Celeb-loved supplements touted for their anti-aging properties could fuel more than just your cells — they could fuel cancer.
Famous folks from Kim Kardashian to biohacker Bryan Johnson have talked about oral supplements that increase NAD+, a molecule used in every living cell in your body to make energy, repair DNA, and protect cells.
New research says these NAD+ precursor supplements — nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), nicotinamide riboside (NR) and niacinamide/nicotinamide (NAM) — may inadvertently also be helping cancer survive and even resist treatment.
NAD+ is needed for almost everything your body does. And the body has less of it as you get older.
“NAD⁺ levels naturally decline with age, most significantly in the 40s, [contributing to] chronic inflammation, poor sleep, metabolic disease and prolonged stress,” Dr. Pooja Gidwani, a double board-certified internal and obesity medicine physician based in Los Angeles, previously told The Post.
By taking NAD+ supplements, you might see “improved energy regulation, exercise tolerance or metabolic markers rather than dramatic cosmetic or weight-loss effects,” she said.
NMN, NR, and NAM are all forms of vitamin B3 that convert to NAD+ in cells, aka “NAD+ precursors.”
“The goal of NMN supplementation is not to ‘supercharge’ the system, but to support normal cellular processes that become less efficient over time,” Gidwani said.
Gidwani emphasized that NMN “may help optimize cellular energy pathways in the right context,” but it’s “not a miracle anti-aging drug,” nor can it replace sleep, exercise, nutrition or medical care.
Supercharging cancer cells
NAD+ precursor supplements can be great for healthy people. But new research from Case Western shows that when cancer is present, it can boost the disease.
That’s why it matters who takes these supplements. Researchers say that companies that sell NAD+ precursor supplements primarily target older individuals who are at higher risk of age-related illness, like cancer. Age is the single most important risk factor for cancer — 88% of cases are in people 50 and older.
Worse, some people with active cancer and undergoing chemotherapy turn to NAD+ precursors to help deal with toxicity from treatment. Some previous research shows they might fight or weaken cancer.
The researchers say these supplements could do the exact opposite.
Researchers looked at pancreatic cancer cells and how they reacted to three chemotherapy drugs. Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers because it often progresses without symptoms and is diagnosed late. Only 12% of all people with the cancer survive five years after being diagnosed.
When NAD+ supplements were introduced, tumors became stronger and more resilient as cancer cells were rejuvenated with more energy. The supplements also lowered oxidative stress in cancer cells, and suppressed DNA damage and cell death, blocking the ways chemo kills cancer.
They believe this happens because cancer cells hijack the same systems that our body uses to make energy, repair and survive cell death. All the benefits the supplements give to healthy cells are given to the cancer.
For cancer patients, researchers say the risks of taking these NAD+ precursors “are serious and demand immediate attention.”
“This research is a critical reminder that ‘natural’ doesn’t always mean safe, especially in the complex biology of cancer treatment,” lead author Jordan Winter said.
They’re calling for doctors to routinely check with their cancer patients to make sure they’re not taking NAD+ precursors.
