Tools & Calculators
Practical, free tools for anyone serious about peptide therapy — reconstitution math, dosing calculations, GLP-1 unit conversions, and stack-level analysis. Built to be used alongside your healthcare provider, not in place of one.
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Four free tools covering reconstitution math, dosing calculations, GLP-1 unit dosing, and stack-level analysis.
Before You Calculate
Our peptide profile pages cover the research, mechanisms, dosing ranges, and stacking strategies behind each peptide — so you know what the calculator is calculating.
Browse Peptide Profiles →What Is NAD+?
The coenzyme that powers every cell in your body — and declines dramatically with age.
NAD+ (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide) is a coenzyme found in every living cell. It's not a peptide in the traditional sense — it's a molecule your body produces and requires for hundreds of enzymatic reactions, including the ones that generate cellular energy, repair DNA damage, and regulate the proteins that control aging.
The problem is straightforward: NAD+ levels decline approximately 50% between the ages of 40 and 60. That decline isn't a minor inconvenience — it's one of the most consistent and well-documented biochemical changes in human aging, and it sits upstream of mitochondrial dysfunction, cognitive decline, metabolic slowdown, and impaired DNA repair.
Restoring NAD+ levels has become one of the most actively researched interventions in longevity medicine — with researchers including David Sinclair at Harvard identifying NAD+ restoration as a central pillar of any serious anti-aging protocol.
NAD+ doesn't work through a single mechanism — it's a foundational molecule that enables dozens of other biological processes. Restoring it doesn't just fix one thing; it improves the cellular environment across the board. This is why NAD+ is considered the most important molecule in longevity medicine by many researchers.
How Does NAD+ Work?
Four core mechanisms explain why NAD+ restoration has such broad and profound effects on aging.
NAD+ is the primary electron carrier in the mitochondrial electron transport chain — the process that converts food into ATP (cellular energy). Without adequate NAD+, mitochondria become inefficient, energy production drops, and cellular function across every tissue type declines.
Sirtuins are a family of 7 proteins that regulate aging, stress response, inflammation, and cellular repair. They are entirely NAD+-dependent — they cannot function without it. Declining NAD+ means declining sirtuin activity, which means accelerated aging across multiple biological pathways simultaneously.
PARP enzymes are the primary responders to DNA damage — they detect breaks and coordinate repair. PARP enzymes consume NAD+ as fuel for this process. As DNA damage accumulates with age, PARP activity increases, depleting NAD+ faster and creating a vicious cycle of declining repair capacity and accelerating damage.
NAD+ levels fluctuate with the circadian cycle — rising during the day to fuel activity and dropping at night to signal repair. The CLOCK genes that govern circadian rhythm are directly regulated by NAD+-dependent sirtuins. Disrupted NAD+ metabolism disrupts circadian timing, impairing sleep quality and the repair processes that depend on it.
What Is NAD+ Used For?
From energy restoration to cognitive performance — NAD+ has the broadest application profile of any longevity compound.
- Energy & Fatigue RecoveryThe most immediately noticeable effect for most people. Restoring NAD+ levels improves mitochondrial efficiency — resulting in more consistent energy, reduced afternoon fatigue, and better physical endurance. Effects are often noticeable within the first IV infusion.
- Cognitive Performance & Brain FogNAD+ is critical for neuronal energy production and neuroprotection. Declining NAD+ contributes directly to brain fog, cognitive slowing, and the memory changes associated with aging. Restoration consistently improves mental clarity, focus, and processing speed.
- DNA Repair & Genomic StabilityVia PARP enzyme support, NAD+ restoration improves the body's capacity to repair DNA damage — reducing the accumulation of mutations that drive cancer risk and cellular senescence.
- Metabolic Health & Body CompositionNAD+ supports insulin sensitivity, fat metabolism, and mitochondrial biogenesis — the process of creating new mitochondria. Relevant for anyone experiencing age-related metabolic slowdown, weight gain, or declining muscle mass.
- Addiction & Withdrawal SupportIV NAD+ has been used clinically in addiction medicine — particularly for alcohol and opioid withdrawal — where rapid NAD+ repletion appears to reduce withdrawal severity and craving intensity. One of the more established clinical applications.
- Longevity & Biological Age ReductionVia sirtuin activation, PARP support, and circadian regulation, NAD+ restoration addresses aging at a systems level. It is consistently identified as one of the highest-leverage interventions in longevity medicine.
How to Use NAD+
Three delivery methods — each with distinct use cases, bioavailability profiles, and practical considerations.
