The Dylan Gemelli Podcast
Episode #83 Uncovering the TRUTH about NAD supplements! NAD VS. NMN VS. NR! You cannot afford to miss this episode!!
20 Jan 2026
Chapter 1: What are NAD supplements and why are they misunderstood?
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Welcome back to the Dylan Gemelli podcast, everyone. And I am back doing solo episodes. I have been slacking a little bit on the solo episodes because I've had so many guests coming in to do interviews with me. I had the holidays. I've got new partnerships and new things that I am working on that I'm super excited about my website. So as you can imagine, I have been on overload.
I'm already going seven days a week and I rarely get to do any family time. And so I've been trying to balance all of that together, you know, and I'm a very spiritual guy and I'm not really adhering to some of God's laws when it comes to taking rest. And it's taken a toll on me physically and mentally by not resting enough. So I'm trying to balance all of this out.
But it is a top priority to me to put out content for you that is also just coming for me. Now, I am blessed to talk to so many of these experts all around the world.
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Chapter 2: How do NAD precursors like NMN and NR work?
And I want to utilize that and share of the added knowledge base that I'm having to the knowledge base that I've already built over all of these years. I get to talk to experts. OK, so I'm turning into an expert because I surround myself with experts.
That's the way that you get smart and you grow and you learn and you always realize you can never know too much, but you can always know too little. So I'm always working on my knowledge game. You know, I'm a big athlete now. We say Michael Jordan didn't stop shooting jump shots. Tom Brady didn't stop throwing and taking practice throws every single day. You stay sharp by staying on your game.
And so when it comes to this, it's studying, learning, listening, and always realizing there's a lot of people that know a lot more than you do. So. I have inundated myself with a lot of information or a lot of different topics today. I want to touch a little bit on NMN, NAD and NR. So NAD has become one of the more polarizing topics of discussion. There's a lot of confusion.
There's a lot of people that I would I don't like to say this, but it's a fact that there's a lot of bad actors out there that know that NAD supplements themselves don't directly work yet. They sell these and market these. And I want to give an understanding of why NAD supplements don't work on their own and why you need to take a precursor. And the precursors are NMN and NR.
So I'm going to also discuss the differentiation between those as well. So let's kind of dive into all of this. Now, I've had the blessing of interviewing some true experts on this. Baron de Labor, he's the founder of Wonderfeel. And I also spoke so many times and got full blown masterclasses from Dr. Andrew Saltzman, who is like the master.
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Chapter 3: Why can't NAD supplements work alone for increasing levels?
foremost well-known NAD authority on the planet. So I have been highly educated when it comes to everything NAD, NMN, NR, learning about the differences, the benefits, all of it. So I want to share with you what I have learned and we'll kind of expound upon that and then you can make the choices for yourself. NAD is an essential molecule in our bodies.
As we know, as we age, so many things start to decline. And unfortunately, NAD production is one of those. And direct NAD supplementation does not work well at all, even with IV treatments. Now, NMN and NR are NAD precursors that can help us restore NAD to more youthful levels. Both of these are converted to NAD within our cells.
Now the biggest difference here between NMN and NR is an extra phosphate group that makes NMN the more direct of the two. Now NMN also has its own transporter that takes it directly into the cell. So what do these all stand for? NMN stands for nicotinamide mononucleotide. NR stands for nicotinamide riboside. And NAD, the real fun one to say, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide. Okay, that was fun.
We're going to stick to the short form from here on out through the rest of the video. Those can tie your tongue a little bit. So NAD is an extremely vital molecule in our body, and it fuels all different kinds of cellular functions from energy production to DNA repair to cellular signaling. It is the molecule that absolutely keeps us young. All right.
So keep in mind as we go through this, the absolute importance of NAD in itself and keeping those levels high in our bodies. You know, as we age, we know what happens. We can start to have slower recovery. Our energy levels can go down.
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Chapter 4: What is the difference between NMN and NR as NAD precursors?
We can start to get graying hair. Check my beard out. Wrinkles. But keep in mind. The aging process and the way that we have learned to take care of ourselves has certainly slowed. And this is another way that we can effectively mitigate this process by keeping our NAD levels up. But like I said, you can't just pop NAD supplements because NAD itself does not get directly into our cells.
But NMN and NR have zero issue getting into our cells. And that's clearly when the magic happens. These are NAD precursors, so they're like VIP passes that converted into NAD once they're inside our cells, give our body the boost it needs from inside and out. They're both great options, but if you want the most straightforward and efficient path to boosting your NAD levels, NMN has the edge.
All right. Now, as I brought up earlier, you can't just take NAD directly. Let's get into that a little bit more. Why bother with NMN and NR if the point is to increase NAD itself? Let me give you a more comprehensive answer on this. NAD is a cornerstone molecule, like I said, for crucial cellular functions like fueling mitochondria, which is the battery of the cell, and aiding in DNA repair.
Cells value NAD so highly that they protect it Ferociously, they have reinforced outer layers that act as a strong barrier to keep it safely contained. And NAD itself is a very large molecule, but it doesn't readily cross the cellular membrane. And that's assuming it can even get there in the first place. So that's why we use NMN and NR. They're smaller molecules.
And they're not only impressively resilient in our digestive tract, they're like special keys that unlock the steel doors to our cells. And that access is what allows for NAD conversion once NMN and NR are safely inside, which is where they can be the most useful.
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Chapter 5: How does aging affect NAD levels in the body?
From a molecular standpoint, they're largely the same. NMN, like I said, it has the additional phosphate group, which makes it physically bigger, but not by much and not nearly as big as NAD. All right. But the biggest difference here is what happens inside the cells and the conversion to NAD, which is obviously the goal. NMN is the immediate precursor to NAD.
