Comparison
Glutathione vs Nicotinamide Riboside
Side-by-side of Glutathione and Nicotinamide Riboside. Every row below is pulled from the compound schema and will update as our data grows. For deeper reads, follow through to each compound page.
Glutathione
Glutathione (GSH) is the body's primary intracellular antioxidant. Oral supplementation has variable bioavailability; sublingual, liposomal, and IV forms.
Nicotinamide Riboside
Nicotinamide riboside (NR) is the most-studied NAD+ precursor in humans. Sold as Niagen by Chromadex; raises plasma NAD+ 30-60% at 250-1,000 mg/day.
Effects at a glance
Glutathione
- •Body's primary intracellular antioxidant; tripeptide of glutamate, cysteine, glycine
- •Oral bioavailability poor; sublingual, liposomal, IV more reliable
- •Richie 2014 trial showed body GSH store increases at 250-1000 mg/day for 6 months
- •NAC supplementation often more cost-effective indirect strategy
- •Modest signals in NAFLD, skin aging, immune support; weak in cardiovascular
Nicotinamide Riboside
- •Most-studied NAD+ precursor in human trials; the original Niagen formulation by Chromadex
- •Plasma NAD+ rises 30-60% at 250-1,000 mg/day across multiple human PK trials
- •Martens 2018 reported reduced BP and arterial stiffness at 500 mg/day for 6 weeks
- •Dollerup 2018 found no insulin sensitivity change despite plasma NAD+ rise
- •Tissue NAD+ rise inconsistent; hard clinical endpoints not yet measured
- •Larger human safety database than NMN; comparable mechanistic effects
Side-by-side
| Attribute | Glutathione | Nicotinamide Riboside |
|---|---|---|
| Category | supplement | supplement |
| Also known as | GSH, L-glutathione, reduced glutathione | NR, Niagen, nicotinamide riboside chloride |
| Half-life (hr) ↗ | 0.5 | 8 |
| Typical dose (mg) ↗ | 500 | 500 |
| Dosing frequency | daily, often divided | daily, typically morning |
| Routes | oral, sublingual, intravenous | oral |
| Onset (hr) | 1 | 1 |
| Peak (hr) | 2 | 4 |
| Molecular weight | 307.32 | 255.25 |
| Molecular formula | C10H17N3O6S | C11H15N2O5 |
| Mechanism | Tripeptide antioxidant; substrate for glutathione peroxidase (H2O2 reduction), GST (xenobiotic conjugation), glutaredoxin (redox signaling). GSH:GSSG ratio is the central cellular redox indicator. | NAD+ precursor via salvage pathway. Phosphorylated to NMN by nicotinamide riboside kinase (NRK), then converted to NAD+. Substrate for sirtuins, PARPs, and CD38. |
| Legal status | OTC dietary supplement | OTC dietary supplement |
| WADA status | allowed | allowed |
| DEA / Rx | OTC supplement | OTC supplement |
| Pregnancy | Insufficient data at supplemental doses; endogenous compound is safe | Insufficient data at supplement doses |
| CAS | 70-18-8 | 1341-23-7 |
| PubChem CID | 124886 | 439924 |
| Wikidata | Q116907 | Q3343054 |
Safety profile
Glutathione
Common side effects
- mild GI upset
Contraindications
- asthma (IV / inhaled forms specifically)
- active chemotherapy without oncologist guidance
Interactions
- chemotherapy agents: theoretical interference with GSH-depletion-dependent agents(moderate)
Nicotinamide Riboside
Common side effects
- mild GI upset (rare)
- headache (rare)
Contraindications
- pregnancy / lactation (insufficient data)
- active cancer (theoretical, no contraindicating data)
Interactions
- pterostilbene: complementary sirtuin pathway (Basis combination)(minor)
- TMG (trimethylglycine): methylation support during high NAD+ precursor dosing(minor)
Which Should You Take?
Nicotinamide Riboside comes out ahead for most readers on the criteria we weight: 3 catalogued goals, OTC dietary supplement, oral dosing, with a Tier-A outcome catalogued. Glutathione is the right call when one of the conditionals below applies.
- → If your priority is liver function, pick Glutathione.
- → If your priority is immune support, pick Glutathione.
- → If your priority is energy and stamina, pick Nicotinamide Riboside.
- → If your priority is metabolic health and glucose control, pick Nicotinamide Riboside.
Edge case: Half-lives differ materially (Glutathione ~0.5 hr vs Nicotinamide Riboside ~8 hr). Nicotinamide Riboside reaches steady state faster; Glutathione is easier to dial in if tolerability is uncertain.
Default choice: Nicotinamide Riboside. Lower friction to source, a Tier-A evidence outcome catalogued, and broader goal coverage. Reach for Glutathione only if your priority sits squarely in the goals it owns above.
This verdict is generated from each compound's schema (goals, legal status, evidence outcomes, dosing route). It updates automatically as our compound data evolves; the deeper read sits on each individual compound page.
Common questions
What is the difference between Glutathione and Nicotinamide Riboside?
Glutathione and Nicotinamide Riboside differ in category (supplement vs supplement), mechanism, and typical dosing. See the side-by-side table for full details.
Which has a longer half-life, Glutathione or Nicotinamide Riboside?
Glutathione half-life is 0.5 hours; Nicotinamide Riboside half-life is 8 hours.
Can you stack Glutathione with Nicotinamide Riboside?
Stack compatibility depends on mechanism overlap, legal status, and individual response. Check each compound page for specific interactions and contraindications before combining.
Go deeper