Can NAD supplements help with jet lag?┃Citizen Femme

What are NAD supplements, and can they really help with jet lag and brain fog? Here’s what frequent travellers and longevity enthusiasts need to know…

What is NAD?

NAD stands for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide – but don’t worry, we won’t quiz you on that. What you do need to know is that “NAD plays a central role in cellular metabolism, particularly in the process of converting nutrients into energy within the mitochondria,” explains the longevity expert, GP and founder of Hum2n, Dr Mohammed Enayat. “Beyond energy metabolism, NAD+ is also a critical player in DNA repair, cell signalling, immune response, and the activation of sirtuins, a group of proteins linked to cellular health, stress resistance, and longevity.”

That means NAD is pretty essential for keeping your body functioning as it should. But, as with many things, as we age, our NAD production declines. This drop has been shown to contribute to fatigue, reduced cognitive function, weakened immunity, and slower metabolism.

“For cells to work optimally, they need high levels of NAD+. But, as we age, our cellular NAD+ levels drop,” says the molecular biologist and cellular ageing expert, Dr Nichola Conlon. In fact, “they drop by approximately 50 per cent every 20 years, which is a key driver to signs of ageing, such as a reduction in physical and mental energy and slower recovery.”

In bad news for frequent flyers, physiological stress (like being constantly on the go, as well as poor sleep and illness) can reportedly deplete NAD levels even further.

PIN IT

How do NAD supplements work?

With all those side effects, you can understand why topping up your NAD levels sounds like a good idea, especially when our busy lives sound like they are helping us burn through our NAD levels too quickly.

Unfortunately, NAD itself cannot be directly supplemented when taken orally. So, any oral supplementation requires NAD precursors like nicotinamide riboside (NR) and nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) which are more bioavailable. Dubbed ‘the building blocks of NAD’, these are converted into NAD+ once inside the cell, and can be taken as capsules (between one to four tablets is a typical daily dose) or as a powder mixed into your morning water.

Another option is IV NAD+ infusions, which are offered by some of our favourite wellness clinics. This approach “delivers NAD+ directly into the bloodstream, allowing for much higher plasma concentrations and more immediate effects for people experiencing burnout, recovering from illness, or seeking cognitive enhancement.”

Who can benefit from NAD supplementation?

Research into NAD supplementation is still evolving, but early studies and plenty of our favourite wellness experts (Dr Sophie Shotter, Dr Steven Land, and Dr Mohammed Enayat) endorse it for:

Improved energy metabolism: NAD helps the mitochondria (aka the powerhouse of your cells) to function optimally, potentially reducing fatigue and increasing physical stamina
Cellular repair and anti-ageing effects: By supporting DNA repair mechanisms and maintaining genomic stability, NAD+ may slow down some biological aspects of ageing
Better cognitive function: Due to enhanced cellular repair and energy production in the brain, some reports suggest NAD supplementation can improve focus, memory, and mental clarity. Studies also suggest it may protect against neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s
Support for sleep: Since NAD+ interacts with sirtuins (proteins involved in circadian rhythm regulation), NAD supplementation may also help regulate and maintain healthy sleep-wake cycles
Weight management: “In clinical and preclinical studies, NAD+ supplementation has also been shown to improve metabolic health, including better insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism, which are crucial for reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes and obesity,” says Dr Enayat.

In fact, “anyone with cells in their body can benefit from NAD supplements,” says aesthetic doctor Dr Steven Land, which is a pretty big endorsement! “More NAD improves cellular health, speeds up cellular repair, improves cellular energy levels, reduces inflammation in the body, and can even improve skin/hair/nail health, so, if you’re always on the go like I am, this should be your number one supplement.”

PIN IT

Can NAD supplements help with jet lag?

For frequent long-haul travellers, the biggest excitement around NAD supplementation has been the hype around it helping with jet lag. After all, jet lag occurs when your body’s internal clock is out of sync with the external time zone, and since NAD+ is involved in circadian regulation, there’s a growing theory that boosting NAD+ levels could help “reset” the body’s clock more quickly, improving your sleep, digestion and mood when on the go.

Some studies in mice do seem to confirm that NAD plays an important role in adjusting circadian rhythms, and while clinical data in humans is limited, travellers who take NAD precursors anecdotally report faster adaptation to new time zones, better sleep quality on arrival, and reduced brain fog and fatigue.

So, while NAD supplements are probably not a miracle cure for jet lag – or ageing for that matter – they do offer a promising avenue for improving energy, sleep, and resilience – all of which are tested during travel. Your jet lag may not disappear completely, but paired with proper hydration, timed light exposure, and healthy sleep habits, they are a great tool to have in your carry-on…

The best NAD supplements to try

For Ageing: Nuchido

Founded by Dr Nichola Conlon, Nuchido Time+ is the NAD supplement on many expert's lips – and for good reason. Packed with NAD precursors as well as essential nutrients like vitamin C and zinc, the capsules are not only backed by human clinical trials, but, according to Dr Steven, are "backed with significant evidence that it improves NAD production in the cells, which is where it matters!"

Nuchido TIME+£65 Shop Now