NMN, NAD+ and the Truth About Midlife Energy

Author: Curated Beauty Co-Founders

Can't put your finger on why you feel tired?

There's a particular kind of tired that turns up in midlife. Not the kind a good night's sleep fixes. The kind that sits underneath everything else. If you've felt it, you're not imagining it, and you're certainly not alone.

One of the most talked-about explanations sits at a cellular level, with something called NAD+.
Let's unpick what that actually means, what the research says, and where INNER CONFIDENCE fits in.

What is NAD+, and where does NMN come in?

NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) is a coenzyme found in every single cell in your body. It's central to how your cells turn food into energy, repair DNA, and keep your metabolism running. Without enough of it, those important  processes simply don't run as efficiently.

 

The trouble is, like most things(!)  NAD+ naturally declines as we age. NMN (nicotinamide mononucleotide) is a precursor your body uses to make NAD+. Keeping this as simple as we can, think of NAD+ as the energy, and NMN as one of the raw materials your cells need to produce more of it.

 

What the research actually shows

For us at Curated Beauty, where there is proven scientific evidence is when we get excited!  NMN is an area of genuinely active, fast-moving research, so let's be precise about what's been found so far.

 

Two peer-reviewed, randomised, placebo-controlled human trials are worth knowing about.

The first, published in Frontiers in Aging (2022) followed middle-aged and older adults taking 300mg NMN daily for 60 days. NAD+ levels in the NMN group rose by 38% by day 60, compared with a 14.3% rise in the placebo group. The NMN group also showed no noteworthy change in insulin resistance markers (a sign of ageing), while the placebo group's figures worsened over the same period.

The second, a multicentre, double-blind, dose-dependent trial published in GeroScience (2023) gave 80 middle-aged healthy adults either placebo, 300mg, 600mg or 900mg of NMN daily for 60 days. Blood NAD concentrations increased significantly across all NMN groups at both day 30 and day 60. Notably, walking distance in a six-minute physical performance test was significantly higher in all three NMN groups compared with placebo, with the 600mg and 900mg groups showing the strongest results.

 

On safety: both trials reported NMN was well tolerated with no significant adverse effects. That's reassuring, though it's worth noting most human studies to date are relatively short in duration,the long-term picture is still being built but this is promising, well-supported, emerging science. 

Why we add B vitamins, C and D3

NMN doesn't work in isolation and we believe in maximising all our formulas whether they be skincare, haircare or wellness, because we only want to give our Customers products that genuinely work and that people are going to see and feel the difference. 

Therefore INNER CONFIDENCE was developed with a high dose of NMN and with a carefully chosen supporting cast for good reason.

The B Vitamin Multi Complex comprising of Riboflavin (B2), Niacin (B3), B6, B12 and Pantothenic Acid (B5) at varying levels up to 400% NRV,  plays a central role in the metabolic pathway that helps convert NMN into NAD+. These vitamins also support energy-yielding metabolism, cognitive health and the body's normal response to stress.

Vitamin C at 188% NRV contributes to normal collagen formation and helps protect cells from oxidative stress.

Vitamin D3 at 500% NRV supports normal immune function and energy metabolism. It's a nutrient a significant proportion of UK adults are deficient in, particularly outside summer months, which is reason enough to include it regardless of the NMN conversation.

the honest takeaway

INNER CONFIDENCE isn't a promise to turn back the clock. We'd never say that, and you wouldn't believe us if we did. What it is however is a daily way to support your cells with building blocks current research suggests genuinely matter, alongside vitamins your body needs regardless of age.

 

We designed INNER CONFIDENCE for us, as Co-Founders as we want to feel our best for as long as possible......and we want you to share in this little secret ingredient!

Your body isn't failing. It's recalibrating. INNER CONFIDENCE is designed to support it through that, one day at a time.

SHOP RELATED PRODUCTS

about the author

read more

WELLNESS

How to sleep better: Habits backed by science

73% of women often have disrupted sleep compared to 60% of men. Sleep problems in midlife (often linked to menopause and hormonal shifts) can be especially common, with research estimating about half of midlife women experience insomnia symptoms that impair sleep quality.