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Why Ageing Feels Like a Life Sentence?
Did you know that in Canada, almost 40% of seniors report feeling lonely? That’s according to Statistics Canada.
Moreover, at least 70% of Canadian seniors have at least one chronic disease. And ⅓ of them suffer from two or more.
The answer to all of this? NAD+ and the harsh climate. While we can’t defeat the climate, there is a way to address the NAD+ issue.
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 aging.
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’s 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 energized and focused. Your body may respond positively to NR as well – through better post-workout recovery, improved metabolic function and glowing, healthier skin.
So, if NR can be so essential in our fight for healthier aging, which product is best-suited to do that?
Our team decided to dive straight into the research and compile a list of the most reputable NR supplement brands out there. We started rummaging through the internet and looked at various supplement brands that sell NR.
First, we scanned through 20 different NR brands available in Canada, and filtered that list down to five most reputable ones.
Then, our researchers gathered a focus group of healthy adults to conduct a live experiment, testing each NR brand. The sample size was capped at 25 people, aged 25 to 70.
No one in the group had any pre-existing medical conditions; five participants were assigned to each NR brand.
The rules of participation in this experiment are explained at the bottom of the article with the research peer-reviewed and approved by a pharmacologist – Dr. Adrian Voss, PhD.
This process reduced our primary list to five contenders for the next phase, where we ranked each supplement based on publicly available information and the experience of the focus group.🕵️
Highest Purity: Pure NR by partiQlar is 99.7% pure, outperforming every NR on the market.
Meets Health Canada Standards: The product meets Health Canada standards, so you know you’re getting nothing but the cleanest NR available.
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 has built its reputation on rigorous lab testing and unwavering quality control. Every batch of Pure NR is third‐party certified for 99.7 % purity, ensuring you’re getting pure nicotinamide riboside without fillers or unnecessary additives.
At a full 500 mg per capsule, well above the typical 250-300 mg offerings, you should experience a noticeable lift in cellular energy, metabolic support, and recovery. Produced in a GMP‐certified facility that aligns with Health Canada’s standards, Pure NR guarantees top‐tier manufacturing practices.
Plus, orders arrive swiftly, so you won’t be left waiting to tap into better focus and vitality. Whether you’re powering through a packed workweek or simply aiming for more consistent energy, this high‐purity formula delivers the cleanest, most effective NR available.
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.
Tru Niagen is one of the better-known NAD+ supplements, largely due to strong marketing and early entry into the market. It contains Nicotinamide Riboside chloride (NR chloride), a well-researched form of NR
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, it does seem to provide a bit less value for money.
Highly-Reputable brand: DoNotAge has a good reputation in the longevity space.
Produced in U.S. GMP-certified facilities: the Pure NR is produced in American GMP-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 U.S. 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 approx. $100 CAD 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 CAD for 60 capsules, but keep in mind that price likely doesn’t include 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 Canadian shipping policies and the omission of taxes in the listed price, makes Thorne NiaCel a more uncertain choice for buyers in Canada.
Reputation within the longevity community – we made sure that the brands are reputable by scanning through various forums and seeing if the users are mentioning them in a non-commercial context.
Simple ingredient list – no unnecessary ingredients, sweeteners, colouring 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.