Nicotinamide Riboside Doubled NAD+ but Failed to Boost Memory
A supplement doubled a key molecule in the blood, and memory didn't budge. In a 12-week randomized trial of older adults with amnestic mild cognitive impairment, nicotinamide riboside raised NAD+ twofold but did not improve cognition, total brain blood flow, or blood pressure. There was one tantalizing exploratory hint of increased hippocampal blood flow, but it's far from proof. Here's what the study really shows, where its limits are, and what it means if you're thinking about buying an NAD+ booster.
The Trace Mineral That Vanishes From the Brain Before Alzheimer's
A landmark Nature study from Harvard found that lithium was the only metal significantly depleted in the brains of people with mild cognitive impairment. In mice, cutting lithium by about half triggered amyloid buildup, tau pathology, inflammation, and memory loss, while low-dose lithium orotate prevented it. The compound appears to evade the amyloid plaques that trap other lithium salts. But the supplement results are mouse-only, with no human trial yet, and lithium carries real kidney, thyroid, and interaction risks. Here is what the study shows, what it doesn't, and what to watch next.