Celebrities like Kendall Jenner and Gwyneth Paltrow are attempting to turn back the clock with an IV therapy called NAD+, a treatment that is currently taking Tinseltown by storm.
The drips, which cost upwards of $750 at some New York City and Los Angeles medical spas, promise tons of alleged benefits to its customers – like improving signs of aging and cognitive function, as well as possibly assisting in repairing the look of aging skin, per Health.com.
It could also have ‘anti-inflammatory effects,’ ‘increase insulin sensitivity,’ and may even help to ‘improve exercise performance’ in older people, according to VeryWell Health.
Not only is it popular with celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow, but it’s also a hit with podcasters Joe Rogan and Brendan Schaub, who both raved about the treatment in 2019.
During season one of The Kardashians on Hulu in 2022, Kendall Jenner was filmed getting the drip with her friend, A-lister Hailey Bieber.
Celebrities like Kendall Jenner are attempting to turn back the clock with an IV therapy called NAD+, a treatment that is currently taking Tinseltown by storm
Among other celebrities who have tried out NAD+ therapy are Gwyneth Paltrow (left) and Kristin Cavallari (right)
During season one of The Kardashians on Hulu in 2022, Kendall Jenner was filmed getting the drip with her friend, A-lister Hailey Bieber
‘I’m gonna NAD for the rest of my life, and I’m never gonna age,’ Bieber said as she sat on a couch getting the treatment done alongside Jenner.
Recently, Kristin Cavallari and her friend and hairstylist Justin Anderson spoke about getting the therapy on Cavallari’s podcast, explaining that it makes you feel like you have the flu – and they’ve been putting themselves through it for years.
‘You really feel like your body is being poisoned,’ Anderson said, as Cavallari detailed that you feel chest tightness, flushed skin and a stuffy nose – among other symptoms.
However, Anderson admitted that when he was getting the NAD+ IV drips – the active form of NAD – consistently, he ‘felt the best ever.’
‘My skin looked so clear,’ he raved.
So, what is this magic stuff called NAD+, anyway, and does it really work?
According to Michigan-based plastic surgeon, Dr. Anthony Youn, NAD is something that is already naturally occurring in our cells.
‘NAD stands for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, and it’s a naturally occurring compound in our cells that plays a big role in generating energy from the food you eat,’ the doctor told DailyMail.com.
Botched star Dr. Terry Dubrow (left) and Michigan-based plastic surgeon Dr. Anthony Youn (right) weighed in on the trendy treatment to DailyMail.com
‘I’m gonna NAD for the rest of my life, and I’m never gonna age,’ Bieber said as she sat on a couch getting the treatment done alongside Jenner
Dr. Youn explained that although studies done with mice have found that supplementing them with NAD can ‘have significant impacts on the aging process, causing them to age more slowly,’ there is still limited research that’s been performed on humans.
According to Michigan-based plastic surgeon, Dr. Anthony Youn, NAD is something that is already naturally occurring in our cells
‘There is early data that shows NAD supplementation may increase muscle strength and performance, cognition, and overall energy levels,’ the doctor shared.
‘Unfortunately the data on humans is still limited, but there are a lot of anecdotal studies that show increasing your NAD levels can be beneficial for the aging process.’
So, it’s entirely possibly that NAD+ can help slow down the aging process in general, but it’s still unclear if it can actually make you look younger.
Dr. Youn explained that there are no studies that show if NAD can make you appear younger purely on the outside.
Botched star Dr. Terry Dubrow also told DailyMail.com that the ‘jury is still out’ when it comes to whether or not NAD can make you have a more youthful appearance.
‘This unregulated relatively untested area is the Wild West of anti-aging medicine similar to what’s occurs with the use of injectable peptides,’ Dr. Dubrow said.
The same goes for whether or not the supposed benefits are the real deal.
‘If you listen to the hype, it does absolutely everything from reduce inflammation to slow aging,’ Dr. Dubrow explained.
‘The jury is definitely still out and it’s unlikely to ever be proven to be as effective for so many health benefits as claimed.’
‘There is early data that shows NAD supplementation may increase muscle strength and performance, cognition, and overall energy levels,’ the doctor shared
So, it’s entirely possibly that NAD+ can help slow down the aging process in general, but it’s still unclear if it can actually make you look younger – sorry Kendall Jenner
However, there’s one thing for certain, and that’s the fact that it’s extremely popular in Hollywood, according to Dr. Dubrow, who is married to Real Housewives of Orange County star Heather Dubrow.
He noted that NAD+, along with peptides, are ‘extremely popular.’
‘It’s definitely a secret but I recommend you don’t be first in line to experiment with this untested and unregulated area of health and wellness,’ the doctor warned.
Dr. Youn noted that the oral supplements could be a good gateway if you’re looking to try it out
But if you’re still curious about getting in on this supposedly anti-aging secret, you can get NAD+ done either via IV, or by a quick injection, something that’s offered at New York City-based medical spa, Elix Wellness.
Some brands even sell supplements of the coenzyme, but Dr. Youn shared that it’s not exactly pure NAD – they’re made of NR and NMN, which are ‘precursors’ to NAD, which are materials that become NAD after a ‘chemical transformation,’ per Elysium Health.
However, he noted that the oral supplements could be a good gateway if you’re looking to try it out.
‘The oral versions are NR and NMN, which are precursors to NAD,’ the Younger For Life author explained.
‘I recommend an oral version if you want to try it, as these are much less expensive and don’t require you potentially scarring up your veins,’ he continued.
But at the end of the day, it doesn’t seem like getting NAD+ IVs can come close to a substitute for Botox or other cosmetic treatments – and it’s questionable whether or not it can really make you look younger, anyway.
‘Because it doesn’t have the dramatic impact on the appearance of aging that treatments like Botox have, I doubt it will ever serve as a replacement,’ Dr. Youn admitted.
