Does NAD+ Help With Weight Loss? What Studies Report

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Short answer: Does NAD+ help with weight loss? Every weight trial cited here tested an oral NAD+ precursor, not injected NAD+ therapy. Two of the four human trials reported no change: a 12-week nicotinamide riboside (NR) trial in obese men found no effect on body composition, and a 10-week nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) trial found no change in weight or fat mass. A 6-week NR trial reported a small change in fat-free mass, a 28-day NMN trial reported 1.9 kg more weight loss than placebo, and a 2026 meta-analysis of 15 NMN trials found no significant effect on body weight. No published trial has tested NAD+ injections or IV drips for weight loss.

Below is each trial that measured weight or body composition, with its exact numbers, including the results that showed no change.

What is NAD+, and why is it linked to weight?

NR and NMN are precursors of NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) (Dollerup et al., 2018). The authors of one NMN trial note that in rodents, obesity and aging impair NAD+ production, and they describe NMN availability as “a rate-limiting factor in mammalian NAD+ biosynthesis” (Yoshino et al., 2021). The authors of an NR trial wrote that animal studies suggest a positive role for NR on insulin sensitivity, but that effects “need to be evaluated in human clinical trials” (Dollerup et al., 2018).

For how the precursors differ from NAD+ itself, see our NMN vs NAD+ comparison. For how oral supplements and injections compare in the evidence, see NAD+ supplements vs injections.

What did human trials find for weight and body composition?

Each trial below used a different precursor, dose, group of people and length, so the rows cannot be ranked against each other.

Trial	What was given	Who and how long	Weight or body composition result
Dollerup 2018	Oral NR 1,000 mg twice daily vs placebo	40 sedentary men, BMI over 30, age 40 to 70; 12 weeks	No effect on body composition or resting energy expenditure
Remie 2020	Oral NR 1,000 mg/day vs placebo (crossover)	13 healthy overweight or obese men and women; 6 weeks each	Fat-free mass 62.65% vs 61.32% of body mass (change 1.34%, P = 0.02); authors called it a “minor” change
Yoshino 2021	Oral NMN 250 mg/day vs placebo	25 postmenopausal women with prediabetes, overweight or obese; 10 weeks	Body weight 89 kg before and after in the NMN group; fat mass, fat-free mass and abdominal fat did not change in either group
Pencina 2023	Oral NMN (MIB-626) 1,000 mg twice daily vs placebo	30 overweight or obese adults aged 45 or older; 28 days	Body weight fell 1.9 kg more than placebo (P = .008); liver and abdominal fat did not change

Trials that found no change in weight or body composition

Dollerup 2018. This randomized, double-blind trial gave 2,000 mg of NR a day for 12 weeks to obese, insulin-resistant men. Body composition was measured by DXA and MRI scans. The authors reported that NR “had no effect on resting energy expenditure, lipolysis, oxidation of lipids, or body composition,” and that it did not improve insulin sensitivity. No serious adverse events were attributed to NR (Dollerup et al., 2018).

Yoshino 2021. This 10-week randomized, double-blind trial listed body composition as one of its three main questions. In the NMN group, mean body weight was 89 kg at the start and 89 kg at the end (group by time P = 0.941). The authors reported that fat mass, fat-free mass, intra-abdominal fat and liver fat “did not change in either group after 10 weeks of treatment.” The trial did report higher muscle insulin sensitivity after NMN, a separate outcome from weight. No adverse events were reported (Yoshino et al., 2021).

Trials that reported a change

Remie 2020. In 13 people, the authors reported that fat-free mass as a share of body mass was 1.34 percentage points higher after 6 weeks of NR than after placebo, along with a higher sleeping metabolic rate. The same trial found no effect on insulin sensitivity, mitochondrial function, liver or muscle fat, or energy metabolism. The authors described the result as “minor changes in body composition” with “no other metabolic health effects” (Remie et al., 2020).

Pencina 2023. In 30 adults (randomized 2 to 1), a microcrystalline NMN product called MIB-626, at two 500 mg tablets twice a day for 28 days, was followed by a body weight difference of -1.9 kg compared with placebo (95% CI -3.3 to -0.5). Liver fat, intra-abdominal fat and insulin sensitivity did not change in either group, and adverse events were similar between groups. Several authors list affiliations with Metro International Biotech, the maker of MIB-626, and the authors called for larger trials (Pencina et al., 2023).

What do reviews and meta-analyses say about NAD+ and weight?

Review	What it pooled	Weight finding as reported
Yang 2026 (meta-analysis)	15 randomized trials of oral NMN, 250 to 2,000 mg/day, 14 days to 24 weeks	“No significant effects were observed on body weight, BMI”
Baichuan 2023 (meta-regression)	22 treatment arms, 5,144 participants, nicotinic acid and nicotinamide	BMI lower by 0.19 kg/m2 vs control; “no significant effect was observed on body weight”
Gallagher 2026 (systematic review)	33 human studies of NAD-related compounds	Metabolic and other outcomes “heterogeneous and often null or endpoint-specific”

The Baichuan review did not include NR or NMN, so its BMI finding does not describe those precursors. The Gallagher review concluded that clinical effectiveness for anti-aging or wellness outcomes “remains inconclusive” (Gallagher and Emmanuel, 2026).

