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Why Ageing Feels Like a Life Sentence?
Australians live longer than ever, but ageing can feel like a curse.
According to the AIHW, 51 % of older Australians (aged 65+) live with 2 or more chronic conditions; only one-fifth report none.
And the rising social isolation for our elderly puts even more salt on the wound.
The root of many cognitive and physical problems for elderly people is low NAD+. Luckily, we have ways to boost this molecule and avoid severe chronic conditions once we reach a more mature age.
What Is NAD+ and Why It Matters
NAD+ (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide) is essential for converting food into cellular energy, repairing DNA, and keeping your body running smoothly.
But studies show NAD+ levels naturally decline with age, stress, and poor sleep, leading to lower energy, slower recovery, and visible ageing.
Supporting healthy NAD+ levels is now seen as one of the most promising strategies for maintaining vitality as you get older.
How To Regain NAD+?
One of the most common ways to naturally boost NAD+ is Nicotinamide Riboside (NR).
NR is a specialised form of vitamin B3 – and it has been clinically shown to support NAD+ levels more efficiently than diet alone. Furthermore, the usual vitamin B3 is usually not sufficient enough to produce proper amounts of NAD+.
After ingestion, our bodies break down NR and convert it into NAD+ through a metabolic pathway.
NAD+ then goes on to power you and your cells in various ways:
Mitochondrial function: NAD+ powers the mitochondria and enables it to produce ATP (cellular energy) more efficiently.
Sirtuin activation: NAD+ activates sirtuins that protect DNA and reduce inflammation, thereby positively affecting your longevity.
PARP function enhancement: NAD+ recharges your PARPs, which are responsible for detecting DNA damage and repairing it. This can result in you looking and feeling younger.
☝️ The graph shows that NAD+ levels decline by approximately 60-70% from youth to older age, highlighting the significant reduction in the body's ability to support cellular renewal over time.
As a result, you may end up feeling more energised and focused. Your body may respond positively to NR as well – through better post-exercise recovery, improved metabolic function and glowing, healthier skin.
So, if NR can be so essential in our fight for healthier ageing, which product is best-suited to do that?
We skipped the marketing bluster and went straight to the evidence. First, we trawled through more than 20 Nicotinamide Riboside (NR) available in Australia, checking legality, lab-test transparency and value-for-money (GST included).
Using those filters we narrowed the field to the five strongest contenders, then ran a real-world trial here in Australia:
Participants: 25 healthy volunteers aged 25–70 (no pre-existing conditions).
Design: Five people per brand, one capsule daily for four weeks.
Oversight: Protocol reviewed and cleared by clinical pharmacologist Dr Adrian Voss PhD.
Measures: Whole-blood NAD+ levels plus weekly energy-and-wellbeing logs.
That head-to-head test, combined with publicly available certificates of analysis and our own user notes, produced the final ranking you’re about to read. All the research steps and participation rules are spelled out in full at the end of the article, because a fair go starts with full transparency. 🕵️♂️
Highest Purity: Pure NR by partiQlar is 99.7% pure, outperforming every NR on the market.
Rigorously Tested: each batch undergoes third-party lab testing and every buyer can find the certificates on the site.
Potent Dose: offering nothing but 500 mg of the purest NR in the capsule, partiQlar steps in front of every other brand for dosage.
Why It’s The Top Pick:
PartiQlar Pure NR stands out because it delivers a straightforward, research-backed formula. Each capsule contains 500 mg of 99.7 % pure NR chloride sourced from Effepharm, with no fillers or proprietary blends, with lab certification to prove that.
In our independent trial, participants taking PartiQlar saw nearly double their baseline NAD⁺ levels within four weeks, demonstrating that consistent, high-dose NR can produce measurable results.
The supplement arrived as advertised, matching their delivery estimate. Our order hasn't faced any issues with the customs and reached our labs relatively quickly.
Highly-Researched: Tru Niagen meticulously researched NAD+ and their own NR offering to the market.
Reasonably Effective: our team has found that is effective and safe.
Lower Dose: Tru Niagen’s NR is dosed at 300 mg per capsule, which is below some of its competitors.
It’s backed by over 300 preclinical and clinical studies related to NAD+ and cellular health. Tru Niagen definitely holds a high standard over the supplement market as a whole. However, here premium quality comes at a premium price.
The price question is even more apparent as their dosage is a very conservative 300 mg. Considering the fact that a base option includes 30 capsules, and costs 75 AUD (+10 AUD for shipping), it does seem like a lower-value product.
Highly-Reputable brand: DoNotAge has a good reputation in the longevity space.
Produced in certified facilities: the Pure NR is produced in GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) certified facilities, ensuring high manufacturing standards.
