Nutrae Blog · Ingredient primer · Reviewed 2026-07-18

Nicotinamide Riboside Hydrogen Malate

How NR relates to NAD⁺, what human NR chloride trials measured, and why NRHM must be treated as a distinct final form.

In plain language

What it is.

Nicotinamide riboside hydrogen malate presented as a planned single-ingredient capsule with source-linked research context.

NRHM is a defined salt form. Nutrae keeps its planned capsule specification separate from studies of other nicotinamide riboside forms.

Human evidence

What researchers measured.

Human studies largely concern NR chloride and measured biomarkers or study-specific outcomes. They do not test NRHM or the planned Nutrae capsule.

B2019

Safety and Metabolism of Long-term Administration of NIAGEN (Nicotinamide Riboside Chloride) in a Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-controlled Clinical Trial of Healthy Overweight Adults

Design: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial · 140 healthy overweight adults aged 40 to 60 years

Form, dose and duration: Nicotinamide riboside chloride · 100, 300 or 1,000 mg/day · 8 weeks

Reported result: Whole-blood NAD+ increased by approximately 22%, 51% and 142% in the 100, 300 and 1,000 mg/day groups within two weeks and remained elevated. Adverse-event incidence, type and severity were similar to placebo, with no serious safety signal reported.

Important limit: A biomarker increase does not demonstrate improved energy, performance, disease prevention, slower aging or longer life. The study applies to NR chloride rather than an unspecified NR salt.

Primary record
A2018

Chronic nicotinamide riboside supplementation is well-tolerated and elevates NAD+ in healthy middle-aged and older adults

Design: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial · 24 healthy adults aged 55 to 79 years who completed the trial

Form, dose and duration: Nicotinamide riboside chloride · 500 mg twice daily, equal to 1,000 mg/day · 6 weeks per intervention period

Reported result: PBMC NAD+ increased by approximately 60% compared with placebo. Blood-pressure and arterial-stiffness findings were exploratory and did not remain significant after multiplicity correction. Body composition, glycemic control, motor function and aerobic exercise capacity did not improve.

Important limit: Small, short crossover trial. Exploratory cardiovascular signals must not be promoted as established benefits.

Primary record
A2018

A randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial of nicotinamide riboside in obese men: safety, insulin-sensitivity, and lipid-mobilizing effects

Design: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial · 40 obese, insulin-resistant men

Form, dose and duration: Nicotinamide riboside chloride · 2,000 mg/day · 12 weeks

Reported result: NR appeared tolerable but did not improve insulin sensitivity, glucose metabolism, energy expenditure or body composition compared with placebo.

Important limit: Restricted to obese, insulin-resistant men, used NR chloride at a high study dose and cannot determine the final directions for Nutrae's intended NRHM product.

Primary record
The Nutrae boundary

What this does not prove.

Nutrae intends to use NRHM. The exact signed salt identity and verified nicotinamide-riboside equivalent must be reconciled to the final label; results from NR chloride cannot automatically be transferred to NRHM or the finished capsule.

No finished Nutrae product has been tested in a randomized human trial. Ingredient studies do not establish an outcome for this capsule or show that it produces the same exposure as another formulation.

Safety context

Use the final label.

NR chloride was generally well tolerated in short human studies. Longer-term use, uncommon adverse effects and the safety bridge to NRHM are less certain.

  • Most trials were short and not designed to detect uncommon adverse effects.
  • Pregnancy, nursing, medicine use, medical conditions and planned surgery require qualified medical advice.
Read the complete collection

Three molecules, kept separate.

Compare Ca-AKG, NR and Urolithin A without turning one ingredient’s evidence into another product’s claim.

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