Charles Brenner, who is now the head of biochemistry at the University of Iowa, discovered in 2004 that a form of vitamin B3 called nicotinamide riboside, or NR, is a vital precursor of NAD. He later found that NR, which is found in trace levels in milk, can extend the lifespan of yeast cells by boosting NAD and increasing the activity of Sir2. Once a rare chemical, NR is now sold by the ton each month as a nutraceutical.
NR