Lack of Scientific Backing: the purity certificates are only available upon request.
DoNotAge has built a strong reputation in the longevity space, offering a range of supplements focused on healthy aging.
Their Pure NR supplement delivers 350mg of Nicotinamide Riboside chloride per capsule, which is a reasonable dose.
They emphasize using no fillers, no flow agents, and no additives, and manufacture their products in GMP-certified facilities.
However, while they claim "100% purity," third-party lab certificates for Pure NR are available only upon request and not openly posted on their site.
Given the higher dosage and affordable price, Pure NR by DoNotAge stands out, but transparency could be stronger compared to top-tier competitors.
Decent Value: Thorne offers 100 AUD for 60 capsules, which are 500 mg each.
Formula Includes TMG: the NR is combined with TMG for improved effectiveness.
Uses a Less Researched Form of NR: the supplement includes NR Hydrogen Malate, which is studied the least of all NR forms.
Thorne NiaCel offers a solid NR supplement at roughly 100 AUD for 60 capsules, but keep in mind that price likely doesn’t include GST and potential import duties. There’s no clear information on shipping terms either, so you may face unexpected delivery fees or delays at customs.
Each capsule contains 415 mg of Nicotinamide Riboside Hydrogen Malate, a form of NR that isn’t as extensively studied as NR chloride, which most brands use for its proven safety profile.
Thorne adds 85 mg of Betaine Anhydrous (TMG) to support more effective NAD+ boosting, and while TMG is generally well tolerated, the Hydrogen Malate variant may raise questions for those seeking the most researched NR options.
Unlike some competitors, Thorne doesn’t publish any third-party purity certificates or lab analysis reports. That lack of transparency, combined with unclear Australian shipping policies and the omission of taxes in the listed price, makes Thorne NiaCel a more uncertain choice for buyers in Australia.
Next, we applied strict content filters to our candidate list:
Simple ingredient list – no unnecessary ingredients, sweeteners, coloring agents, and anything else that doesn’t affect absorption or isn’t a supplement.
Study-backed dosage – studies have been done with at least 300 mg of NR. We made sure that our top choices contain an amount equal or higher than 300 mg per serving. This was done to ensure effectiveness of each supplement we were going to try out.
No blends – we only included products that contain just NR or the NR as the main ingredient.
No unrealistic claims – any supplement is just a boost to your lifestyle, which should be healthy & balanced to feel the effects. Any brand that promised life-changing effects was written off as a potential scam and didn’t enter our primary list.
Scientifically backed claims – to make sure that the brand knows what they’re selling, we made sure that their product descriptions included at least one scientific reference.
Next, our research team assembled a focus group of 25 healthy adults, aged 25 to 70, with no pre-existing medical conditions. Participants were divided into five groups, each testing a different NR supplement brand.
The following were the rules of participation in this experiment:
Each NR was to be taken daily and accordingly with the package instructions – no creative interpretation about dosage nor ingestion.
The experiment lasted exactly 4 weeks, i.e. 28 days.
If the package didn’t give any instructions about ingestion, the participant must have simply taken the NR capsule(s) with one glass of water.
Every participant must have journaled their experience after starting this experiment at least once a week and have written a conclusion on the last day of taking NR.
The participants must also have submitted to weekly blood tests, which were focused on inspecting the NR’s performance, including NAD+ levels.
With so many options on the market, picking the right NR supplement comes down to a few key factors. Purity, transparency, and quality manufacturing make the biggest difference—not just in effectiveness but in knowing exactly what you’re putting into your body.
First, look for clear labeling and third-party testing. A good supplement will state its NR content per serving and provide independent lab results to verify purity and potency. Without this, there’s no way to know if you’re getting an effective dose or just trace amounts.
Manufacturing standards matter too. Supplements produced in FDA-registered or GMP-certified facilities follow stricter quality controls, ensuring safety and consistency. If you have dietary restrictions, checking for gluten-free, vegan, or allergen-free options can also help narrow down your choices.
On the other hand, avoid brands that lack transparency. If a company doesn’t disclose its exact NR content or ingredient sources, that’s a red flag. Similarly, watch out for unnecessary fillers or additives—they don’t contribute to effectiveness and can sometimes cause unwanted reactions.
After meticulously testing four best NR supplements, one thing became clear: not all NAD+ boosters are created equal. Some delivered subtle support, others felt inconsistent – but only one provided that steady, energized, fully-alive feeling day after day.
💡 If you’re looking for a quick cheat sheet on NR and how to use it effectively, check out our FAQ section—we’ve answered the most common questions to help you get started with confidence.
*Some links on this site are affiliate links, meaning we may earn a small commission if you make a purchase. Our content is based on independent research and is never influenced by affiliate partnerships.