Glutathione vs NAD+
Side-by-side comparison of Glutathione and NAD+: mechanism, half-life, dose range, safety profile, and vendor pricing.
Price snapshot
Glutathione
NAD+
Glutathione
Glutathione is the body's most abundant intracellular antioxidant — a three-amino-acid peptide made of glutamate, cysteine, and glycine (Glu-Cys-Gly), present in millimolar concentrations inside every cell of your body.…
Lowest listed price: $29.00 across 8 listings
Full Glutathione profileNAD+
NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, oxidized form) is a pyridine dinucleotide coenzyme essential to energy metabolism, DNA repair via PARP enzymes, sirtuin-mediated gene regulation, and calcium signaling via CD38.…
Lowest listed price: $25.00 across 11 listings
Full NAD+ profileSide-by-side comparison
| Attribute | Glutathione | NAD+ |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Recovery | Longevity |
| Research Stage | Clinical | Phase II |
| Mechanism of Action | Glutathione's mechanisms extend far beyond the simple "antioxidant" label that dominates popular marketing. Understanding these mechanisms matters because they determine where supplementation is likely to help and where it is unlikely to make any difference.… | Redox Cofactor Function NAD+ serves as the primary electron acceptor in catabolic reactions (glycolysis, TCA cycle, fatty acid oxidation), cycling between its oxidized (NAD+) and reduced (NADH) forms. This fundamental energy metabolism role means every cell… |
| Half-Life | Short: on the order of minutes for intravenous glutathione (intact GSH is cleared rapidly from plasma and cellular uptake of intact GSH is limited). Oral bioavailability is low, so tissue glutathione levels depend mainly on endogenous synthesis from cysteine, glycine, and glutamate rather than on the half-life of administered GSH. | Varies by form: NR ~8 hours plasma; NMN ~1-2 hours plasma; IV NAD+ infusion dose-dependent |
| Typical Dose Range | 250 mg - 1000 mg daily (oral, IV, or nebulized) | Oral precursors: NR 300-2,000 mg/day, NMN 250-900 mg/day, NAM 500-1,500 mg/day; IV NAD+ 500-1,500 mg per session. |
| Dosing Frequency | — | Oral precursors once daily (higher doses split AM/midday); IV NAD+ weekly-to-monthly at clinics. |
| Administration | — | Oral (precursors), Intravenous, Intramuscular, Subcutaneous |
| Side Effects | Glutathione has an excellent overall safety profile at typical supplement and medical doses. Serious adverse events are rare, and most side effects are mild and self-limited. That said, "safe" is not "sideeffect-free," and specific formulations and routes… | Nicotinamide Riboside (NR) NR has the best-characterized safety profile of the NAD+ precursors. Across published RCTs at 1,000-2,000 mg/day for up to 12 weeks, adverse effects have been mild and uncommon: - Gastrointestinal upset (5-10% of users) - Mild… |
| Molecular Weight | 307.32 g/mol (C10H17N3O6S) | 663.4 g/mol (NAD+); NR 255.3 g/mol; NMN 334.2 g/mol; NAM 122.1 g/mol |
| Common Vial Sizes | — | 100mg, 250mg, 500mg |
Price History
4 data points- Half Nattys
- Ion Peptide
- BHG Labs
Price History
4 data points- OF
- BM
- Half Nattys
- Ion Peptide
- BHG Labs
Glutathione: potential benefits
- Powerful antioxidant protection
- Liver detoxification support
- Immune system enhancement
- Skin brightening and anti-aging
- Heavy metal chelation support
- Reduced oxidative stress
NAD+: potential benefits
- Restores age-associated NAD+ decline — 50% loss between young and older adulthood
- Increases peripheral blood NAD+ by up to 142% at 1,000 mg NR daily (Elhassan 2019)
- Supports sirtuin-mediated gene regulation and PARP-mediated DNA repair
- Improves muscle insulin sensitivity in prediabetic postmenopausal women (Yoshino 2021)
- Increases aerobic performance in amateur runners at 300-600 mg NMN (Liao 2021)
- Reduces inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-alpha) in middle-aged/elderly (Martens, Elhassan)
- Brain NAD+ elevation demonstrated in Parkinson trial (Brakedal 2022)
- Excellent safety profile at evidence-supported doses (500-2000 mg/day NR)
Frequently asked
What's the difference between Glutathione and NAD+?
Glutathione is a recovery that glutathione's mechanisms extend far beyond the simple "antioxidant" label that dominates popular marketing. understanding these mechanisms matters because they determine where…. NAD+ is a longevity that redox cofactor function nad+ serves as the primary electron acceptor in catabolic reactions (glycolysis, tca cycle, fatty acid oxidation), cycling between its oxidized (nad+) and…. The two differ in mechanism, half-life (Short: on the order of minutes for intravenous glutathione (intact GSH is cleared rapidly from plasma and cellular uptake of intact GSH is limited). Oral bioavailability is low, so tissue glutathione levels depend mainly on endogenous synthesis from cysteine, glycine, and glutamate rather than on the half-life of administered GSH. vs Varies by form: NR ~8 hours plasma; NMN ~1-2 hours plasma; IV NAD+ infusion dose-dependent), and typical dose range.
Which has the longer half-life, Glutathione or NAD+?
Glutathione has a half-life of Short: on the order of minutes for intravenous glutathione (intact GSH is cleared rapidly from plasma and cellular uptake of intact GSH is limited). Oral bioavailability is low, so tissue glutathione levels depend mainly on endogenous synthesis from cysteine, glycine, and glutamate rather than on the half-life of administered GSH.. NAD+ has a half-life of Varies by form: NR ~8 hours plasma; NMN ~1-2 hours plasma; IV NAD+ infusion dose-dependent. Longer half-lives generally mean less frequent dosing but slower on/off kinetics.
Which is cheaper, Glutathione or NAD+?
Lowest listed price on BodyHackGuide: Glutathione from $29.00, NAD+ from $25.00. Prices are pulled from the vendor listings tracked on BHG and change frequently. See the compare tables on each compound page for the current set of offers.
Can you stack Glutathione and NAD+?
Stacking depends on mechanism overlap, safety profile, and goals. Glutathione and NAD+ should only be stacked after reviewing each compound's individual protocol page, side effect profile, and any published interaction data. Use the BodyHackGuide stack builder for a structured review before combining research compounds.
See current vendor prices
Listings from the vendors we track. Prices change often, so check the vendor before you buy.
Before you buy Glutathione or NAD+
Check the vendor trust score. Every supplier we track is rated 0-100 on COA verification, payment transparency, shipping, reviews, and listings: one published, reproducible methodology, applied to every vendor.
Related comparisons
Research use only. BodyHackGuide is a research and price-comparison reference. The compounds discussed on this page are not approved by the FDA for human consumption and are sold strictly for laboratory research. Prices shown are pulled from vendor listings tracked on BHG and are subject to change. We earn an affiliate commission on some outbound clicks, and every vendor is ranked on the same public, reproducible methodology. See editorial standards and affiliate disclosure.