Do NAD+ injections or IV drips help with weight loss?

The cited evidence does not answer this. Every weight trial above used an oral precursor. The 2026 systematic review reported that “no eligible outcomes trials evaluated intravenous or intramuscular NAD+ itself for anti-aging or wellness indications” (Gallagher and Emmanuel, 2026). We are not aware of a published trial of subcutaneous or nasal NAD+ with a weight outcome either. Our page on NAD+ injection evidence covers what has been studied for injected NAD+.

NAD+ offered through PrescribedRX

PrescribedRX does not sell NR or NMN, and it does not offer NAD+ as a weight-loss treatment. Two NAD+ products are offered through PrescribedRX, a subcutaneous injection and a nasal spray, both compounded. Compounded medications are prepared by licensed pharmacies and are not FDA-approved. None of the trials above tested these products, so their results do not apply to them. Prices as displayed on the product pages in October 2026:

Product	Form as listed	3 month plan	Monthly plan
NAD+ Injection 200mg/mL 6ml (compounded)	Subcutaneous injection · Provider-dosed	3 month plan $412 · $137/mo · Billed every 3 months. Cancel anytime.	Monthly plan $169 a month
NAD+ Nasal Spray 200mg/mL 6ml (compounded)	Nasal spray · No needles	3 month plan $412 · $137/mo · Billed every 3 months. Cancel anytime.	Monthly plan $169 a month

A licensed provider decides whether it is appropriate for you, and your provider sets the dose. Every plan is listed on our pricing page.

What weight-loss treatments are offered through PrescribedRX?

Weight-loss plans are listed separately on the weight loss page, which covers compounded semaglutide and compounded tirzepatide injections. For any of these, a licensed provider decides whether it is appropriate for you.

When should you talk to a doctor?

Talk to a licensed provider before starting NR, NMN or NAD+ in any form, especially if you have a health condition or take other medicines, and before starting any weight-loss treatment. The cited trials reported no serious adverse events attributed to NR (Dollerup 2018), no adverse events with NMN (Yoshino 2021) and adverse events similar to placebo (Pencina 2023), but these were short trials in small groups. Our NAD+ side effects page covers reactions reported with other forms. In an emergency, call 911.

Frequently asked questions

Does NAD+ help you lose weight?

The evidence is limited. Two of the four precursor trials cited here found no change in weight or body composition, one found a small change in fat-free mass, and one industry-affiliated 28-day trial reported 1.9 kg more weight loss than placebo. A 2026 meta-analysis of NMN trials found no significant effect on body weight.

Does NMN help with weight loss?

In the Yoshino 2021 trial, 250 mg/day of NMN for 10 weeks did not change body weight or fat mass. In the Pencina 2023 trial, 2,000 mg/day of an NMN product for 28 days was followed by 1.9 kg more weight loss than placebo. The Yang 2026 meta-analysis of 15 NMN trials found no significant effect on body weight or BMI.

Do NAD injections help with weight loss?

No trial has tested that. A 2026 systematic review found no eligible outcome trials of intravenous or intramuscular NAD+ for wellness uses, and every weight trial cited on this page used an oral precursor.

How do I talk to a provider about my options?

If you want a licensed provider to review your options, start with the eligibility check. You can browse weight loss plans or longevity treatments, with prices shown before you start.

Sources

1. Dollerup OL, et al. A randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial of nicotinamide riboside in obese men: safety, insulin-sensitivity, and lipid-mobilizing effects. Am J Clin Nutr. 2018;108(2):343-353. PubMed. Accessed Oct 2026.
2. Remie CME, et al. Nicotinamide riboside supplementation alters body composition and skeletal muscle acetylcarnitine concentrations in healthy obese humans. Am J Clin Nutr. 2020;112(2):413-426. PubMed. Accessed Oct 2026.
3. Yoshino M, et al. Nicotinamide mononucleotide increases muscle insulin sensitivity in prediabetic women. Science. 2021;372(6547):1224-1229. PubMed. Accessed Oct 2026.
4. Pencina KM, et al. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide augmentation in overweight or obese middle-aged and older adults: a physiologic study. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2023;108(8):1968-1980. PubMed. Accessed Oct 2026.
5. Yang W, et al. Safety and metabolism-related outcomes of oral nicotinamide mononucleotide supplementation in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrients. 2026;18(14):2251. PubMed. Accessed Oct 2026.
6. Baichuan Y, et al. The effects of NAD+ precursor (nicotinic acid and nicotinamide) supplementation on weight loss and related hormones: a systematic review and meta-regression analysis of randomized controlled trials. Front Nutr. 2023;10:1208734. PubMed. Accessed Oct 2026.
7. Gallagher C, Emmanuel OO. NAD+ supplementation for anti-aging and wellness: a PRISMA-guided systematic review of preclinical and clinical evidence. Ageing Res Rev. 2026;116:103057. PubMed. Accessed Oct 2026.

This article is for general information. It is not medical advice and it is not a recommendation for any particular treatment. Whether a treatment is appropriate for you is a decision for a licensed clinician who has reviewed your health history and current medications.