Feeling like your cellular battery is stuck on 10%? You’re not imagining it. As we navigate our 30s, 40s, and beyond, a critical molecule in our bodies called NAD+ (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide) naturally declines. This isn’t just about low energy—it’s about the very foundation of how our cells repair, rejuvenate, and resist aging.
Think of NAD+ as the essential spark plug in your body’s cellular engine. It powers two vital systems:
- Energy Production: Converting food into usable cellular fuel.
- Cellular Repair: Activating “longevity proteins” (sirtuins) that fix damaged DNA and regulate aging.
When NAD+ levels drop—a process that accelerates with stress, environmental toxins, and our modern lifestyles—those systems can start to sputter. The result? Persistent fatigue, slower metabolism, less resilient skin, and a faster decline in overall vitality.
Why This Matters for Women’s Health & Longevity
For women, the natural decline in NAD+ often intersects with perimenopause and menopause, a time when cellular energy demands shift dramatically. Supporting your NAD+ levels can be a game-changer for:
- Sustaining Metabolic Vitality: Helping to maintain a healthy weight and energy balance.
- Promoting Cellular Rejuvenation: Supporting the body’s innate repair mechanisms for healthier skin, brain, and heart function.
- Building Resilience: Creating a stronger foundation to manage stress and hormonal transitions.
The NAD+ & Longevity Connection for Men
The cellular energy crisis impacts men profoundly. Declining NAD+ is closely linked to age-related changes in muscle mass, metabolic fitness, and peak performance. For men focused on maintaining strength, sharp cognition, and robust health into their later decades, supporting NAD+ is a key strategy. It aids in:
- Maintaining Physical Performance: Supporting mitochondrial function in muscle cells for endurance and recovery.
- Promoting Metabolic & Cardiovascular Health: Influencing factors like healthy cholesterol metabolism and insulin sensitivity.
- Cognitive Sharpness: Fueling the brain’s energy-intensive processes to help maintain focus and mental clarity.
Navigating NAD+ Supplementation: Science, Strategy, and Safety
While the science behind NAD+ is compelling, supplementation requires a nuanced, personalized approach—a cornerstone of Functional Medicine. Here’s what the research indicates and what to consider.
The Delivery Challenge: Oral vs. Direct Methods
Most over-the-counter options are oral precursors like Nicotinamide Riboside (NR) or Nicotinamide Mononucleotide (NMN). However, these must survive digestion and undergo multiple conversion steps in the body, with variable efficiency. This is a key reason why clinical results from oral supplements can be inconsistent.
In my practice, for clients who are appropriate candidates, I utilize a more direct and efficient method: subcutaneous NAD+ injection therapy. This approach bypasses the digestive system entirely, allowing for precise dosing and superior bioavailability directly into the bloodstream. It’s a clinical-grade intervention that can be integrated into a personalized treatment plan for targeted cellular rejuvenation.
Is It For Everyone? Understanding Pitfalls and Contraindications
NAD+ support, especially via injection, is a powerful intervention and not a universal solution. Key considerations include:
- Genetic Variations: Enzymes like NMNAT and PARPs are crucial for NAD+ metabolism. Genetic variations (SNPs) can affect these pathways, meaning some individuals may require specific cofactor support (like B vitamins) for optimal benefit, which we can identify through testing.
- Underlying Health Conditions: Individuals with certain liver conditions, active cancer, or who are pregnant or breastfeeding are not candidates for NAD+ injection therapy. A thorough health screening is essential.
- The Importance of Context: A direct NAD+ injection is a tool, not a cure-all. Its benefits are maximized when the body’s foundational systems—mitochondrial health, methylation status, nutrient sufficiency—are also supported.
An Integrative Approach is Key
This complexity is precisely why an isolated intervention is rarely the complete answer. True NAD+ optimization happens when advanced methods are strategically combined with lifestyle and holistic practices that improve your body’s ability to use it.
Beyond the Intervention: The Integrative Approach to True Cellular Vitality
In my practice, NAD+ support is one component of a complete protocol designed to address root causes and build lasting resilience.
- Functional Testing & Personalization: We use tools like organic acid tests (OAT test) to assess mitochondrial function and genetic data review to tailor your protocol, ensuring any intervention is precisely matched to your biochemistry.
- Synergistic Holistic Modalities: Acupuncture enhances energy flow (Qi) and reduces systemic stress. Chinese herbal medicine supports organ systems involved in energy production. Clinical Hypnotherapy and EFT lower chronic cortisol (a major NAD+ drain), and Transformational Breath® improves cellular oxygenation. This creates the optimal internal environment for cellular rejuvenation.
- Lifestyle as Foundation: Qigong and specific nutritional strategies are prescribed to improve mitochondrial efficiency and sustain results.
True longevity medicine isn’t about a single injection or supplement. It’s about intelligent, layered strategies that harness both advanced science and ancient wisdom to help you build sustainable vitality.
Ready to explore a clinically-guided, personalized strategy for cellular vitality?
Move beyond over-the-counter guesswork. Through a comprehensive Functional Medicine assessment, we can determine if advanced NAD+ therapy is right for you and integrate it into a holistic plan for optimal healthspan.
Book a Tele-Health Consultation to Inquire About Our NAD+ Protocols
About Dr. Fabio: Dr. Fabio Massimo Paciucci is an Integrative Health Practitioner with a DACM and advanced training in Functional Medicine. He holds certification in Acupuncture Injection Therapy and specializes in merging Eastern healing arts with cutting-edge Western modalities to create personalized longevity and performance protocols.
Important Medical Disclaimer
The information provided in this blog post is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or before starting any new therapy, including NAD+ supplementation or injection therapy.
The content describes general principles of integrative health and may not be appropriate for everyone. Mention of specific techniques or treatments, such as subcutaneous NAD+ injection therapy, does not constitute a recommendation or guarantee of results. Individual needs and outcomes vary.
Dr. Fabio Massimo Paciucci is a licensed Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine (DACM) and a certified Functional Medicine practitioner, not a Medical Doctor (MD). Services provided are complementary and integrative to mainstream medical care. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read here.
Key Citations for the Added Section:
- Oral NR Efficacy: Martens, C.R., et al. (2018). Chronic nicotinamide riboside supplementation is well-tolerated and elevates NAD⁺ in healthy middle-aged and older adults. Nature Communications.
- NAD+ Metabolism & Genetics: Poljsak, B., et al. (2022). NAD+ as the Link Between Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and Sirtuins in Aging. Antioxidants.
- Precursors & Pathways: Yoshino, J., et al. (2018). NAD⁺ Intermediates: The Biology and Therapeutic Potential of NMN and NR. Cell Metabolism.
