Herbal NAD+ booster beats synthetic supplement
Researchers in India have found that a polyphenol-rich herbal supplement, combining pomegranate and marigold extracts, significantly improved healthy aging parameters in older adults, and in some instances outperformed a mainstay ingredient in the category.
Healthy aging and longevity clearly are hot topics in the supplement and nutraceutical industry. Supplement sales in the healthy aging category are expected to grow at a double-digit pace between now and 2028, according to Nutrition Business Journal analyst Erika Craft.
The study included both objective and subjective measurements, showing participants not only improved according to tests, but noticed a difference in how they felt after taking the supplement for 60 days.
Why is this important?
Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) is a molecule frequently mentioned in healthy aging discussions, as NAD+ levels decrease with age. This coenzyme is highly important at the cellular level, supporting DNA repair and energy metabolism.
NAD precursors are the largest ingredient category in the healthy aging supplement market. NBJ data show this category is likely to double between 2025 and 2028, said Craft.
Two ingredients used most frequently in supplements targeting NAD+ levels are nicotinamide riboside (NR) and nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), both of which are NAD+ precursors. NMN may sound familiar, as it was the subject of recent FDA scrutiny, but now it is reinstated as a dietary supplement.
“The market has been waiting for an NAD+ solution that goes beyond precursors alone,” said Eric Anderson, managing director at NXT USA and CEO of Blue Helix Health, via press release. NXT USA recently launched BluNADBooster, the herbal supplement evaluated in this clinical trial.
“BluNADBooster represents a next-generation approach — one that strengthens the body’s ability to generate and maintain healthy NAD+ levels while addressing the underlying mechanisms that cause NAD+ to decline with age,” he said. “This study confirms what we’ve believed for years: polyphenols matter, and they work in ways synthetic precursors cannot.”
What are the key takeaways from this healthy aging study?
The combination of pomegranate and marigold extracts studied in the clinical trial support healthy aging by boosting NAD+ levels and decreasing age-related depletion of NAD+. The results support the notion that this ingredient also improves cognitive function and physical health.
What ingredient was studied?
BluNADBooster is a combination of extracts from pomegranate (Punica granatum) and marigold (Tagetes erecta), standardized to at least 1.5% punicalagins and 4% quercetagetin.
What were the details of the clinical trial?
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Design: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
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Study size: 140 healthy, older adults with an average age of 60 years.
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Dosage: 1,000 mg pomegranate and marigold extract blend (BluNADBooster), 500 mg nicotinamide riboside (NR), 1,000 mg BluNADBooster + 500 mg NR, or placebo.
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Outcomes measured: Blood NAD+ levels were measured as well as CD38, an enzyme that “significantly (contributes) to the age-related depletion of NAD+,” according to the study authors. Various inflammatory biomarkers also were measured. Subjects underwent a 6-minute walk test, completed a mini-mental state examination and filled out quality-of-life surveys.
What were the results?
Participants in all treatment groups experienced significantly increased blood NAD+ levels after 60 days compared to baseline.
The increase was greater for BluNADBooster versus nicotinamide riboside, although this was not statistically significant. The combination of both ingredients led to a greater increase in NAD+ than either ingredient alone, but the difference was not statistically significant.
Participants receiving BluNADBooster alone for 60 days had significantly lower CD38 levels than at baseline or those receiving placebo. Subjects who received NR or the combination of actives did not experience significant decreases in CD38, indicating the ability of BluNADBooster not only to boost NAD+ levels but to decrease loss of NAD+ by inhibiting CD38 activity.
All actives significantly decreased tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin-6, both of which are proinflammatory cytokines, reducing inflammation in subjects.
Participants walked longer distances in the six-minute walk tests after 60 days of supplementation with all actives, alone or in combination. Similar results emerged with the mini-mental state examinations, indicating all actives improved cognitive performance. BluNADBooster combined with NR produced significantly higher scores than either ingredient alone.
All subjects receiving an active ingredient had improved quality-of-life scores by the end of the trial, indicating they felt a noticeable positive difference beyond what was observed in blood markers and physical tests.
How does this build upon prior research?
The benefits of nicotinamide riboside and NMN supplementation have been well established in the literature. NAD+ boosters show promise in the treatment Alzheimer’s disease and modulating NAD+ metabolism may benefit immunity and inflammation regulation.
There may also be an opportunity to support NAD+ levels via the gut microbiome and to reduce the severity of age-related diseases.
However, there are few reports of herbal ingredients supporting NAD+ levels. Blue Helix was founded to find “clinically validated, nature-derived innovations” for longevity and metabolic wellness, according to the press release. Blue Helix Health and NXT USA screened 900 herbal extracts to find what they believe to be the optimal solution for boosting NAD+.
“This is comprehensive, multidimensional evidence — science layered on science — to ensure the formulation truly delivers,” Anderson said. “For the first time, we’re seeing a clinically validated botanical strategy that supports multiple hallmarks of aging — including mitochondrial efficiency, inflammation and cognitive resilience — within just 60 days.”
