#109 How To Boost NAD Levels To Fight Inflammation, Improve Recovery, and Slow Aging | Dr. Charles Brenner

February 9, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

Dr. Charles Brenner, discoverer of nicotinamide riboside (NR), joins the podcast to explain NAD biology and its practical implications. NAD supports cellular energy transfer via high-energy electrons from food to ATP, biosynthetic repair using NADPH, DNA repair through PARP enzymes, and gene regulation via sirtuins. While blood NAD remains stable in healthy people, tissue NAD pools in organs like liver, muscle, and brain decline under inflammatory stress from obesity, insulin resistance, sleep disruption, infections, and alcohol.

Drivers of NAD Disturbance

Inflammation activates PARPs, which consume NAD to signal repair during innate immune responses to threats like double-stranded RNA from viruses or endotoxin. Chronic conditions tax the system: high-fat diets disturb liver NAD in mice via reduced detoxification; sleep misalignment in older animals disrupts NAD synthesis timed to circadian cues; obesity and neurodegeneration upregulate NAD demand without sufficient supply. Human data show disturbed NAD in alcoholics' livers and likely cochleas in noise-induced hearing loss. Lifestyle factors like sedentariness, excess weight, and poor sleep amplify this, but blood measurements often miss tissue-level issues since they're diet-influenced and stable in non-diseased people.

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What you'll learn

1 (00:00) **Episode Intro** - Host introduces Dr. Brenner and NAD's roles in energy, repair, immunity
2 (04:40) **NAD Decline Myths** - Debunks universal age-related blood NAD drop; tissue NAD disturbed in disease
3 (08:26) **Disease Drivers of NAD Loss** - Obesity, metabolic syndrome tax NAD via inflammation, not just age
4 (10:20) **COVID and PARP Activation** - Coronavirus activates 5 PARPs, consuming NAD in lung/liver
5 (13:42) **Diet vs. Blood NAD Measurement** - Foods like liver/spinach provide precursors; blood reflects intake somewhat
6 (17:00) **Obesity, Sleep, Inflammation Effects** - High-fat diet disturbs liver NAD via PARP; sleep loss disrupts chronobiology
7 (25:37) **Top Lifestyle Fixes for NAD** - Address root inflammation: weight loss, exercise, sleep over one-size-fits-all

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Show Notes

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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