Herbal extract boosts NAD+ levels, improves physical, cognitive health, clinical trial finds

Indian researchers have found that a polyphenol-rich herbal supplement, made from a blend of pomegranate and marigold extracts, significantly improved health aging indicators in the elderly, in some cases even outperforming the main components in the category.

Healthy aging and longevity are clearly hot topics in the supplement and nutraceutical industry. According to Erica Kraft, an analyst at Nutrition Business Journal, supplement sales in the healthy aging category are expected to grow at a double-digit rate from now until 2028.

The study included both objective and subjective measurements, indicating that participants not only improved in tests but also felt different after taking the supplement for 60 days.

Why is this important?

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) is a molecule frequently mentioned in healthy aging discussions, as NAD+ levels decrease with age. This coenzyme is highly important at the cellular level, supporting DNA repair and energy metabolism.

Related:FDA confirms that NMN can remain on market

NAD precursors are the largest ingredient category in the healthy aging supplement market. NBJ data show this category is likely to double between 2025 and 2028, said Craft.

Two ingredients used most frequently in supplements targeting NAD+ levels are nicotinamide riboside (NR) and nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), both of which are NAD+ precursors. NMN may sound familiar, as it was the subject of recent FDA scrutiny, but now it is reinstated as a dietary supplement. 

“The market has been waiting for an NAD+ solution that goes beyond precursors alone,” said Eric Anderson, managing director at NXT USA and CEO of Blue Helix Health, via press release. NXT USA recently launched BluNADBooster, the herbal supplement evaluated in this clinical trial.

“BluNADBooster represents a next-generation approach — one that strengthens the body’s ability to generate and maintain healthy NAD+ levels while addressing the underlying mechanisms that cause NAD+ to decline with age,” he said. “This study confirms what we’ve believed for years: polyphenols matter, and they work in ways synthetic precursors cannot.” 

What are the key takeaways from this healthy aging study?

The combination of pomegranate and marigold extracts studied in the clinical trial support healthy aging by boosting NAD+ levels and decreasing age-related depletion of NAD+. The results support the notion that this ingredient also improves cognitive function and physical health. 

What ingredient was studied?

BluNADBooster is a combination of extracts from pomegranate (Punica granatum) and marigold (Tagetes erecta), standardized to at least 1.5% punicalagins and 4% quercetagetin.

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What were the details of the clinical trial?

Design: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Study size: 140 healthy, older adults with an average age of 60 years.

Length: 60 days.

Dosage: 1,000 mg pomegranate and marigold extract blend (BluNADBooster), 500 mg nicotinamide riboside (NR), 1,000 mg BluNADBooster + 500 mg NR, or placebo.

 Outcomes measured: Blood NAD+ levels were measured as well as CD38, an enzyme that “significantly (contributes) to the age-related depletion of NAD+,” according to the study authors. Various inflammatory biomarkers also were measured. Subjects underwent a 6-minute walk test, completed a mini-mental state examination and filled out quality-of-life surveys.

 What were the results?

After 60 days, the average NAD+ levels in the blood of all treatment groups were significantly higher than the baseline levels. Compared with nicotinamide riboside, BluNADBooster led to a greater increase in NAD+ levels, but this difference was not statistically significant. The combination of the two components resulted in a greater increase in NAD+ levels than using either component alone, but the difference was also not statistically significant.

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Participants who took BluNADBooster alone for 60 days had significantly lower CD38 levels than the baseline levels or those who took the placebo. Participants who took nicotinamide riboside or the combination of the two components did not show a significant decrease in CD38 levels, indicating that BluNADBooster not only increases NAD+ levels but also reduces NAD+ loss by inhibiting CD38 activity.

All active ingredients significantly reduced the levels of two pro-inflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6, thereby reducing the inflammation of the participants.

After 60 days of supplementing all active ingredients, the participants walked a longer distance in the six-minute walk test, regardless of whether the components were taken alone or in combination. Similar results were obtained in themini-mental state examinations，indicating that all active ingredients improved cognitive performance. The scores produced by the combination of BluNADBooster and NR were significantly higher than those produced by using either component alone. All participants who received the active ingredients had an improved quality of life score at the end of the trial， indicating that they experienced significant positive changes， not just as shown by the blood indicators and physical tests.

How can this be built upon previous research?

The benefits of nicotinamide riboside and NMN supplements have been fully demonstrated in the literature. NAD+ enhancers show promise in treating Alzheimer's disease, and regulating NAD+ metabolism may be beneficial for immune and inflammation regulation.

There may also be opportunities to support NAD+ levels through the gut microbiome and alleviate the severity of age-related diseases.

However, reports on the support of NAD+ levels by herbal components are rare. According to the press release, Blue Helix was established with the aim of finding "innovations derived from nature that have been clinically validated" to promote longevity and metabolic health. Blue Helix Health and NXT America screened 900 herbal extracts to find what they believed to be the best solution for effectively enhancing NAD+ levels.

Anderson said: "This is comprehensive and multi-dimensional evidence - science stacking science - to ensure that the formula is truly effective." "We have for the first time seen a clinically validated plant strategy that can support multiple markers of aging - including mitochondrial efficiency, inflammation, and cognitive recovery - within just 60 days."