IV → SubQ → Oral. A loading series of 3–5 IV infusions to rapidly replete NAD+ levels, followed by subcutaneous NMN injections for ongoing maintenance, with oral NMN or NR on days between injections. This gives you the speed of IV, the bioavailability advantage of subQ, and the cost efficiency of oral as a daily base layer.
NAD+ in a Longevity Stack
NAD+ is the metabolic foundation that makes every other longevity intervention work better.
- +NAD+ + Epithalon — The most synergistic longevity pairing. Epithalon restores circadian rhythm and deep sleep — the conditions under which NAD+ synthesis is naturally upregulated. NAD+ supports the mitochondrial energy production that makes cellular repair during deep sleep possible. Together they address aging from two complementary directions: the cellular clock (telomeres) and cellular fuel (NAD+).
- +NAD+ + GHK-Cu — GHK-Cu's gene regulation includes antioxidant and inflammation-controlling genes that reduce the oxidative stress that depletes NAD+ via PARP activation. By reducing oxidative burden, GHK-Cu helps preserve NAD+ for energy production rather than constant damage repair.
- +NAD+ + BPC-157 — BPC-157 reduces systemic inflammation — one of the primary drivers of PARP over-activation and NAD+ depletion. Lower inflammatory burden means less NAD+ consumed by damage repair and more available for energy production and sirtuin activity.
- +NAD+ + Resveratrol / Quercetin — Resveratrol and quercetin are SIRT1 activators that work synergistically with NAD+ to enhance sirtuin activity. NAD+ provides the substrate; resveratrol amplifies the signal. A well-established pairing in the longevity research literature.
What to Look for When Sourcing NAD+ Precursors
Quality varies enormously between suppliers. These are the markers that separate research-grade product from underdosed supplements.
InformedPeptides may earn a commission on purchases made through affiliate links on this page. This never influences our editorial content or recommendations. We only recommend sources we have independently evaluated.
This page is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. NAD+ precursors and injectables should be discussed with a qualified healthcare provider. InformedPeptides does not prescribe, diagnose, or treat any medical condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before beginning any protocol.
What Is Epithalon?
The most studied anti-aging peptide for telomere maintenance — backed by over 40 years of Russian clinical research.
Epithalon (also spelled Epitalon) is a synthetic tetrapeptide — just four amino acids: Alanine-Glutamic acid-Aspartic acid-Glycine (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly). It was developed by Professor Vladimir Khavinson at the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology, where it has been the subject of continuous clinical research since the 1980s.
Epithalon is derived from Epithalamin — a natural peptide extract from the pineal gland. The pineal gland is the body's master regulator of circadian rhythm and the primary source of melatonin. As we age, pineal function declines — disrupting sleep architecture, reducing melatonin output, and impairing the hormonal signaling that coordinates cellular repair during deep sleep.
What distinguishes Epithalon from virtually every other anti-aging peptide is its direct effect on telomeres — the protective caps on chromosomes that function as the biological clock of aging. Epithalon is the only peptide with published human data demonstrating telomere elongation.
Epithalon is the only peptide with published human clinical data demonstrating actual telomere elongation — not just preservation. This places it in a category of its own among anti-aging compounds.
How Does Epithalon Work?
Four distinct mechanisms explain Epithalon's position as the anchor peptide in any serious longevity protocol.
Epithalon activates telomerase — the enzyme responsible for maintaining and elongating telomeres. In most adult somatic cells, telomerase is inactive, causing telomeres to shorten with each cell division. Epithalon reactivates this enzyme, slowing and in some cases reversing telomere shortening.
Epithalon restores the peptide signaling environment of the pineal gland — increasing melatonin output, normalizing circadian rhythm, and restoring the deep sleep architecture that declines with age. This mechanism alone has cascading effects on hormone production, cellular repair, and immune function.
Epithalon upregulates the expression of antioxidant enzymes — particularly superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase. These are the body's primary defenses against oxidative stress, one of the key drivers of telomere shortening and cellular aging.
Through pineal restoration, Epithalon normalizes the pulsatile release of growth hormone during deep sleep — the primary window for tissue repair, muscle maintenance, and metabolic regulation. This effect is particularly significant for adults over 40 experiencing age-related GH decline.
What Is Epithalon Used For?
From cellular longevity to sleep restoration — Epithalon addresses aging at its most fundamental level.
- Telomere Maintenance & LongevityThe primary application. Epithalon is the only peptide with published human data showing telomere elongation — making it the anchor compound in any serious longevity protocol. Used in courses of 10–20 days, 1–2 times per year.
