NAD+ is a large, fragile molecule, and the trip from your mouth to your cells is a tough one. In a standard capsule or powder, it has to make it past stomach acid, digestive enzymes, and the lipid-based lining of your intestinal wall. NAD+ dissolves in water but doesn't easily cross lipid membranes, so each of those stages is another chance for it to break down or fail to cross intact. Our article on liposomal delivery covers how encapsulation technology was developed to solve exactly this kind of challenge.
This is also why simply taking more doesn't fix the issue. If a molecule struggles to cross the intestinal wall, a bigger dose doesn't help it cross any more efficiently. The problem is structural, so the solution has to be structural, too.
How Liposomal NAD+ Works
So, what is a liposomal? Long story short, liposomal NAD+ solves the delivery problem by giving the molecule a protective escort. A liposome is a tiny sphere made from a phospholipid bilayer, the same material that makes up your cell membranes. When NAD+ is tucked inside one, it travels through your digestive tract shielded from the conditions that would otherwise break it down.* When the liposome reaches your intestinal wall, its membrane-like structure helps it pass through more easily than a free-floating NAD+ molecule could on its own.*
Our formula takes this one step further with a waterless liposomal system. Standard liposomal products are water-based, and water can degrade NAD+ over time. Encapsulating NAD+ in a protective lipid layer without water helps preserve its stability and potency from production all the way to absorption.*
NAD Liposomal Absorption And Why The Fat Source Matters
Liposomal delivery has a long track record. The technology was originally developed for pharmaceutical use, where researchers found that encapsulating sensitive compounds in liposomes can help protect them and improve how they're delivered in the body (Sercombe et al., 2015). Over the past decade, that same approach has made its way into supplements, but not every liposomal formula is built the same way.
When it comes to NAD liposomal absorption, the fat used to build the liposome matters more than most people realize. Many brands use cheap, processed oils or synthetic emulsifiers. Sunny Within was the first brand to make liposomal supplements with good fats. Our NAD+ is built on organic coconut-derived MCT oil and avocado oil, which support absorption while delivering nutrient-dense fats your body puts to work.*
Liposomal NAD Benefits For Energy, Skin, And Aging Well
The real payoff of better delivery is what NAD+ can do once it arrives. NAD+ is found in every living cell, where it helps convert food into energy, supports DNA repair, and activates enzymes like sirtuins and poly-ADP-ribose-polymerases (PARPs) that play a role in cellular maintenance and stress response.* NAD+ levels can drop by up to 50% between your twenties and fifties, which is part of why supporting them has become such a focus in longevity science.*
Research on NAD+ intermediates has also explored how supporting NAD+ levels supports the biological processes tied to healthy aging, including energy metabolism and cellular repair (Yoshino et al., 2018). That's where liposomal NAD benefits come in. To be specific, the more NAD+ that actually reaches your cells, the more support those processes get. For a broader look at how this delivery advantage applies across ingredients, our article on liposomal benefits covers the full picture.
What Makes Our Liposomal NAD+ Supplement Different
Our liposomal NAD+ supplement is designed for people who want a formula that reflects how NAD+ works in the body. Instead of relying on a single ingredient, it supports the full NAD+ pathway from production to utilization.
- NAD+ (50mg): Delivered through our advanced waterless liposomal system, direct NAD+ supports your levels right away without needing any conversion.*
- A Clinically-Studied Dose Of NMN (400mg): Nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) is the most well-studied NAD+ precursor, sitting just one conversion step from NAD+, and a clinically-studied dose has been shown to significantly increase blood NAD+ levels at 30 and 60 days.*
- TMG (500mg): NMN conversion draws on your body's methyl groups, so trimethylglycine (TMG) helps replenish them and keep the conversion cycle running smoothly.*
- Vitamin B12 As Methylcobalamin (300mcg): This highly bioavailable form of B12 works alongside TMG in the methylation cycle while also supporting energy and mental clarity.*
Direct NAD+ works straight away, while NMN provides longer-term production support, so you're covering immediate delivery and sustained replenishment in one easy squeeze.*
Finding The Best Liposomal NAD For You
When you're comparing options to find the best liposomal NAD, a few details can tell you a lot about how a formula was built. Look for a product that names its lipid carrier, lists every active ingredient amount individually instead of hiding them in a proprietary blend, and shares third-party testing results. Our NAD+ checks every one of those boxes and is third-party tested.
You might also notice that some brands advertise 300mg of NAD+ or more. Dose on the label and dose your cells actually receive are two very different things, since a large dose that breaks down during digestion delivers far less than a smaller dose that's properly protected. Pairing 50mg of protected NAD+ with a clinically-studied dose of NMN means you're not just receiving NAD+ directly, you're also supporting your body's own ability to make more of it.*
How To Take Sunny Within's NAD+
Taking NAD+ is about as easy as a supplement gets. Squeeze one pouch directly into your mouth or stir it into a cold drink or smoothie, with or without food. The Vanilla Berry flavor is light and creamy, and it's flavored with real food extracts and no artificial sweeteners.
Some people notice steadier energy and mental clarity within the first few days. NAD+ levels build over weeks, and the deeper benefits for cellular resilience and skin quality tend to develop over 8 to 12 weeks of consistent daily use.*
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Sources:
- Sercombe, L., et al. (2015). Advances and challenges of liposome assisted drug delivery. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 6, 286.
- Yoshino, J., Baur, J.A., and Imai, S.I. (2018). NAD+ intermediates: the biology and therapeutic potential of NMN and NR. Cell Metabolism, 27(3), 513–528.
- Yi, L., et al. (2022). The efficacy and safety of β-nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) supplementation in healthy middle-aged adults: a randomized, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, dose-dependent clinical trial. GeroScience.
