NAD+ vs Cartalax
Side-by-side comparison of NAD+ and Cartalax: mechanism, half-life, dose range, safety profile, and vendor pricing.
Price snapshot
NAD+
Cartalax
NAD+
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+ profileCartalax
Cartalax is a short synthetic peptide developed in Russia by Vladimir Khavinson and colleagues at the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology, positioned as a "cartilage bioregulator" intended to…
Lowest listed price: $49.99 across 3 listings
Full Cartalax profileSide-by-side comparison
| Attribute | NAD+ | Cartalax |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Longevity | Recovery |
| Research Stage | Phase II | Preclinical |
| Mechanism of Action | 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… | Mechanism of Action Cartalax's proposed mechanism is the Khavinson short-peptide framework applied to cartilage: passive membrane permeation, nuclear import, and sequence-selective chromatin modulation producing chondrocyte-favourable transcriptional shifts.… |
| Half-Life | Varies by form: NR ~8 hours plasma; NMN ~1-2 hours plasma; IV NAD+ infusion dose-dependent | No published human or animal pharmacokinetic data for Cartalax. As a small (~446.5 Da) tetrapeptide, rapid plasma hydrolysis (on the order of minutes) is expected, consistent with other Khavinson short peptides, but this has not been directly measured. |
| Typical Dose Range | 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. | 20 mg oral/sublingual once daily for 10 days; 60-90 day washout |
| Dosing Frequency | Oral precursors once daily (higher doses split AM/midday); IV NAD+ weekly-to-monthly at clinics. | Once daily |
| Administration | Oral (precursors), Intravenous, Intramuscular, Subcutaneous | — |
| Side Effects | 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… | Side Effects and Safety Cartalax has been used in Russian clinical settings for roughly 20 years with a sparse adverse-event literature — reassuring in direction, insufficient for confident pharmacovigilance. Reported short-term adverse effects -… |
| Molecular Weight | 663.4 g/mol (NAD+); NR 255.3 g/mol; NMN 334.2 g/mol; NAM 122.1 g/mol | 446.5 Da (C18H30N4O9) |
| Common Vial Sizes | 100mg, 250mg, 500mg | — |
Price History
4 data points- OF
- BM
- Half Nattys
- Ion Peptide
- BHG Labs
Price History
3 data points- Ion Peptide
- Disguised Alpha
- LB
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)
Cartalax: potential benefits
- Joint and cartilage repair support
- Connective tissue maintenance
- Anti-aging effects on musculoskeletal system
- Improved joint mobility
Frequently asked
What's the difference between NAD+ and Cartalax?
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…. Cartalax is a recovery that mechanism of action cartalax's proposed mechanism is the khavinson short-peptide framework applied to cartilage: passive membrane permeation, nuclear import, and sequence-selective…. The two differ in mechanism, half-life (Varies by form: NR ~8 hours plasma; NMN ~1-2 hours plasma; IV NAD+ infusion dose-dependent vs No published human or animal pharmacokinetic data for Cartalax. As a small (~446.5 Da) tetrapeptide, rapid plasma hydrolysis (on the order of minutes) is expected, consistent with other Khavinson short peptides, but this has not been directly measured.), and typical dose range.
Which has the longer half-life, NAD+ or Cartalax?
NAD+ has a half-life of Varies by form: NR ~8 hours plasma; NMN ~1-2 hours plasma; IV NAD+ infusion dose-dependent. Cartalax has a half-life of No published human or animal pharmacokinetic data for Cartalax. As a small (~446.5 Da) tetrapeptide, rapid plasma hydrolysis (on the order of minutes) is expected, consistent with other Khavinson short peptides, but this has not been directly measured.. Longer half-lives generally mean less frequent dosing but slower on/off kinetics.
Which is cheaper, NAD+ or Cartalax?
Lowest listed price on BodyHackGuide: NAD+ from $25.00, Cartalax from $49.99. 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 NAD+ and Cartalax?
Stacking depends on mechanism overlap, safety profile, and goals. NAD+ and Cartalax 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.
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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.