- Deep Sleep RestorationOne of the most immediately noticeable effects. Users consistently report significantly improved sleep quality — particularly deeper, more restorative sleep — within the first course. This is the pineal restoration mechanism in action.
- Immune System RegulationEpithalon has demonstrated immunomodulatory effects in both animal and human studies — restoring immune function that declines with age and reducing markers of chronic inflammation.
- Cancer Risk ReductionLong-term Epithalon studies — some spanning 20+ years — have shown significant reductions in cancer incidence and overall mortality in treated populations. This is among the most striking findings in the entire peptide research literature.
- Perimenopause & Hormonal SupportEpithalon has shown particular benefit for women in perimenopause — normalizing hormonal cycling, improving sleep disruption, and reducing the severity of menopausal symptoms through its effect on the pineal-hypothalamic-pituitary axis.
- Retinal ProtectionOne of the more surprising research findings — Epithalon has demonstrated protective effects on retinal function in aging populations, potentially relevant to age-related macular degeneration risk reduction.
What Does the Research Say?
Epithalon has the most extensive human clinical research history of any peptide in the longevity space.
The Epithalon research base is unusual in the peptide space for two reasons: its depth and its duration. Professor Khavinson's team at the St. Petersburg Institute has conducted continuous research on Epithalon since the 1980s — including studies that have followed patients for over 20 years.
Key findings from the human clinical data include:
- Telomere ElongationPublished human data showing measurable telomere elongation in treated subjects — a finding that has not been replicated by any other peptide compound.
- Mortality ReductionLong-term studies showed approximately 33% reduction in overall mortality in Epithalon-treated populations compared to controls — a remarkable finding for any intervention.
- Cancer IncidenceSignificant reduction in cancer incidence observed across multiple long-term studies — consistent with the telomere maintenance and antioxidant gene expression mechanisms.
The majority of Epithalon's clinical research was conducted in Russia and published in Russian-language journals — which has historically limited its visibility in Western medical literature. This doesn't diminish the quality of the research; it explains why Epithalon remains less known in Western clinical practice than its evidence base warrants.
Epithalon in a Longevity Stack
Epithalon is consistently recommended as the anchor peptide in any longevity protocol.
- +Epithalon + NAD+ — The most synergistic longevity pairing. Epithalon restores circadian rhythm and sleep — the conditions under which NAD+ synthesis is upregulated. NAD+ supports the mitochondrial energy production that makes cellular repair during deep sleep possible. Together they address aging from two complementary directions: the cellular clock (telomeres) and cellular fuel (NAD+).
- +Epithalon + BPC-157 — A foundational anti-aging stack. BPC-157 addresses inflammaging — the chronic low-level inflammation that accelerates telomere shortening via oxidative stress. By reducing the inflammatory burden, BPC-157 preserves the telomere length that Epithalon works to maintain.
- +Epithalon + CJC-1295 + Ipamorelin — When IGF-1 testing shows growth hormone decline, adding a GH secretagogue stack amplifies the hormonal support that Epithalon initiates via pineal restoration. Particularly relevant for adults over 45 experiencing body composition changes or persistent fatigue.
- +Epithalon + GHK-Cu — The most complete anti-aging skin and longevity stack. Epithalon targets the chromosomal clock; GHK-Cu targets gene regulation, collagen synthesis, and the downstream tissue aging that telomere shortening produces. A complete anti-aging pairing for those prioritizing both longevity and aesthetic outcomes.
Quality Epithalon — What to Look For
Epithalon quality varies significantly between suppliers. These are the markers of a reputable source.
- ✓ Third-party Certificate of Analysis (CoA) available on request
- ✓ Purity ≥98% confirmed by HPLC testing
- ✓ Lyophilized (freeze-dried) powder — not pre-mixed solution
- ✓ Correct amino acid sequence confirmed (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly)
- ✓ Cold-chain shipping with temperature indicator included
- ✗ No CoA available or supplier refuses to provide one
- ✗ Pre-reconstituted liquid Epithalon (highly unstable)
- ✗ Unusually low price — purity almost certainly compromised
- ✗ Shipped without cold-chain packaging in warm months
- ✗ No contact information or traceable company behind the product
IGF-1 (growth hormone status), hsCRP (inflammatory burden), and telomere length testing give you a meaningful baseline to track against. Retest telomere length after 12 months of consistent Epithalon use — this is the clearest objective marker of the peptide's effect on your specific biology.
This page is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified, licensed healthcare professional before beginning any peptide protocol. InformedPeptides.com and its authors are not liable for actions taken based on the content of this page.