Sep 17, 2026 · 7 min
CD38 May Accelerate NAD+ Loss as Anti-Aging Claims Surge
305 . Why CD38 Destroys NAD+ Faster Than You Produce It
NAD+ products are spreading across wellness markets, but understanding how aging, inflammation, and CD38 affect depletion helps separate plausible biology from exaggerated promises.
- 1NAD+ supports energy production, DNA repair, and metabolism, making its decline relevant to aging and recovery claims.
- 2Aging and inflammation may increase CD38 activity, accelerating NAD+ depletion faster than the body can replenish it.
- 3NMN and nicotinamide riboside may offer more practical routes than taking raw NAD+ directly.
Don't miss
The episode’s key turn is the explanation of how aging and inflammation through CD38 may accelerate NAD+ depletion.
The brief
NAD+ has moved from cellular biology into a multibillion-dollar wellness market of IV drips, patches, sprays, and supplements promising anti-aging and recovery.
Gary Brecka frames the central question: NAD+ supports energy production, DNA repair, and metabolism, but the market often stretches those functions into claims of reversing aging.
The episode focuses on CD38, an enzyme associated with aging and inflammation that can accelerate NAD+ depletion, potentially widening the gap between demand and production.
Rather than treating raw NAD+ as the obvious answer, the discussion considers NMN and nicotinamide riboside as potentially more practical precursor supplements.
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