So it actually acts as like a go-between for NR and NAD. So check this out. In order for NR to actually convert to NAD in the cells, it actually has to first be converted to NMN. So it's a pretty elaborate process, but in simple terms, if you take NMN directly, it actually eliminates this entire step. So that's something that a lot of people don't know or understand.
I believe NMN is the most efficient option. And I think a lot of people that do the research and look at this feel and understand and see it the same exact way. Now, let's talk a little bit here more about NMN. It's highly bioavailable, so it's easily absorbed into the bloodstream. It's generally taken very, very easily as an oral tablet capsule powder. You can take it daily at home.
It's shown to be quite safe, and it offers a more gradual and sustained approach to raising NAD levels. And, you know, it's something that I've seen so many people use and enjoy. It's shown to be so effective. Now, there are a few other things that we have to keep in mind. There's something called CD38 that we need to remember and keep in mind. And CD38 can really drain our NAD levels.
It's a major, major enzyme, and it acts as a significant sink, and it lowers the levels, especially during aging and inflammation. And when you consume NAD+, guess what happens? CD38 reduces its availability for vital functions, and it inhibits NAD+, dependent enzymes, promoting mitochondrial dysfunction and contributing to age-related metabolic decline, inflammation, and disease.
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Chapter 6: What role does CD38 play in NAD depletion?
Now, if we inhibit CD38, we can get an increase in our NAD levels and protect against these negative effects. So that's why I want to talk to you a little bit about Wonderfeel. Now, Wonderfeel is literally one of my favorite companies on the planet. And it's for several reasons.
But one, the big reason is the amount of time and care they've actually put into educating people on the right and most effective and efficient way to actually boost our NAD levels. Their product is not just a straight NMN product. And that's what I love about this. It goes beyond.
What it does is it combines several different ingredients that not only boost our NAD levels, but prevent NAD depletion by lowering CD38 activity. And that optimizes cellular function and it enhances our resilience against aging and oxidative stress. So, you know, CD38 is an enzyme and receptor on immune cells, and it uses and breaks down NAD to regulate cell communication and activation.
But like I said, excessive CD38 activity will deplete NAD and weaken cellular energy and immune function. So not only does Wonderfield use the right dose for NMN based on studies, which is a 900 milligram dose, and that was actually taken from peer reviewed studies that found that to be the most effective dose. But they add other ingredients.
So ergothionine is a powerful antioxidant that protects cells and combats oxidative stress. Resveratrol, which many are aware of, supports brain health, heart function, and longevity at a cellular level. Hydroxytyrosol helps regulate inflammation and support metabolic and cardiovascular health. And then vitamin D, which is essential for the body.
We know its role in generating stem cells in the gut, which is a key foundation for overall health. So some of the other benefits here that we're looking at is that this combination supports a wide range of cellular processes, including energy metabolism, DNA repair, and gene expression, and also reduction in inflammation.
It has a very positive effect on healthy aging, improvements in prevention of metabolic disorders. I can go on and on and on. But that's why I like the Wonderfeel NMN product itself, because of all of the ways that it addresses true NAD increase in production.
Now, I just want to make it clear that there are several companies out there that sell straight NMN and that's a great product to take, but you have to address the CD38 factor here.
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Chapter 7: Why is the WONDERFEEL NMN product recommended?
If you do not address the CD38 factor, you're never going to get the proper NAD level growth that we are supposed to have. You must keep that in mind because that is of the utmost importance. NMN and NR are both great. NMN just has the edge, as I pointed out, because you're eliminating an extra step. It has the most direct path.
It's the easiest absorb, and it's going to provide the quickest enhancement for you. So listen, keep in mind, as I said, that NAD is very misunderstood. It's one of those things that you have to be very careful of by taking supplements with. NMN, in my view and in most experts' view, is the way to go. But NR is also a very good option, so I do not want to discount that.
That being said, use your best judgment when it comes to any sort of supplement out there, okay? You have to be careful with the information that gets put out, and you also need to look at the studies that are involved, if they're bought and paid for, where they came from, and the experts behind them.
I always look for people that have done years and years and years and years of research, but I also look for real life world effects. I always look for people that take these. I don't just base everything that I do personally off of studies. I base it off what I see with real human interaction, because ultimately that's going to show you the true value here. And just remember another thing.
Every single person is different. So the way that these things affect you is going to be quite different from person to person. Prime example, my wife could not do the 900 milligram dose of NMN, but when we cut it in half, she has responded extremely well. No problems, no side effects, no nothing. And you can see the vibrancy. So you have to adjust accordingly.
Just because there's a recommended dose or protocol, it doesn't always work for everybody. Sometimes it's good to ease into things.
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Chapter 8: What are the best practices for taking NMN and NR supplements?
Just remember, listen to your body, listen to yourself. And you can always start off slow and increase. But once you start too high, you've already caused problems and screwed things up. So always go on the conservative side when it comes to taking anything new that you're introducing to your body. These are foreign substances that your body is not used to and needs to acclimate to.
And everybody's different. Some people can take a lot. Their threshold's high. And some people have such a low threshold, you'd be shocked. And I just want to make that very clear to everybody. Do what's best for you. And always do the proper research on all of this.
no matter if it's from me, any other expert out there, the most brilliant people in the world, still always ask questions and do what's best for you. I just want to make sure that everybody understands the actual differences here and what will potentially work far better than something else and what may be a ripoff.
So just be aware, be smart, ask questions, and stay tuned for plenty more to come. Dylan Gemelli, signing off.