MIRACLE DRIP

NAD+ infusions have become increasingly popular, promising to magically turn back the clock. But are they too good to be true? Mattie Kahn investigates.

- Mattie Kahn

I will be transparent," says the designer Azeeza Khan. "The first time I heard about NAD+ was because Hailey Bieber was doing it." The model was filmed sampling an intravenous drip laced with nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (or NAD+) for an episode of The Kardashians. (Her pal Kendall Jenner was partaking too.)

Khan insists she isn't one to crib longevity tips from famous 20-somethings, but her interest was piqued. NAD+ is a common coenzyme that has become a target for algorithm-conscious wellness warriors and credentialed researchers alike. Evangelists believe it has the potential to disrupt stubborn realities of the aging process, from the loss of muscle mass to flagging energy stores.

From the depths of Calabasas to the medi-spas of Madison Avenue, celebrities and civilians alike have been loading up on NAD+ with Ozempic-like zeal. Bieber seems to have converted her husband, who can be seen hooked up to an NAD+ IV drip in his documentary Seasons. Jennifer Aniston has pronounced the molecule "fascinating." Emily Oberg, founder of the label Sporty & Rich, administers her own doses at home, claiming improvements in her mood and stamina (and counting on a harder-to-measure cellular glow-up as she ages). Mara Raden the clinical director of Raden Wellness, where Khan gets her NAD+ fix in Chicago-says her patients describe its effects as pure "brainpower."

Sounds like a silver bullet (or snake oil, depending on your perspective), but there is theoretical science behind it. Michael Sagner, MD, founder and executive director of the nonprofit European Society of Preventive Medicine, explains that NAD+ is found in every cell in the human body, assisting with the most basic and essential functions: regulating energy production, cell metabolism, and the arbitration of cell survival. Sirtuins-a family of proteins that deals with inflammation and oxidative stress in cells especially require NAD+ to work.