the claim the trials actually support, that NR is a precursor and that the studied dose raised measured NAD+, and we do not borrow the energy or longevity story that the functional trials did not deliver.

EU-authorised · via niacin (vitamin B3)

The one place we can state a benefit, and it runs through niacin.

In the EU, "boosts NAD+", "cellular energy", "anti-ageing" and "longevity" are not authorised claims and we do not use them. But the nicotinamide in our NR is a recognised form of niacin (vitamin B3), a vitamin that carries a full set of authorised EU health claims with fixed legal wordings. Where the niacin dose qualifies and is declared on the label, these exact wordings become usable. They are reproduced here verbatim from Commission Regulation (EU) No 432/2012.

"Niacin contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism."The legal equivalent of an energy message, framed as the body's own metabolism.
"Niacin contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue."The authorised tiredness and fatigue wording.
"Niacin contributes to the normal functioning of the nervous system."A legitimate nervous-system claim.
"Niacin contributes to normal psychological function."The authorised stand-in for a mind / mental-function message.
"Niacin contributes to the maintenance of normal skin."A real skin claim, sourced from the vitamin.
"Niacin contributes to the maintenance of normal mucous membranes."Authorised; rarely used in consumer copy.

Conditions of use. An authorised vitamin claim can only be used if 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 supplement-facts panel. Our 300 mg NR clears that bar comfortably on dose, but the declared niacin-equivalent figure must be confirmed by the formulator and a regulatory advisor before any wording goes live. The claim is sourced from niacin the vitamin, never from NAD+.

Keep reading

The rest of the Learn library, all cited the same honest way.

OverviewThe science behind Thunder HoneyEvery active, graded and cited, with our research summary. Deep diveDual-extracted mushroomsWhat dual-extraction is, 10:1, and the full-gram dose. Deep diveLion's ManeThe single active, described factually and cited.

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. These statements have not been evaluated by a medicines regulator. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. 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.

One precursor, the dose the research used.

300 mg of nicotinamide riboside, alongside ten other actives, in one daily ritual.

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