Traditional energy drinks give you a burst of energy when you need it the most, but it comes at a cost. High blood sugar levels and energy crashes after a few hours are just some of the undesirable effects that you can get. The good news is that there are new options that combine the benefits of an easy-to-take and tasty drink with ingredients that actually boost your energy in the long term. These are NAD+ drinks, and in this article, we will walk you through:
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What is an NAD+ drink, and how are they different from energy drinks?
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How does NAD+ boost your energy levels, and what are the benefits beyond that?
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Is NAD+ safe, and that’s inside an NAD+ drink?
TL;DR
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An NAD+ drink is a liquid supplement that supports your cells’ own energy production by increasing levels of NAD+, a molecule needed to turn nutrients into energy.
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Energy drinks contain caffeine, high sugar levels, and other stimulants that don’t increase your energy levels but trick your brain into feeling awake.
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NAD+ actually makes your body produce energy more effectively in the long term, while energy drinks give you a short burst that’s followed by sudden crashes.
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High amounts of caffeine and sugar carry side effects, such as cardiovascular problems and cravings. NAD+ drinks are well tolerated and tend to be safer and more convenient than other formats like IV NAD+ infusions.
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NEU+ is the first ready‑to‑drink NAD+ shot, combining nicotinamide riboside with TMG and vitamin C in a 60‑mL, caffeine‑free, and added-sugar‑free NAD+ drink that fits easily into your morning routine.
What’s an NAD+ drink, and how is it different from an energy drink?
An NAD+ drink is a liquid supplement designed to boost your levels of NAD+, a molecule that’s essential for your cells to produce energy and fuel your body throughout the day. On the other hand, energy drinks are beverages that contain stimulants such as caffeine or taurine, acting in your brain to make you feel less tired.
The main difference is that NAD+ drinks give you sustained energy in the mid- and long term, while energy drinks give you a short, quick boost that only lasts for a few hours. And this is closely linked to how their ingredients work in your body.
Tricking your brain into feeling energetic
Your body has its own ways to let you know you’re tired, so you can rest before your energy tank gets empty. One of its mechanisms takes place in the brain, and it’s controlled by a molecule known as adenosine, a byproduct of energy consumption.
Adenosine is like a messenger, telling your brain you’ve consumed energy and you should feel tired. It signals this by binding specific receptors in your neurons. Caffeine blocks the connection between adenosine and its receptors. The takeaway is pretty simple: you feel less tired because your brain is not sensing exhaustion, not because you actually have more energy to keep going.
Stimulants like coffee and energy drinks can lead to mid‑day crashes, while an NAD+ drink focuses on cellular energy for more stable support.
The hidden effects of energy drinks
The science behind caffeine explains why you get an energy crash after a few hours of consuming it. Caffeine allows you to ignore your body’s natural signals of fatigue and keep going, but when it stops making its effect, tiredness hits you all of a sudden.
In energy drinks, this crash is especially hard, as they contain between 70-240 mg of caffeine, which translates into 2-7 cans of cola. If your caffeine intake is too high, energy crashes are the mildest thing you can get. High caffeine intake is linked to increased risk of anxiety, sleep disorders, and cardiovascular diseases.
Energy drinks have another side effect that people don't usually think about, and it’s nothing to do with caffeine this time. These drinks contain high amounts of sugar, usually 54 to 62 grams, going far beyond daily recommendations. Consuming this amount of sugar has been widely associated with obesity, cardiovascular problems, and type 2 diabetes in the long term. And in the short term, when your sugar levels go down again, you get a different crash: this time, you get cravings that might end up in binge eating or in consuming unhealthy food.
NAD+: the molecule that fuels your body from the inside out
Compared to energy beverages, NAD+ drinks are designed to boost your levels of NAD+, a molecule that’s essential for your cells to produce energy. NAD+ works by transporting the energy released from breaking down nutrients to your cell’s power plant: your mitochondria. There, this energy is turned into ATP, the molecule that powers anything from muscle contraction to neurons firing.
Your body naturally produces NAD+, but as you age, its levels decline. This means you may not generate as much energy as your muscles and brain could use, and you start feeling more tired after busy days and training sessions.
But the benefits of NAD+ don’t stop here. This molecule also plays a role in DNA repair, a process that becomes essential as we age, and many other processes that maintain our tissues healthy over time.
If you want to read more about what NAD+ actually does in your body, check out this article we wrote about the science behind it.
Energy drinks rely on caffeine and sugar for short bursts, whereas an NAD+ drink supports cellular energy, offers steadier levels, and is well tolerated.
Are NAD+ drinks safe?
People turn to NAD+ supplementation not only because of its benefits, but because it’s a safe option. Data show that NAD+ supplements are well-tolerated, and only some types of formulations, like IV injections, can produce mild side effects, including flushing and nausea. NAD+ drinks are among the safest, with fewer reported reactions.
Overall, NAD+ drinks support your body's energy production so you feel energized without the spikes and crashes of energy drinks and without the annoying side effects of other NAD+ supplement formulations.
But not all NAD+ drinks are built the same. Some you make at home from powders, others rely on different precursors or may include extra ingredients that are difficult to understand, and this can influence how effective the product is and how easy you can integrate it into your routine.
NEU+ NAD+ drink keeps it simple: no fillers, just a science-backed shot for cellular energy that fits easily into your routine.
Understanding NEU+, the first NAD+ drink on the market
At NEU+, we developed the world’s first NAD+ drink with the goal of making cellular energy accessible to everyone. That’s why we created a product that’s effective, tasty, and easy to integrate into your routine.
On the ingredient list, you’ll find no fillers, only four main components specifically chosen to support your cells throughout the day. First, nicotinamide riboside is a clinically researched NAD+ precursor that your body can efficiently convert into NAD+.
But as your cells work better with higher NAD+ levels, we also added TMG to help your body handle the extra processing that comes with that. This is combined with vitamin C, which supports antioxidant protection, and natural lemon and ginger flavors.
There is no caffeine or sugar, so you get support for your natural energy production without the crashes of energy drinks. The result is a tasty 60-mL shot you can easily integrate into your morning routine to start your day anew.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is an NAD+ drink?
An NAD+ drink is a liquid supplement designed to raise your levels of NAD+, a molecule that your cells use to convert food into ATP, the main energy currency in the body. By supporting NAD+ levels, these drinks aim to help your cells produce energy more efficiently throughout the day.
2. How is an NAD+ drink different from an energy drink?
An energy drink relies on stimulants like caffeine to trick your brain into feeling awake, giving a short-term effect that results in energy crashes after a few hours. NAD+ drinks, rather than stimulating your brain, support your natural mechanisms of energy production at the cellular level, giving a more stable effect without crashes or sugar loads.
3. Are NAD+ drinks safe?
NAD+ drinks based on oral NAD+ precursors are considered well-tolerated. This makes them a safer and more practical option than higher‑dose approaches such as IV NAD+ drips, which can sometimes cause side effects like flushing or nausea and require medical supervision.
4. What’s inside an NAD+ drink?
Most NAD+ drinks include an NAD+ precursor (for example, nicotinamide riboside or other forms of vitamin B3) plus supporting nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and natural flavors. Some formulations, such as NEU+, keep the ingredient list short and focused, avoiding caffeine and added sugar while combining the precursor with TMG and vitamin C.
5. When and how should I take an NAD+ drink?
Many people take an NAD+ drink once a day, often in the morning with breakfast, so it becomes part of a consistent routine. Regular use is key, because supporting NAD+ and cellular energy is a long‑term strategy rather than an instant boost like a traditional energy drink.