The True Cost of NAD+: Price Per Milligram Absorbed

Why is NAD+ therapy expensive? NAD+ requires sterile, cold-chain manufacturing to remain stable, which costs more than producing dried powder pills. However, while pills seem cheaper upfront, they are often more expensive in the long run because much of orally ingested NAD+ may be broken down before it reaches your bloodstream, making absorption less efficient than injections [1]. Injections offer better value because almost every milligram you pay for actually reaches your cells.

• The "Wasted Money" Trap: Buying pills often means paying for ingredients your body breaks down.

• Price Per Absorbed Milligram: This is the only metric that matters.

• The Digestion Tax: You lose roughly 90p of every £1 spent on oral NAD+ due to stomach acid.

• Efficiency = Savings: One Vivere dose can equal the biological impact of handfuls of capsules.

Imagine you are at a petrol station filling up your car.

Option A costs £1 per litre, but the hose has huge holes in it. For every litre you pay for, only a tea cup actually makes it into your tank. The rest spills on the floor.

Option B costs £2 per litre, but the hose is perfect. Every drop goes into the tank.

Which one is actually cheaper?

Oral NAD+ supplements are Option A. They look affordable on the shelf, but you are paying for a "leaky" delivery system. 

Let’s break down the real numbers to see where your money goes.

When you look at the price tag, you need to calculate the Price Per Absorbed Milligram.

Even if oral supplements seem cheaper on the shelf, injections can deliver a higher effective dose per pound spent. “Cheap” pills may become the more expensive option if multiple bottles are needed to match the effect of a single injection.

We call this the Digestion Tax.

Every time you swallow a pill, your body charges a tax. First, stomach acid takes a cut. Then, the enzymes in your gut take a cut. Finally, the First Pass Metabolism in your liver takes the biggest cut.

By the time the molecule reaches your blood, you have paid a very high tax, where only a fraction actually reaches your bloodstream

With subcutaneous injections, you are operating almost tax-free. This is because you are bypassing the stomach and liver.

Making an injection requires sterile compounding.

• Endotoxin-Free: It must be perfectly clean because it goes straight into your body.

• Cold Chain: It must be kept refrigerated from the laboratory to your fridge to stop it from degrading.

This manufacturing process costs more, but it guarantees that the product is safe and potent.

If your body cannot absorb it, you just excrete it. Oral supplements that are poorly absorbed may deliver less NAD+ to your bloodstream than intended, reducing cost-effectiveness.

NAD+ therapy is an investment in your biological future. By choosing injections, you ensure that every penny you spend contributes directly to your energy, longevity and health.

"When evaluating health interventions, 'cost' should always be measured against 'absorption.' A lower price point for oral supplements can be misleading if only a fraction of the active ingredient reaches the bloodstream. From a nutritional efficacy standpoint, investing in a highly bioavailable delivery method helps ensure you are receiving an effective dose."

[1] Digestion and Absorption of NAD by the Small Intestine of the Rat - Journal of Nutrition